F.I.F.E. Finnish International Final Examination

To participate in a F.I.F.E. test, the student must have taken and passed at least the compulsory modules in the test subject, as defined by the Finnish International High School curriculum. If the subject has no compulsory modules, the student must have taken at least two modules from it. The tests assess learning based on the contents of both compulsory and optional modules of the subject. More information about the Finnish International High School curriculum is available from EduCluster Finland.

To complete a successful Finnish International Final Examination, students must earn passing grades in six test subjects, in accordance with local requirements. The FIER requirement for a successful examination is five passing grades.

Test adaptations for locally required subjects can be negotiated.

Enrolment for F.I.F.E. tests is done via the head of school. Submit a written enrolment, either via email or on paper, to the head of school. The head of school will compile the enrolments and deliver them to FIER.

Deadline for autumn 2026 test enrolment is 10.9.2026.

Enrolments will not be accepted after the deadline. Enrolments cannot be cancelled without a good reason, e.g., sickness. If a student fails to participate in a test they have enrolled in without an acceptable cancellation, the test will be graded as a Fail.

If a candidate is ill on a test day, they must contact the school as soon as possible to cancel their enrolment. A candidate may apply for annulment for their test registration with a doctor’s note if they are ill and unable to participate. The doctor’s note and a free-form annulment application is delivered to the head of school, who will deliver them to FIER. If the application is accepted, the test will not count as a test attempt, and the candidate will not receive a failed grade for it. Please note that an annulment application will not be accepted if there is no sufficient reason for the annulment.

If a candidate falls ill during a test, the head of school may move them and their test equipment to a separate back-up test room. The candidate may continue their test in the back-up room and the time they lost when moving between rooms will be reimbursed to them. If the student is unable to continue their test, they will wait in the separate room until 1,5 hours has passed since the start of the exam. If the candidate is sick during the exam, they may deliver a doctor’s note to the FIER after the test via the head of school, and their illness may be considered in the assessment of their exam.

F.I.F.E. tests are offered in two test periods a year, one in the autumn and one in the spring. These test periods consist of seven to eight test days. Tests are grouped together, and multiple tests in different subjects are offered each test day. The school informs the students about the test groupings.

F.I.F.E. tests are offered in the following subjects:

Biology
Chemistry
Citizenship
English Language and Literature
Foreign languages (A-level and B-level)
Geography
Health Education
Mathematics (advanced and standard level)
Philosophy
Physics
Psychology
History
Social studies
 

Students may participate in one test on each of the test days. Those taking the English Language and Literature test must participate in both Part 1 and Part 2 of the test within the same test period.

Students can take F.I.F.E. tests during three consecutive test periods. Students can retake failed tests during three test periods following the failed test. Students can retake passed tests as many times as they want if they wish to raise their grade. If a student retakes a passed test, the highest grade they earn in it will be marked in their certificate.

Test period dates vary year-by-year according to the requirements of the school year and public holidays. The school will inform students and families of the test dates of the year well ahead of time. The test dates will also be updated here.

 Test groupings (subject to changes):

• Day 1    English Language and Literature - Part 1 Literary analysis
• Day 2    Citizenship, Chemistry, Psychology, Health education, Geography
• Day 3    Foreign Languages A-level
• Day 4    Mathematics (Advanced and Standard)
• Day 5    Social Studies, Philosophy, History, Physics, Biology
• Day 6    English Language and Literature - Part 2 Written production
• Day 7    Foreign Languages B-level

Academic year 2026-2027

• Autumn 2026 test period 2.11.-12.11.2026
• Spring 2027 test period 26.4.-6.5.2027

The results of F.I.F.E. tests will be delivered to the head of school within four weeks of the last test day of each test period. The head of school will give the test results to the test candidates.

The grading system in F.I.F.E. ensures fairness and comparability through a two-stage assessment process. First, teachers of each discipline give their preliminary assessment of each candidate's test according to predetermined criteria. Then, censors give the final assessment of each candidate's test.

F.I.F.E. Certificates will be delivered to the head of school before the end of school year in the spring. The certificates are handed out to graduates on their graduation day. If a graduate is unable to attend their graduation, their certificate will be delivered to them via mail.

Students can be granted special test arrangements to ensure equal chance of success in their examination. 

