International qualifications 2013 (pdf) - CUKAS

Qualifications currently offered
Mycket väl godkänd MVG Pass with special distinction
Väl godkänd VG Pass with distinction
Godkänd G Pass
Icke Godkänd IG Fail
The new system’s grade scale has the classifications A–F,
where A is the highest grade and E is the lowest passing
grade. F means fail.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
After nine years of compulsory education, with English
introduced sometime during the first three years, almost all
pupils proceed to upper secondary school (gymnasieskolan).
Prior to 1 July 2011 they could choose to pursue one of the 16
national programmes or a specially-designed programme. Two
of the national programmes – natural science and social
science – as well as many of the specially-designed
programmes, have an increased focus on university entrance.
There are no formal school leaving examinations. The Slutbetyg
från Gymnasieskolan, usually awarded after three years at an
upper secondary school (gymnasium), gives a grade for each
course, including compulsory and optional courses. Each
subject may include several courses. Grades are based on
continuous internal assessment, with the syllabuses and
criteria for the various grades defined nationally. The certificate
will specify the programme studied: F for complete (2,500
points), U for extended or R for reduced. The Slutbetyg från
Gymnasial Vuxenutbildning requires a minimum of 2,350
points.
In the new system, pupils may choose to pursue one of 18
national programmes; 12 vocational and six that are
preparatory for higher education. Pupils in vocational
programmes may take further courses and thus get basic
eligibility for higher education, which is specified on the
certificate by GB. The six national programmes that are
preparatory for higher education are: Business Management
and Economics (ekonomiprogrammet), Arts (estetiska
programmet), Humanities (humanistiska programmet), Natural
Science (naturvetenskapsprogrammet), Social Science
(samhällsvetenskapsprogrammet) and Technology
(teknikprogrammet). The Examensbevis from Gymnasieskolan,
usually awarded after three years of upper secondary school,
gives a grade for each course, including compulsory and
optional courses. Each subject may include several courses.
Grades are based on continuous internal assessment, with the
syllabuses and criteria for the various grades defined nationally.
The certificate will specify the programme studied: U for
extended. The Examensbevis from Gymnasieskolan requires a
minimum of 2,500 points and will be marked with a U if it has
been extended. The Examensbevis from Gymnasial
Vuxenutbildning requires a minimum of 2,400 points.
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
For eligibility for higher education, a certificate must include at
least 2,250 points for courses with a grade of pass or above,
including Swedish, English and mathematics. A complete
programme is required from upper secondary education. In
practice, competition is usually keen for places in higher
education; high grades are needed and specific requirements
must also be satisfied for many university programmes.
All levels of the Swedish education system are currently
undergoing major reforms that will affect all of the above
mentioned regulations. New requirements for eligibility for
higher education will be in place from 2013.
A bachelor’s degree (Kandidat) is achieved by accumulating at
least 180 credits, with at least 90 in one subject, and takes
three years.
Switzerland
EVALUATION
Schweizerisch anerkanntes kantonales Maturitätszeugnis
Certificat de maturité cantonal reconnu par la Confédération
Attestato di maturità cantonale riconosciuta dalla
Confederazione
Maturitätszeugnis, ausgestellt von der Schweizerischen
Maturitätskommission
Certificat de maturité, délivré par la Commission suisse de
maturité
Attestato di maturità, rilasciato dalla Commissione svizzera
di maturità
Acceptable as group qualifications satisfying general entrance
requirements for universities.
GRADING SYSTEM
6 (maximum), 5, 4: satisfactory 3, 2, 1: insufficient
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Considerable educational autonomy rests with the 26 cantons.
Systems thus vary in many quite basic respects, especially
between cantons in different linguistic regions. There is, however,
considerable agreement upon nine years of compulsory education
followed by three or four years of upper-secondary education
leading to the school leaving qualification, a Cantonal Maturity
Certificate or a Federal Maturity Certificate, or a Professional
Maturity Certificate, the name identifying the first language as
German, French or Italian, as noted above. The duration of
schooling up to maturity certificate is 12/13 years.
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
The Cantonal Maturity Certificate is the basic qualification for
admission to doctoral/research universities or universities of
teacher education. Most such certificates are specifically
endorsed as ‘federally recognised’; those which are not are
often specialised (eg artistic or pedagogic) and have uncertain
currency, especially outside the specific canton. There is a
numerus clausus for studies in medicine, dentistry and
veterinary medicine. Since the 2001/02 winter semester, Swiss
universities have been busy adjusting their curricula to comply
with the Bologna Declaration. Under this new two-tier system
the first grade awarded is the bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS
credits or three years full-time study) and the second one the
master’s degree (90/120 ECTS credits or one and a half/two
years full-time study). A bachelor’s degree is the prerequisite
for admittance to studies at master’s level. A master’s degree
and good grades are the prerequisite for undertaking a
doctorate.
Furthermore, the universities can confer master’s degrees in
further education, the so-called Master’s of Advanced Studies –
MAS (a minimum of 60 ECTS credits or one year full-time study).
A MAS does not give access to doctoral studies.
Since implementation of the new two-tier study system has not
yet been completed, degrees according to the former system are
still being awarded. The first grade awarded is the
Lizentiat/Licence or Diploma with a total length of full-time study
of four–five years and six years for medical studies (no ECTS
credits). However, experience shows that they usually last one or
58 INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS