Examinations

At Arcada, examinations may take the following forms:

• Examinations
• Demonstrations and presentations
• Reports and productions
• Independent essays

The student shall be informed of the results of an attainment within 4 weeks of the examination or submission date.

An approved study attainment is assessed with the grades:

• excellent (5)
• very good (4)
• good (3)
• satisfactory (2)
• sufficient (1)

In specific cases, study attainments may be assessed with the grade descriptions accomplished or pass. However, a study attainment already assessed with a numerical grade cannot be changed to the grade descriptions accomplished or pass.

A course that has been assessed by a written exam can be re-examined within a year of the completion of the course. Two re-examinations are arranged during this period. A student has the right to attempt to improve the grade once for an approved study attainmentt that is assessed by written examination. An attempt to improve the grade cannot lower the grade. A student cannot take a passed course again.

For other forms of examination, failed courses are retested and supplemented in the way laid down by the examiner.

Partly fulfilled study attainments become unvalid when the course finishes, unless otherwise notified.

Examination and participation in courses

The examination requirements for a course shall be clearly expressed in the course description. If a student has enrolled to a course which has prerequisites and co-requisites the student has to meet the requirements in order to participate in the course. The course stated as prerequisites or co-requisites needs to be completed and passed.

Deletion of study attainments

Study attainments completed at Arcada are never erased from the student registry upon request by the student. Courses completed at Arcada will not be erased retroactively even if the courses are not included in the compulsory studies and therefore is not needed in order to graduate.

Re-examination

All degree programmes have different systems for re-exams.

General guidelines for examinations

All cell phones should be turned off and placed in bags or coats which are left at the walls in the examination room.

The student may write one or more exams during the examination time (3 hrs.), but should enrol separately for each exam.

Students are obliged to arrive at least 20 minutes before the exam starts, and may leave the examination room, at the earliest, 30 minutes after the examination has begun. If a student arrives after this time, the student is not eligible to write the examination.

If a student should write several exams, they will receive their following exam tasks when the answers to the previous exam have been submitted.

A student participating in an examination should be prepared to prove their identity when submitting the answers.

Only the examination aids that the examiner has informed the students of in advance may be used in the examination.

Only writing paper that is distributed in the examination room, and which bears the stamp of the university may be used. An student who does not complete the examination should fill in the required details on the examination writing paper.

The examination begins when the supervisor announces that the examination envelopes may be opened.

The supervisor has the right to terminate the student's exam if the student disturbs the other students' work, and if the supervisor discovers that the student is guilty of cheating. Disciplinary action will be taken against these misdemeanours and unethical conduct.

The student should hand in all distributed writing papers in their possession before leaving the examination room and sign htheir name on the attendance list.

Examination results shall be registered within four weeks of the date of the examination.

Examinations and Accreditation

The programme director may decide to give the student the right to take a course or study module at Arcada which has been replaced by an accredited course. The accredited study attainment is then deleted from the study records. Otherwise no approved study attainments will be deleted from the study records.

Board of Review

A student wishing to have his/her study performance re-assessed should first of all approach the lecturer in charge of the evaluation. After this, the student has the possibility of having his/her work referred back to the Board of Review.

Arcada’s board of review handles matters regarding the review of admission decisions, decisions regarding the loss of the right to study and evaluations of completed courses and accreditation of previous studies or competencies.

Requests for review shall be made by submitting a web form External link. A separate detailed document shall be attached.

The Board appointed the UAS’s Board of Appeal for the mandate period 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2025. The composition of the Board of Appeal is following:

• Senior Lecturer Maria Bäck (Chairperson)
  • Substitute: Senior Lecturer Nanna Engebretsen
• Principal Lecturer Niklas Eriksson
  • Substitute: Senior Lecturer Linda Puukko
• Senior Lecturer Ann-Marie Rosenqvist-Berg
  • Substitute: Senior Lecturer Cia Törnblom
• Senior Lecturer Jari Savolainen
  • Substitute: Senior Lecturer Pernilla Stenbäck
• Senior Lecturer Rene Herrmann
  • Substitute: Senior Lecturer Fredrik Welander
• Student Amanda Samelin
  • Substitute: Will be completed later

Lawyer Anna Härmä will function as the rapporteur of the Board of Appeal.

Contact information:

Arcada/Examination Board
Anna Härmä
E-mail: anna.harma@arcada.fi

Familiarise yourself with the rules regarding how, when and to whom the request regarding re-assessment of evaluation should be made. Please refer to the Regulations of the Board of Review.

Regulations for the Board of Review

§ 1 The Board of Review

The university has set up a board of review which reviews matters that, according to the Finnish Polytechnics Act (932/2014), are to be examined by a board of examiners or similar body.

§ 2 The composition of the Board of Review and appointing the Board

The board of review consists of a chairperson, four members chosen from among the staff and one member from the student body. Each member has a personal deputy.

The chairperson and the chairperson’s deputy are to be principal lecturers or lecturers. The other members from the staff are to be teachers.

The chairperson, the members of the board and their personal deputies are appointed by the University’s Board of Directors for a mandate period of two years.

§ 3 The Tasks of the Board of Review

The board of review deals with issues that have to do with the review of

1) admission decisions in accordance with section 57 paragraph 1 of the Finnish Polytechnics Act (932/2014);
2) decisions regarding the loss of study rights in accordance with section 57 paragraph 2 of the Finnish Polytechnics Act (932/2014); and
3) the evaluation of studies and the accreditation of previously completed studies or competencies in accordance with section 57 paragraph 3 of the Finnish Polytechnics Act (932/2014).

§ 4 Calling a meeting

A notice calling a meeting, together with the meeting documents, are sent to the members of the board of review at least three days before the meeting.

§ 5 Discussing matters and decision-making

The board of review constitutes a quorum when the chairperson or deputy chairperson and at least three other members are present.

The board of review discusses matters based on the agenda. The University’s lawyer is the appointed rapporteur. The board of review can, when necessary, consult experts.

The board of review’s decisions are entered into the minutes of the proceedings and the minutes are signed by the members who participated in the decision-making process. The members and the rapporteur have the right to append a dissentient opinion to the decision.

The rapporteur informs the applicant or the student petitioning a review of the board of review’s decision or assessment. In cases that pertain to the evaluation of studies and the accreditation of previously completed studies or competencies the teacher is informed.

These regulations have been confirmed by the Board of Directors of Arcada University of Applied Sciences Ltd on 28 January 2015 and revised on 21 January 2019.