Special arrangements can be applied for if the student has illnesses, neuropsychiatric disorders, loss of sight or hearing, problems with reading and/or writing (such as dyslexia), or other issues that may cause them to struggle with a normal test situation. Special arrangements are reserved for students that have needed and made use of special arrangement already during their high school studies, students who are experiencing a difficult life situation.

The following special arrangements are offered to those who need them:

• 2h additional test time
• Test assignments on paper with a larger font and spacing
• A reduced-distraction test room 
  • A student can be placed in a reduced-distraction test room/are with a maximum of eight test candidates (or more with the candidates’ consent). The reduced-distraction test area can be, e.g. an area separated from the main test area with screens or a separate room, depending on the school’s resources.
• Resting time in a space allocated for rest (for students who have illnesses or disabilities that cause heavy fatigue)
• Visual aids for students with visual impairments
• Test with reduced voice material for students with hearing impairments
• Test assistant. There are two kinds of assistants that can be used in the test situation.
  • The assistant can assist the student in using other equipment than the test equipment and take the student to the bathroom. They will not help the student write and submit their test answers.
    OR
  • The assistant can help the student answer the test assignments according to the student’s instructions. The assistant can write the answers and submit them on the test platform, but the student is fully responsible for the contents of the answers. The assistant is not allowed to help the student in formulating the answers. The assistant can, however, read the assignments out loud and give descriptions of necessary details. Students receiving this kind of assistance will take their tests in a separate room and the test situation is videotaped and voice recorded to ensure the legitimacy of the answers. This kind of assistance is strictly reserved for students with such disabilities or illnesses that physically prevent them from writing their answers either by hand or by computer.

A student may also apply for special arrangements due to a difficult life situation. A difficult life situation can be related to, for example: the death or serious illness of a loved one, difficult family situation, heavy legal procedures, etc. A difficult life situation may also be taken into consideration in test assessments, if a statement from a curator, counsellor, psychologist, or a doctor has been provided to FIER via head of school either before the tests or immediately after.

Please note that the special arrangements granted to applicants depend on the reason for the special arrangements; an applicant with dyslexia, for example, is not offered use of the resting room, unless they also have an illness or a disability that requires it.

Applications for special arrangements can be done using this form, or with a free-form application. A short description of the reason for special arrangements should be included in the application, and statements from, e.g., a doctor or psychologist, should be delivered to the head of school. However, if a statement has already been provided earlier during the student’s studies, one does not need to be provided again.

The head of school will confirm the need for special arrangements (with the help of the school guidance counselor or nurse, if necessary) and deliver the application to FIER with their backing.

The application will be reviewed by FIER, and the decision will be given to the head of school, who will inform the applicant.

Special test needs and arrangements and difficult life situations can be considered in the test assessment, IF a student is going to receive a failed grade that would lead them to fail their examination. Students may be given extra points based on the significance of their test hindrance. Points can be given as follows:

Maximum increase of points, if illness or injury, particularly difficult life situation or difficulty in reading and writing hinders the test performance...
 

If a student who has applied for and been granted special arrangements is about to receive a failed grade, FIER will consider the significance of their hindrance with the help of the head of school and increase the points accordingly. The total points earned with the point increase cannot be higher than the lowest passing point score for the subject. 

Special arrangements don’t need to be applied for every test period if the reason for them is of chronic nature – if a student has been granted special arrangements, they will be provided for all three test periods. However, if a student applies for special arrangements due to a particularly difficult life situation, the application is reconsidered for each test period.

To achieve an accepted examination, candidates must earn six (localised requirement; FIER requirement five) passing final test grades. However, candidates can compensate for a failed test grade by performing well in their other tests. Candidates earn compensation points for passing test grades they earn. These points are used to compensate for one failed grade. If a candidate earns enough points to compensate for a failed grade, they can still get an accepted examination with five (four) passing grades.

A test in any subject can be compensated but note that all candidates must either pass their English Language and Literature test or compensate for a failed grade in English Language and Literature.

If a candidate has passed their six compulsory tests but received failed grades in additional tests, the failed grades cannot be compensated. The failed grade(s) in additional subjects will not be marked in their F.I.F.E. Certificate. A failed grade in a compulsory test that has been compensated will be marked in the Certificate as compensated.
 

Compensation procedure and examples
 

Compensation points are awarded for passing test grades as follows:
Excellent = 7 points
Commendable = 6 points
Good = 5 points
Satisfactory = 4 points
Moderate = 3 points
and Passable = 2 points.

