Overview
Videregående skole (VGS), upper secondary education, is the stage of Norwegian schooling that follows the 10-year grunnskole. It is run by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Utdanningsdirektoratet, "Udir") under the Education Act, and it normally takes three years, split into Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3. Rather than ending in one big national exit exam, a student's result is built mainly from continuous coursework grades (standpunktkarakterer) given by teachers through the year, topped up by a small number of individually assigned written and oral exams drawn by lot each exam period. Completing and passing a full programme leads to a vitnemål (diploma) that gives either studiekompetanse (general university admissions qualification), yrkeskompetanse (a trade or vocational qualification), or both.
Note
This file is based on Udir's and Samordna opptak's own published pages, read through search-result summaries rather than a direct, certificate-verified fetch of each page from this environment. Treat the dates and figures here as a reliable starting point and confirm against udir.no and samordnaopptak.no before relying on them for a specific deadline or score.
Who can apply
Anyone who has completed grunnskole (lower secondary school, typically 10th grade) in Norway, or an education judged equivalent, has a statutory right to three years of upper secondary education. Most students start Vg1 the calendar year they turn 16 and finish Vg3 around age 19, but adults without a completed upper secondary education also have a right to it, usually through a separate adult-education track.
Applicants choose between two broad kinds of programme at the point of applying to Vg1:
Studieforberedende utdanningsprogram (general/studies-preparatory programmes), which lead toward studiekompetanse (general higher-education admission).
Yrkesfaglige utdanningsprogram (vocational programmes), which lead toward a trade certificate (fag- or svennebrev) or other occupational competence, commonly through a "2+2" model of two years in school followed by two years as an apprentice (lærling) with an employer.
A vocational student can also move toward general study competence afterwards, either through "påbygging" (a supplementary Vg3 year of general subjects added after two years of vocational school) or through a vocational programme offered with a built-in studieforberedende track.
Structure and exam pattern
| Track | Typical length | Main outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Studieforberedende (general studies) | 3 years in school (Vg1-Vg3) | Studiekompetanse (general university/college admission) |
| Yrkesfag (vocational) | 2 years in school + 2 years as apprentice (model varies by trade) | Fag- or svennebrev (trade certificate) / yrkeskompetanse |
| Yrkesfag + påbygging | 2 years vocational school + 1 extra general-subjects year | Both a vocational base and studiekompetanse |
Each year's result in every subject is set as a standpunktkarakter: a grade the subject teacher gives based on the student's work and assessment across that year, not from a single test. On top of this, a limited number of students sit an eksamen (exam) in some of their subjects. Which subjects are examined is decided by a random draw (eksamenstrekk) rather than chosen by the student, and the pattern differs by year and programme area, for example:
On Vg1, only a share of studieforberedende students are drawn for an exam, in one subject.
On Vg2, studieforberedende students are typically drawn for an exam in one subject.
On Vg3, students in the realfag and in the språk, samfunnsfag og økonomi programme areas are typically drawn for written exams in two subjects, plus one oral, practical or oral-practical exam.
From 2026, Udir itself sets the national eksamenstrekk dates (two draw dates a year, one in spring and one in autumn) rather than leaving the timing to individual counties; both the written-exam draw and the oral/oral-practical/practical draw are published on these dates. Exam grades sit alongside, but do not replace, the year's standpunktkarakterer: both appear on the final vitnemål.
Marking and results
Both standpunktkarakterer and eksamen grades use the same 1-6 numeric scale, where 6 is the best grade, 2 is the lowest passing grade, and 1 is a fail. Written exams are graded by external examiners in a joint grading (sensur) process after the exam period closes, so results are not released immediately on the exam day itself.
A student who completes and passes every required subject in a programme receives a vitnemål (diploma). A student who does not complete a full programme, or who has one or more subjects not yet passed, instead receives a kompetansebevis, a certificate recording only what has actually been completed and passed so far; a kompetansebevis can later be upgraded to a vitnemål once the remaining subjects are completed.
