Proving your English language skills – Option P

Subject Teacher Education Programme (STEP) - Pedagogical Studies in English

Please follow the instructions which are published in the Application Process in the Studyinfo.fi data base.

Your language test score must be valid throughout the entire application period. This means that if your language test expires even one day before the final application deadline, your score will not meet the requirements set by the programme.

Check the validity of your test score and make arrangements for a new language test well in advance, if necessary.

Foreign language studies in English as defined by the Government Decree on University or Polytechnic Degrees (= asetuksen mukaiset vieraan kielen opinnot englannin kielessä) are accepted as an adequate proof of proficiency.   

If you are or going to be a subject teacher in the English language, and you already have or you will obtain an Equivalency Certificate for subject teachers in the English language (= opetettavan aineen vastaavuustodistus), you do not prove your knowledge of English in any other way.

Note that that an Equivalency Certificate may be a separate document or the equivalency of studies may be stated in your Degree Certificate or the decision of recognition provided by the Finnish National Board of Education, in which case a separate equivalency certificate is not required.

The students in the English Studies at the University of Helsinki do not have to demonstrate their knowledge of English.

Minimum requirement: 6.5; with a minimum score of 6.0 in the writing section.

When requesting the test centre to forward your IELTS Academic test score, give University of Helsinki as the recipient of the test score. University of Helsinki accepts electronic test scores only when they are made available to it online by the test organizer. TRF links sent by email to University of Helsinki are not accepted. Please note that the University of Helsinki only accepts IELTS Academic test scores. Tests taken at the general level will not be accepted as proof of the applicant’s language skills.

Copies of IELTS score slips are accepted from both the test organizer and the applicant. They do not need to be attested:  University of Helsinki verifies the score with the test organizer. Score slips can be sent as paper copies or by email.

STEP applicants: please follow the instructions on submitting documents to Admissions Services for applicants to non-degree programmes for teacher qualifications.

It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has started, as it usually takes about two weeks for the score to be published.

IELTS scores are valid for two years and the score must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline.

Minimum requirement:

TOEFL IBT (Internet-based) 92, a minimum score of 22 in the writing section

TOEFL PBT (Paper-based) 580

TOEFL rPDT (revised Paper-delivered Test) a minimum score of 20 in the reading section, a minimum score of 20 in the listening section, a minimum score of 22 in the writing section

When requesting the TOEFL test centre to forward your results to University of Helsinki, please fill in University of Helsinki's Institution Code 9872 in the Score Report Recipient field. The testing centre must send the score slip directly to University of Helsinki or make its electronic equivalent available to it. Please note that test results sent by the applicant will not be accepted. Be advised that after you have been informed of the test score, it takes approximately three weeks for the test result to reach University of Helsinki.

Minimum requirement:

C1 Advanced (formerly CAE): Pass levels A, B or C

C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE): Pass levels A, B, C or level C1 certificate

For C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency (formerly known as CAE and CPE), address the test score to Admission Services of the University of Helsinki (UH). An applicant's copy is acceptable, as your results will be verified with the test organizer. Include your Candidate's ID (3 letters and 6 numbers) and secret code (4 numbers). These codes can be found on your Confirmation of Entry and Timetable document. If you do not have these codes, please contact Cambridge ESOL. Please note that only tests taken after 2005 will be accepted.

Minimum requirement: 62, with a minimum score of 54 in each communicative skills section (listening, reading, speaking and writing).

PTE Academic Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is a paperless test. The results are typically available within five working days following the test session. Once you receive your test score, send it to Admission Services of the University of Helsinki from your PTE account. Choose Finland as the "Country", "University of Helsinki" as the "Institution" and click "Search". Select the university you want to send your results to and confirm your order. University of Helsinki can access to your test results within 48 hours. Online language test results are accepted only from the test organizer.

PTE Academic scores are valid for two years and the test result must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline.

Minimum requirement: average skills level 5 (C1), when using a scale from 1 to 6.  The test includes the following sections:  reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, writing and oral skills.

Send your test score copy to Admission Services of the University of Helsinki together with your application. Your results will be verified with the organizer. Please note that the Language Centre of the University of Helsinki does not organize these tests during academic year 2019-2020.

You can also demonstrate your English language skills with a corresponding language test administered by the language center or language services of another Finnish university.  Send your score report of the language test to the address stated on your application form. 

Minimum requirement: skills level 5 in the reading comprehension, writing and speaking subtests.

Send your National Certificate of Language Proficiency test score copy to Admission Services of the University of Helsinki together with your application. Your results will be verified with the organizer.

Upper-secondary education in English in the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or the USA is an acceptable way of demonstrating academic English language skills.

You can indicate your language skills with an International Baccalaureate, if the examination has been completed in English. If the examination has been completed in a language other than English, the following ways of indicating academic language skills are acceptable:

English as the A1 language with an approved grade (a minimum grade of 2).

English as the A2 language with a minimum grade of 5.

English as A language (literature/language and literature/language and performance) with an approved grade (a minimum grade of 2).

With the European Baccalaureate the following ways of indicating academic language skills are acceptable:

European Baccalaureate with English as the LI language with an approved grade (a minimum grade of 4).

European Baccalaureate with English as the LII language with a minimum grade of 7.

A university degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree, or polytechnic/university of applied science degree) completed in English in one of the EU/EEA countries or Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK or the USA is an acceptable way of demonstrating academic English language skills.

A degree completed at a Finnish university with English as the major subject is also an acceptable way of demonstrating academic English language skills.

If you are indicating your language skills with a higher education degree completed in English in one of the EU/EEA countries or Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK or the USA, the majority of the degree must be taught and assessed in English. If your degree includes transfer credits from outside the specified country/area or courses conducted in a language other than English, the degree might not meet the requirement.

Online studies or studies completed on offshore campuses outside the accepted countries cannot be used to indicate language skills, even if the degree-awarding institution is located in one of the accepted countries.

If you verify your language skills with your higher education degree, the language of instruction must always be indicated clearly on the educational documents. A conditional acceptance of your language skills with your future degree is also possible. However, this can be done acceptably only if you indicate your language skills with the same degree as your university eligibility.

Online language studies or open university studies are not acceptable when indicating language skills.