13 compensation points are needed to compensate for a failed test grade. Compensation points from the five passed tests are added together, and if the total score is at least 13, it compensates for a Fail. Note that only one failed grade can be compensated.

Some examples:

Example 1.
Candidate A has taken six tests. They have received the grades Excellent (7), Good (5), Good (5), Satisfactory (4), Moderate (3), and Fail.

To compensate for a Fail, 13 compensation points are needed.

With their passing grades, Candidate A has earned (7+5+5+4+3) 24 compensation points.

This means Candidate A has enough points to compensate for their failed grade and can thus pass their examination with their five passing grades. The failed grade will be marked in the candidate’s Certificate as compensated.

Example 2.
Candidate B has taken six tests. They have received the grades Passable (2), Passable (2), Moderate (3), Moderate (3), Passable (2) and Fail.

To compensate for a Fail, 13 compensation points are needed.

With their passing grades, Candidate B has earned (2+2+3+3+2) 12 compensation points.

This means Candidate B has not earned enough points to compensate for their failed grade and they cannot pass their examination with only five passing grades.

Example 3.
Candidate C has taken seven tests. They have received the grades Commendable (6), Good (5), Good (5), Satisfactory (4), Satisfactory (4), Fail, and Fail.

With their passing grades, Candidate C has earned (6+5+5+4+4) 24 compensation points.

This means Candidate C has earned enough points to compensate for one failed grade and they can pass their examination with their five passing grades. The failed grade with higher points will be compensated, and it will be marked in the candidate’s certificate as compensated.

Example 4.
Candidate D has taken seven tests. They have received the grades Excellent (7), Commendable (6), Satisfactory (4), Moderate (3), Moderate (3), Passable (2), and Fail. The Failed grade is in English Language and Literature, which is a compulsory test. Thus, their English Language and Literature grade MUST be compensated for them to pass their examination.

With their best five passing grades, Candidate D has earned (7+6+4+3+3) 23 compensation points. This means Candidate C has earned enough points to compensate for their failed grade in English Language and Literature and they can pass their examination with their six passing grades. The failed grade will be marked in their Certificate as compensated.

Example 5.
Candidate E has taken seven tests. They have failed their history test. This test does not need to be compensated, as six passing grades are enough to pass the examination. The failed grade will not be marked in the candidate’s Certificate.

Taking your F.I.F.E. soon? Here you will find some information to guide you in your test preparations, and to let you know what to expect during your test days.

Preparing for F.I.F.E.

Preparation is key to good F.I.F.E. results.

Read through and revise the materials from ALL modules in the subjects you will take your tests on. The test questions can be about any of the modules. Start revision early, some months before the tests if possible. Allocate a few hours a day for revision if you can. Making a revision schedule for yourself can be helpful, so consider doing that when you know your test dates.

When revising, take notes and memorise important theories, names, and chains of events. Make sure you understand events, theories etc. in larger, broader contexts.

In F.I.F.E. tests you’re expected to know how to

• manage and apply information.
• substantiate and justify your claims.
• make a distinction between facts, reasoned arguments, and opinions.
• place the information (events, theories, and other factors) you present in a broader context.
• use terminology related to the question appropriately in the answer and define the terms you use.
• structure a good, consistent essay.
• interpret graphs and charts.
• use and refer to given assignment materials in your answers appropriately. These can be text, video, audio, pictures etc.

Good essays are vital in F.I.F.E.! The tests are designed not only to test your knowledge, but also your maturity and ability to convey your knowledge in an appropriate and convincing way. So make sure you know how to write an outstanding essay!

The duration of F.I.F.E. tests is six hours.

There are no breaks during the test, so it’s important that you bring something to eat and drink with you on test days. The tests are long, and you don’t want to go hungry, so don’t skip on this!

For the test, you may bring in:

• Your ID
• a pencil
• an eraser 
• your lunch 
• personal medicine in a see-through container

You will leave everything else outside the test room. For the items you bring in, you must cover or remove ALL writing. For example, labels or any other writing on bottles, boxes or bags must be covered or removed. Same goes for pencils and erasers. A test supervisor will check all your items before you can bring them in the test room. A test supervisor of your gender will perform a pat-down over your clothes before you enter the test room. Any hidden forbidden items (notes, mobile phones etc.) found on your person or in the things you bring into the test room will be seen as an attempt at deceit, and your test will be disqualified.