Important dates
Dates move slightly each year; the figures below are Udir's published pattern for the 2026 exam period.
28 April 2026, 09:00 – national eksamenstrekk: students and schools learn which subjects have been drawn for a written exam, and in parallel which subjects have been drawn for oral, practical or oral-practical exams.
4-21 May 2026 – main written exam period.
17-19 June 2026 – joint grading (sensur) window for written exams, after which results are released.
Oral, practical and oral-practical exams are held locally at each school after the written exam period.
Students who are ill or otherwise unable to sit a scheduled exam are normally offered a postponed sitting later in the year.
After school
A vitnemål showing studiekompetanse is the general entry qualification for Norwegian universities and university colleges. Admission to most programmes runs through Samordna opptak, the national coordinated admission service, using a competitive points system:
Karakterpoeng: the average of all grades on the vitnemål, multiplied by 10 (an average of 4.5 gives 45 karakterpoeng).
Bonus points added to karakterpoeng: realfagspoeng (extra science/maths subjects), språkpoeng (extra foreign-language subjects), kjønnspoeng (used by some programmes to balance gender intake) and points for any admission test, which together give skolepoeng — the score used to rank applicants in the separate quota for those applying on a first-time diploma within a set number of years of finishing.
Tilleggspoeng: up to 2 further points for things completed after or alongside VGS, such as folk high school (folkehøgskole), military or civilian service, vocational college, or higher education already completed — capped at 2 points combined.
Alderspoeng: age-based points added in the ordinary quota (ordinær kvote), where skolepoeng, tilleggspoeng and alderspoeng together make up the final konkurransepoeng used to rank applicants.
Someone who does not hold a VGS diploma can still qualify for general study competence through the so-called 23/5-regelen: being at least 23 years old in the admission year and able to document a combined five years of work and/or education.
Preparation tips
Treat every term's coursework as part of the final result: standpunktkarakterer come from ongoing assessment through the year, not a single end-of-year test, so consistent work across Vg1-Vg3 matters more than last-minute revision.
Prepare broadly rather than betting on one subject: the exam draw is random, so a student cannot know in advance which subject(s) will actually be examined until the eksamenstrekk date.
If aiming for a competitive university programme, track the karakterpoeng/skolepoeng formula early, since extra science or language subjects (realfagspoeng/språkpoeng) and activities such as a folk high school year can add points that affect ranking in Samordna opptak.
Vocational (yrkesfag) students who may want university access later should look into påbygging or a studieforberedende track within their programme well before their final vocational year, since adding studiekompetanse afterwards takes an extra year.
Is there one big final exam for VGS, like a school-leaving exam in other countries?
No. Most of the final vitnemål grade comes from standpunktkarakterer, the teacher-assessed grades built up over each year. On top of that, students are randomly drawn (eksamenstrekk) to sit a small number of written and/or oral exams in some subjects, not all of them, and not the same subjects for every student.
What is the difference between a vitnemål and a kompetansebevis?
A vitnemål is issued when a student completes and passes an entire programme; it documents either studiekompetanse, yrkeskompetanse, or both. A kompetansebevis is issued instead when a student has only partly completed a programme or has subjects not yet passed; it records just what has been finished so far, and can later be replaced by a full vitnemål once the rest is completed.
Can a vocational (yrkesfag) student still go to university?
Yes, but not directly on a vocational vitnemål alone. A common route is påbygging, an extra year of general-subject study added after the vocational years, which converts the result into studiekompetanse. Some vocational programmes also offer a built-in studieforberedende track that gives both a trade qualification and studiekompetanse over a longer course of study.
How does the 1-6 grading scale work?
Both coursework grades and exam grades use the same scale from 1 to 6. 6 is the top grade, 2 is the lowest passing grade, and 1 is a fail. The same scale applies whether the grade comes from standpunkt (year-round assessment) or from a drawn exam.