Finnish student gains dental school admission after nine exam retakes

A 24-year-old woman from Rautavaara, eastern Finland, has secured a place to study dentistry at the University of Eastern Finland after retaking her ylioppilaskoe (Finnish matriculation exam) nine times over four years, national broadcaster Yle reports.

Anna Pursiainen, who graduated from Rautavaaran lukio (upper secondary school) in 2022, initially failed to meet the grade requirements for dental school. She systematically retook exams in biology once, mathematics twice, and chemistry and physics three times each, gradually improving her scores. This spring, she finally achieved the top grade (laudatur) in chemistry and the second-highest (eximia) in physics—falling just five points short of laudatur in advanced mathematics.

Pursiainen opted for the certificate-based admission route rather than the entrance exam, judging it more straightforward. “The entrance test covers three subjects in four and a half hours,” she told Yle. “In the ylioppilaskoe, it’s one subject at a time, with six hours to complete it.”

Her persistence reflects a broader trend: the number of students retaking passed matriculation exams has nearly doubled in a decade, driven by Finland’s shift toward certificate-based university admissions. Over half of students now enter higher education through grade-based selection. Most retake exams only once; repeating more than three times remains rare.

During her four-year effort, Pursiainen balanced studies with work at a local bakery and her family’s dairy farm, which she said provided necessary breaks. She also refined her study methods, shifting from passive reading to active problem-solving. “You have to practice tasks until they become routine,” she explained. “Then you recognize the solution instantly, no matter how the question is phrased.”

Her acceptance to the University of Eastern Finland’s Kuopio campus arrived in late May. She now looks ahead to autumn with cautious optimism. “This summer, I can finally clear my head,” she said. “In the fall, I’ll start actual studies—not just prep work.”

Final results for Finland’s spring joint university admissions will be published by 2 July.