The competence attained during a course is assessed in relation to the learning outcomes for the course. The assessment is carried out using the scale specified in the course description. The scale may range from pass (S) to fail (0) or one to five:
- 5 (Excellent),
- 4 (Very Good),
- 3 (Good),
- 2 (Satisfactory),
- 1 (Sufficient).
A Course is assessed as Fail (0) if a student fails to reach the minimum outcomes for course completion. The same grading scale is applied to retakes.
In the Finnish grading system each student is graded on their individual performance, not in relation to the performance of others. There is no rule or expectation for how many students in a course can receive which grade, i.e. no grading curve is used. The Finnish system is used also at JAMK University of Applied Sciences, where the grading scale from 0-5 is not a proportionate scale. Since the ECTS grading scale is based on an expectancy of the distribution of different grades, the two grading scales are not fully comparable.
The students have the right to know how the assessment criteria have been applied to them. The students are entitled to two resits at the official times specified for the degree programme. For special reasons and if the student’s application is approved by the Head of the Department, the student may be given one (1) opportunity to improve a passing grade or retake a course he/she has already passed. The application in language and communication studies is approved by the Head of Language Centre.
The completion of a course will be entered in the record of credits within a month from the given end date of the course, and always before the end of the academic year.