Education in Sweden: school stages, upper secondary school and the Högskoleprovet

In short

Education in Sweden is set nationally by the Riksdag and the government, and run locally by the municipalities, which are responsible for most schools. The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) publishes the curricula and the grading rules. School is compulsory for nine years, from the preschool class at about six years of age to the end of the ninth school year. After that, most young people go on to upper secondary school, called gymnasium, which is voluntary but free of charge. For university entry, Sweden has no single national school-leaving exam. Instead, applicants are ranked by their upper secondary grades, by their result on the Högskoleprovet (also spelled Hogskoleprovet without the umlaut), or by both, depending on the route.

School stages

1. Preschool and preschool class: Children can attend preschool (förskola) from the age of one. At about six, all children begin the preschool class (förskoleklass), which is a gentle bridge to compulsory school.
2. Compulsory school (grundskola): Nine years in three stages: lower, middle and upper stages. Pupils study Swedish, English, mathematics, the sciences, social studies, the arts, sport and health, and a second foreign language from the middle stage. Most children go to a municipal school, and a growing number attend independent schools funded from public money.
3. Upper secondary school (gymnasium): A three-year stage with national programmes. Higher education preparatory programmes, such as natural science, social science, economics and the arts, give the general eligibility needed for university. Vocational programmes cover areas such as construction, health care and handicrafts, and can include a path to higher education if the student adds the right courses.
4. Adult education (Komvux) and folk high schools: Adults who did not finish upper secondary school can complete missing courses at municipal adult education. Folk high schools also offer general courses that can lead to higher education.

Grading

Grades in compulsory school and upper secondary school use a letter scale from A to F, where A is the highest and F means a fail. Teachers set grades based on how well a student has met the knowledge requirements of each subject, and national tests in key subjects help teachers to grade fairly. Grades from the final year of compulsory school are used to rank applicants to upper secondary school programmes, and grades from upper secondary courses are used to rank applicants to university.

The Högskoleprovet

The Högskoleprovet is the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test, a voluntary test that gives a second way into higher education. It is organised by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) and is offered at test centres across the country in spring and autumn. The test has two main parts. The quantitative part contains mathematics-style problems, number sequences, comparisons, data sufficiency and the reading of diagrams and tables. The verbal part contains vocabulary, sentence completion, Swedish reading comprehension and English reading. Questions in the verbal part are mostly in Swedish, with English texts in the English reading section. Applicants may sit the test as many times as they like, and a result stays valid for several years, so it can be used in later admission rounds.

University and college entry

Applications for higher education go through a national system run by UHR, which students use for both Swedish-language and international programmes. Universities and university colleges offer places in separate admission groups. One group ranks applicants by their upper secondary grades, another by their Högskoleprovet result, and some courses use extra tests, portfolios, interviews or work experience. Each programme also sets entry requirements, such as particular upper secondary courses in mathematics, languages or science. Study at a university is free of charge for citizens of the EU and EEA countries, while students from other countries normally pay tuition fees, with some scholarships available. Higher education is organised in terms, and a typical bachelor's programme takes three years.

Studying in Sweden as an international student

Applicants from outside Sweden are usually asked to show a recognised school-leaving qualification and proof of English, and some programmes taught in Swedish ask for proof of Swedish. Every university publishes its own entry requirements, so always check the programme page for the course you want. International applicants usually apply through the national application service, and a residence permit may be needed for non-EU students.

Nationella prov (national tests)

The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) produces national tests (nationella prov) in key subjects across compulsory school and upper secondary school. In upper secondary education (gymnasiet), national tests are administered in courses including mathematics, English, and Swedish. These tests serve as a national benchmark to support teachers in fair, consistent grading across municipal and independent schools throughout Sweden.

Practising on GetMyMockTest

These are practice questions we wrote for study. They are not the official exams, and we do not claim they match an exam's current format. Free practice for Sweden:

• Nationella prov: mathematics, English language and reading, and science and society practice with timed mock tests and flashcards.
• Högskoleprovet: quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and vocabulary, and reading and data interpretation in English, plus quantitative practice in Swedish, with timed tests and flashcards.
• Swedish general knowledge: history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture.
• IELTS, SAT and IB Diploma: international exams that many Swedish and international applicants also take.