Exams lost in UK customs leave Rovaniemi students without diplomas

A group of around 20 International Baccalaureate students at Lyseonpuiston lukio in Rovaniemi did not receive their diplomas after their final exam papers were delayed for months in UK customs, Yle reports.

The exams, sent to the International Baccalaureate Organization in the UK for grading in early May, were held up due to post-Brexit customs procedures. Some students, including 19-year-old Sydney Vidakovic, a German national living in Rovaniemi, were left without the required scores to pass the IB programme.

Vidakovic learned of the issue a day before results were due. While she received her high school certificate, her IB diploma remains incomplete. Her German final grade was based solely on an oral exam, as the written portion was among the missing papers.

The unopened exam papers were returned to the school on 14 July. According to Posti, the delay was due to UK customs processing, which has lengthened since the country left the EU. The postal service stated that international investigations and potential returns can take weeks, with no way to expedite the process.

Heikki Loukusa, the school’s IB coordinator, confirmed that up to 12 exam envelopes—containing subjects like physics, mother tongue, and Finnish—went missing. Some students have since lost university admission offers as a result.

Vidakovic, who plans to take a gap year regardless, has registered for retakes in November. She praised the school for its transparency but called the uncertainty “extremely stressful.”

Discussions between the school and Posti regarding possible compensation are ongoing. The Finnish National Agency for Education could not confirm how rare such incidents are, though they are not common.