Efficient selection to higher education – despite lack of knowledge
The selection system to higher education functions mainly well, although it should be evaluated in a more structured manner. In some courses and study programmes, student completion could be increased if fewer students were admitted based on their Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results, according to the Swedish National Audit Office’s audit.
The purpose of the system of selection to higher education is to admit applicants who are best placed to complete their studies. At the same time, the system aims to contribute to more pathways into higher education and increased gender equality, and to counteract social imbalance in student recruitment.
The overall conclusion of the Swedish National Audit Office is that the system mainly functions well. The selection criteria and place distribution used in the selection to higher education largely fulfil their aims. The selection system is also relatively straightforward from an international perspective.
Our audit shows that, on average, students who are admitted based on their Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results are less successful than students who are admitted based on their grades. Nevertheless, for the last applicants admitted in each selection group, the difference is insignificant. In other words, it is not possible to increase the student completion rate by generally reducing the proportion of those admitted based on their Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results.
The audit also shows that the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test serves as a second chance for applicants who did not have sufficiently high grades to be admitted to competitive courses and study programmes.
However, for certain specific courses and study programmes, the student completion rate could be improved by allocating more places based on grades. For example, in civil engineering, legal and medicine programmes, the last students admitted based on their Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test result are less successful than those admitted based on their grades.
“There are indications that the current regulations are too restrictive. The Government could consider giving higher education institutions greater opportunities to increase the proportion of students admitted via grades to their programmes,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg.
The Swedish National Audit Office further notes that the Government has amended the provisions on selection numerous times over the past 30 years with varying justifications, but without carrying out full impact assessments. Furthermore, the Government has not regularly monitored whether the system achieves its objectives, which can lead to efficiency problems in the long term.
The audit also shows that there are differences in how higher education institutions organise the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test. The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) is aware that there are differences, but does not systematically follow up these efforts.
“The UHR has not taken sufficient responsibility for the test being conducted in a legally certain and equal manner,” says Karin Berg, project leader for the audit.
Recommendations in brief
Our recommendations to the Government include:
- ensuring that amendments to selection provisions are implemented on the basis of full impact assessments
- strengthening the evaluation of selection criteria and place distribution performance by assigning the appropriate government agency to regularly evaluate the selection provisions.
Recommendations to the Swedish Council for Higher Education include following up on how higher education institutions carry out the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test to strengthen equality and legal certainty.
The Swedish system for selection to first-cycle courses and study programmes
When there are more qualified applicants than the number of study places, a selection is made based on upper secondary school grades (at least one-third of the places), Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results (at least one-third of the places) and selection criteria decided by the higher education institution (maximum one-third of the places).