The test ends 6 hours after it has started. Make sure you are finished and have saved your answers by this time. You may leave the test room at the earliest 3h after the test has started. Don’t rush your answers to get out as early as possible! Take your time and think your answers through. This is your time to shine, so make sure you give everything you’ve got.

When the test unlocks, check that you have the test for the correct subject open. If it’s the test of any other subject than what it’s supposed to be, raise your hand and inform a test supervisor.

Read through the test instructions with care. Make sure you know how many assignments you’re supposed to answer. This varies between subjects.

Read the assignment instructions carefully. Some assignments have multiple parts you must answer or additional material you need to use or refer to in your answer. You may answer the assignments in any order you want. You may also revisit an answer you’ve already given and make changes at any time.

Take breaks when you need to. If you’re having a hard time writing or focusing, consider taking a little break. Drink some water, have something to eat and sit back for a while.

If at any point you need anything, raise your hand and a test supervisor will come to you. Do not get out of your chair unless a test supervisor has given you permission.

Raise your hand if:

• you have the wrong test open.
• you are experiencing technical difficulties.
• you need more paper for note taking.
• you need to go to the restroom.

If you're experiencing technical difficulties, don't close your browser or browser tab or open a new one. Raise your hand and wait for a test supervisor to help you.

When you feel like you’re ready to turn in your test, double check that you’ve have answered all the necessary assignments. Read through your answers once more and make sure you are happy with what you have written. Make sure your essay structures are in order, your claims are justified, and you’ve provided all the information you have on the topics!

When you have ensured that you have answered all the assignments needed, log out of the test platform, turn off your computer and take your note papers and headphones to your teacher at the front of the room. They will mark you as finished. You may then leave the room.

Please remember to move in the room quietly, so as not to disturb your fellow test candidates.

EXCEPTIONS OR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

If any technical problems, issues with the contents of the test, or emergencies occur during test, follow the test supervisor's instructions. Note that you will be reimbursed any time that is lost due to any such issues during your test. You will always have 6 hours of active working time regardless of what happens. 

Example: The fire alarm goes off during a test. The test room is evacuated per the test supervisor's instructions. The alarm is false and you may return to the test area after 15 minutes. The 15 minutest you lost due to the alarm will be added to your test time, so if your test would normally end at 2 PM, it will now end at 2.15 PM.

Examples of deceit include:

• using or trying to use unauthorised material, e.g. notes, mobile phones, smart watches
• copying/attempted copying
• using/attempting to use software or websites that are not authorised in the test instructions

You may also be disqualified for disruptive behaviour or not following the instructions of the test supervisor.

A request for a revision may be submitted to the Finnish Institute for Educational Research regarding its decision on the evaluation of an exam. You may submit a request for administrative review for only one test using a single application. If you wish to request a review of the assessment of several tests, a separate request must be submitted for each test.

Who can make an appeal?

• The candidate
• The guardian of a candidate

When can a request for administrative review be submitted?

• A request for administrative review may be submitted within two (2) months of the date on which the candidate (or their guardian) has had the opportunity to be informed of the assessment result and to view the assessed test performance.
• Once the final results have been published, it is the candidate’s responsibility to request the necessary login credentials from the school if the candidate or their guardian wishes to view the candidate’s assessed test performance. The credentials allow the candidate or their guardian to review the candidate’s responses and assessment before deciding whether there are grounds for submitting a request for administrative review.
• Requests for review for exams completed in the autumn of 2026 must be made no later than 8 of February 2027.

How to submit a request for administrative review?

• The request must be delivered in writing to the principal of the Q.F.I. High School, who will then forward it to the project manager of the F.I.F.E. team to be processed. All appeals will be processed without undue delay.

What should be taken into account when submitting a request for administrative review?

• Target your request at a specific task or tasks and explain what error you believe has occurred in the assessment and why a task or tasks need to be reassessed. Any potential error will be considered in the review only to the extent specified in your request and its grounds. In your reasoning, it is advisable to focus on explaining why, in your view, the score does not correspond to the features of a good answer.
• The purpose of the administrative review is not to reassess the entire test but to correct a possible error. Therefore, you cannot request that the test be re-assessed in full.