Do I need to take the Ielts exam for Metropolia?

elima · Post by **elima** » Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:22 pm

I have been wondering if someone have been in my situation. I am applying to Metropolia UAS, I am applying with foreign qualification from a country which is not in the EU, but I do have an EU-passport(finnish),should I take the exam ?

According to Metropolia website :
"
An applicant who is applying with a foreign qualification and who is not a citizen of an EU/EEA country must provide one of the following English language qualifications (only the following qualifications will be accepted):
IELTS (link)
Minimum score requirement is academic level 6.0. (overall band score)
Results are valid for two years only.
Results must be valid at least until the first day of the application period.
"
I wrote the admission office few days ago,still waiting for their answer. If someone have been in the same situation, I would like to know what to do.

Thanks.

**Sponsor:**

PvZ2 · Post by **PvZ2** » Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:31 pm

If you are applying for a degree using English as a medium of teaching, then you should provide proof that your English is academically passable. Therefore, you should take the language proficiency test.
Those who can be exempted read here:
http://www.metropolia.fi/en/apply/how-t ... -citizens/

elima · Post by **elima** » Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:41 pm

Thanks for the fast reply. If you notice again in the link you gave, it starts with :
"
Please note that the following instructions concern only non-EU/EEA citizens applying with foreign qualifications.
"
so it is again the same question. I am an EU ciziten, I have Finnish passport, but my qualification is from a foreign country which is not in the EU.

edit : I found this on their website http://www.metropolia.fi/en/apply/how-t ... -citizens/

PvZ2 · Post by **PvZ2** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:03 am

If you finished here in Finland you can be eligible since you will have this Finnish National Certificate of Language Proficiency in English with consideration of course that you reached at least level 4 in all aspects . But you finished outside Finland and the school wants to see if you are academically compentent in your English language skills. Therefore, you really need to take IELTS. Unless, you belong here:
"Applicants must prove their eligibility by submitting copies of the following certificates to Admission Services of their first preference by 21 February 2014, 4.15 pm Finnish time at the latest (excluding applicants who apply with European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate or Reifeprüfung-examination"

But wait, is your target program taught in English or Finnish?

elima · Post by **elima** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:35 pm

I am going to study in English.
What is the title of the page you are quoting?
Let me make it more clear so we can understand each other. The title of the page you are quoting is :
"Non-EU/EEA citizens applying with a foreign qualification

Please note that the following instructions concern only non-EU/EEA citizens applying with foreign qualifications."

I have a Finnish passport -> I am an EU-citizen. Everything written on that page doesn't apply to me.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Dec 25, 2013 7:18 pm

I agree, it is very ambiguous. If you read these general statements on applications, you will see that the country of origin of the education/qualification seems to be the most important criteria:

https://www.admissions.fi/vierashaku/am ... 7088;57738

If you aren't sure, then send them an email. I don't think you will get a reply during the holiday period but someone will probably answer you in the new year.

I checked the requirements for Haaga-Helia UAS and their recommendations are a bit more explicit:

http://www.haaga-helia.fi/en/education- ... pring-2014

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Applicant who is not a citizen of an EU/EEA –country must provide proof of his/her English language skills by 21 February 2014 to the admissions office of his/her first preference polytechnic/UAS.

Language test

An applicant (citizen of an EU/EEA-country), who is not obliged to send proof of their language skills, can be exempted from the language test, if he or she has provided a certificate of his/her language skills to his/her first-choice polytechnic/UAS (Exception: DP for Multilingual Management Assistants) by 21 February 2014 at 4.15 pm Finnish time.

If an applicant (citizen of an EU/EEA-country), has not sent a proof of language skills, Polytechnics/UAS evaluate applicants’ language skills in a language test included in the entrance examination. An applicant who fails the language test is withdrawn from admission.

So... if you are an EU candidate then you just sit the entrance examination (in English) and that is considered adequate proof of your language skills. If you are an EU candidate and you choose to send in proof of language skills (eg IELTS) then you don't have to sit the language test in the entrance examination.

Generally speaking all admissions are managed through the same joint application system so there shouldn't be big differences between Metropolia and Haaga-Helia. But like I said above, send them an email to be sure.

elima · Post by **elima** » Wed Dec 25, 2013 9:17 pm

Thank you for the detailed response, that's exactly what I thought.
I sent them already a mail just to be sure, but i think it will take some time till they answer.
I did a mistake that I didn't ask before the holidays. Now I am kind of stressed that there won't be a place in the coming Ielts exam.

Thanks again

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 12:26 pm

Are you in FInland?

IELTS is fully booked until 15th February in Helsinki and the results of that session will not be published until 28th Feb (ie after the deadline). So if in fact you do need it then you would have to try another test venue. Tallinn still has spaces for 1st February (and it's actually cheaper to take it there so even taking into account the ferry - it's not necessarily more expensive than Helsinki). Stockholm is also fully booked until 15th Feb (but some availability in Lund). Norway is fully booked too. But IELTS is only one option: the UAS also accept TOEFL.

The sessions prior to the UAS deadline get booked up several weeks in advance, but sometimes there are cancellations and sometimes they organise bigger sessions so you have to keep an eye on the website for the latest information:
http://www.finnbrit.fi/exams-tests/ielts
https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/CheckAvailability.aspx

elima · Post by **elima** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 7:18 pm

An update for future users : Today I got an email back from the admission office of Metropolia. If you are an EU-citizen , you don't need to provide any certificate of English-language proficiency.

Thanks for the help.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 3:47 pm

Thanks for the update. Good to know.
Maybe they will update their website to make the instructions clearer. Or maybe they won't

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:44 pm

Evidently, the people writing those directions don't need to show language proficiency

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland