English exemption exams (Movi)

Exemption from compulsory degree-specific English courses

Table of contents

Exemption exams are intended as an option for non-UVK pathway students who already have already mastered the skills covered in the compulsory field-specific academic reading course or communication skills course. These exams are arranged a few times a year. Evaluation is based on the same criteria and scale as the courses, but in order to be exempted from either the communication skills course or the combined academic reading and communications skills course, you need to obtain at least a grade 4.

Exemption from Combined Academic Reading & Communication Skills courses

This exemption exam is for students in all faculties who have XENX0002 Academic Reading and Communication Skills in their study requirements. It is made up of two consecutive parts: a test of your oral communication skills and, if that is passed, thena field-specific academic reading exam. Taking part in the oral test does not guarantee the right to take part in the academic reading exam. If you fail either part of the exam you will be advised to take the course.  An overall exam grade of at least 4 on a 1-5 point scale is required in order to be exempted from taking the course. 

The oral communication skills test entails giving an oral academic presentation (approx. 20 mins) in English on a subject related to your field of study, making use of visual aids (e.g. PowerPoint), to a panel of two assessors. The intended audience is a university educated English speaker who is not an expert in your field. This presentation is followed by a question and discussion session. Only minimal notes may be used and you must demonstrate good academic presentation skills and a sound grasp of the technical terminology of your discipline. 

The field-specific academic reading exam requires you to locate the main information of a lengthy discipline-specific academic text (in English), then write a summary and critical evaluation of it in 1 hour and 50 minutes. The text is chosen on the basis of your main discipline. This particular exam is done in the eTentti (eExam) system. For further instructions about how to use the eTentti system, please see the instructions below for the Exemption from Academic Reading courses. If you have a certified reason for needing extra time, make sure you contact the reading examiner in advance with a scanned copy of your official document.

There is no automatic right to take the exemption exam. You should initially contact the English language lecturer responsible for your faculty (see information below) and provide evidence that your English proficiency is of such a high standard that you would not significantly benefit from attending the combined Academic Reading & Communication Skills course. You must speak to the lecturer in person no later than 2 weeks before the examination. 

Exemption from Academic Reading courses

The academic reading exemption exam is intended as an option for students required to take an XEN-001 Academic Reading Skills course, as well as for students who are seeking exemption from an XENX0002 / XENK002 Academic Reading and Communication Skills course, who already master the skills developed during the academic reading course. The field-specific academic reading exam requires you to locate the main information of a lengthy discipline-specific academic text (in English), then write a summary and critical evaluation of it in two hours.

The exam is arranged three times a year and you are allowed two attempts.

In order to take an exemption exam in academic reading and comprehension, you need to register as a candidate in Sisu not later than 2 weeks before the examination. This procedure is necessary, because all candidates have exams that have been tailored to their specific fields and degree requirements.

Academic reading exemption exams are taken using the eExam system. In order to book a time to take the exam, you will need to first be registered on Sisu. 

  1. After your registration is accepted log in to EXAM to book the exam time.
  2. In the EXAM dashboard you can see the exams of those realizations that you have registered for in Sisu.
  3. In the dashboard click the green button "Book an exam time". 
  4. Choose the exam room and choose a suitable time from the calendar.
  5. Confirm your booking. Your registration appears in your dashboard and you receive a confirmation to your e-mail. The confirmation contains the basic information about your reservation and the number of the workstation that the system has booked for your exam. 

Note: If the exam that you want to take is not available in the dashboard please check that you have registered to right realization in Sisu and that your registration has been accepted. If you don't know which is the right realization in Sisu please contact your examiner for more information.

If you are an international student in a degree programme that requires the academic reading course and you wish to be exempted from the course, please contact the English teacher responsible for the reading course at your faculty three weeks before the exam date.

Exemption from Communication Skills courses

In exceptional circumstances, students may take an exemption exam instead of attending the Communication Skills course in their faculty. The exam entails giving an academic oral presentation in English on an agreed subject connected with the student's field of study, making use of instructional aids (PowerPoint), and lasting 20 minutes, to a panel of two lecturers. The intended audience is a university educated native speaker who is not an expert in the student's field. This presentation is followed by a question and discussion session. Only minimal notes may be used and the student must demonstrate good academic presentational skills and a sound grasp of the technical terminology of his/her discipline.

There is no automatic right to take this exam. Students should initially contact the English language lecturer responsible for their faculty (see information below) and provide evidence that either their English proficiency is of such a high standard that they would not benefit from attending the Communication Skills course or that it has been and continues to be completely impossible for them to attend the course. Students must either speak to the lecturer in person or by telephone interview.

If permission to take the exam is given, the student should then contact the coordinating lecturer Elena Kirk at least two weeks before the examination date in order to be allocated an exam time.

Student and academic affairs at Movi

Courses at Movi to aid your studies

Courses at Movi to aid your studies