Repealed with Regulation no. 1195/2018.
Regulation on entrance examinations and the admission of new students to the University of Iceland Faculty of Nursing, no. 24/2015.
with subsequent amendments
| Authorised translation |
Article 1. Decisions on enrolment restrictions.
The School of Health Sciences, on behalf of the Faculty of Nursing, annually submit a reasoned proposal concerning the number of students who will be able to commence study at the Faculty of Nursing during the next academic year. The School of Health Sciences must send this proposal to the University Council before the end of November. The University Council shall process the School’s proposal no later than in January.
Article 2. Entrance examinations and examination fees.
An entrance examination for those wishing to commence undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Nursing is held in June each year, for studies beginning in the next autumn semester. The Faculty of Nursing shall set the date of the entrance examination, in consultation with the Division of Academic Affairs. The Faculty is authorised, having consulted with the Division of Academic Affairs, to hold the examination twice in one year. The examination shall be held under the auspices of the University of Iceland, and on University premises.
The Faculty of Nursing shall advertise the entrance examination and publish a description of it and its implementation on the Faculty website at least eight weeks before the set examination date, as well as information on the internal weighting of the entrance examination and average grades from core subjects of the Icelandic matriculation examination in relation to the selection of new students.
In accordance with paragraph 2, Article 24 of the Act on Public Higher Education Institutions no. 85/2008, it is permissible to charge an examination fee to cover the compilation, implementation and marking of entrance examinations. If such a fee is charged, the amount and the manner in which it shall be collected shall be in accordance with the central Regulation for the University of Iceland.
Article 3. Objective and content of the entrance examination.
The entrance examination is the Learning Aptitude Test for Higher Education (LAT). The University of Iceland Division of Academic Affairs shall manage its preparation and implementation, in consultation with the Faculty of Nursing.
The examination is intended to assess students’ ability to apply that general knowledge and competence that they have acquired, in accordance with the objectives set out in the Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools.
The examination shall assess the following five areas: use of information, language skills, reading comprehension in Icelandic, reading comprehension in English, and quantitative comparison and reasoning.
Article 4. Registration for study at the University of Iceland Faculty of Nursing.
Students wishing to commence study at the Faculty of Nursing shall apply for study at the Faculty in accordance with the general regulations at the University of Iceland, and the provisions of Article 9 of the Regulation on admission requirements for undergraduate study, no. 319/2009.
Article 5. Enrolment restrictions and selection of applicants for admission to the Faculty of Nursing.
If the number of applicants exceeds the enrolment restrictions in accordance with Article 1, the selection of students for admission shall be based on their performance in the Learning Aptitude Test for Higher Education on the one hand, and their performance in Icelandic, English and mathematics for the Icelandic matriculation examination on the other. Students who have not completed an Icelandic matriculation examination, but nevertheless meet the requirements outlined in Article 9 of Regulation no. 319/2009, shall be evaluated solely on their performance in the entrance examination. The same applies if it is not possible to calculate the applicant’s average grade for core subjects from the Icelandic matriculation examination in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3, such as if the applicant’s qualification is not based on a grade, or if grades are not given as numbers or on the basis of comparable criteria.
A grade for performance on the entrance examination shall be awarded from a special grading scale determined for that examination. [The minimum score required on the entrance examination shall equal 185 points.]3 In selecting students for admission to the BS programme at the Faculty of Nursing, performance on the entrance examination shall count for 70% and the average grade for Icelandic, English and mathematics in the matriculation examination shall count for 30%.
The average grade for the core subjects of the matriculation examination is based on the weighted average of all course units in Icelandic, English and mathematics. An admissions committee for new students, cf. Article 6, shall determine whether there is cause to apply the authority of paragraph 1, in order to base selection solely on performance in the Learning Aptitude Test. When the average grade for core subjects of the Icelandic matriculation examination has been determined, this is transferred to a grading scale comparable to that used for the entrance examination, and applicants are then ranked in accordance with paragraph 2.
The most successful applicants, based on the entrance examination and the weighted average grade for core subjects of the Icelandic matriculation examination in accordance with the above, shall be admitted to the BS programme at the Faculty of Nursing. Should the applicant have sat more than one entrance examination in the 11 months prior to the application deadline, selection shall be based on [the examination yielding the highest score.]3
A student earning the right to commence the BS programme at the Faculty of Nursing in accordance with this Regulation must commence study in the next autumn semester. Students failing to do so shall lose this right. Students must be informed that they have been accepted to the BS programme at the Faculty of Nursing when the selection process is complete. Should any new students fail to confirm that they intend to commence study at the Faculty within two weeks of being informed that they have a place, their place shall be awarded to the next highest ranked student, on the condition that enrolment restrictions, cf. Article 1, have not been exceeded. Should this student also not accept the place, it shall be offered to the next highest ranked student, and so forth until [20 July.]1 After this date, new students shall not be admitted to the Faculty. If two or more students are tied for the last available place, in consideration of enrolment restrictions, both or all of them shall earn the right to commence study in the next autumn semester.
[If the number of students specified each year by the enrolment restriction for the BS in Nursing can not be attained, the Faculty may offer applicants to enrol on the basis of the conditions stipulated in paragraph 1 of this Article.]2
1Amended with Article 1 of Regulation no. 108/2016.
2Amended with Article 1 of Regulation no. 339/2017.
3Amended with Article 1 of Regulation no. 246/2018.
Article 6. Admissions committee for new students.
The Faculty of Nursing shall appoint a three-member admissions committee to supervise the implementation of the entrance examination, evaluate its success with regard to enrolment restrictions, and submit proposals for reforms if necessary. The committee shall be appointed for a three-year term.
Article 7. Entry into force etc.
This Regulation on entrance examinations and the admission of new students to the Faculty of Nursing has been established by the University Council on the basis of paragraph 3, Article 18 of the Act on Public Higher Education Institutions no. 85/2008, cf. paragraph 11, Article 98 of the Regulation for the University of Iceland no. 569/2009, with subsequent amendments.
This Regulation shall be published in Section B of the Law Gazette, as well as in the chapter on the Faculty of Nursing in the course catalogue, and on the Faculty’s homepage.
This Regulation enters into force immediately. At the same time, the Regulation on the selection of students for admission to the undergraduate nursing programme at the University of Iceland no. 502/2002, is repealed.
University of Iceland, 19 January 2015.