For pupils starting Grade 7

Lead-in paragraph

Enrol your child in seventh grade using the Wilma form during the application period. If your child is studying in a local school assigned to them, they may continue their studies there or apply for a place in weighted-curriculum education.

Options after Grade 6

If your child studies in a local school with grades 1–9, the child will complete grades 7 to 9 in the same school.
If your child studies in a local school with just grades 1–6, we will assing the child a local school to complete grades 7–9.
You can also apply for a place in weighted-curriculum, bilingual or English-language education. Applicants must take an aptitude test or a language test.
You can also apply for a place in a school other than the local school assigned according to the pupil's home address. The pupil can get a place if there are places left in the school.
If your child is already studying in weighted-curriculum, bilingual or English-language education, the child may continue these studies in grades 7–9 without taking a new aptitude test or a language test.

Enrol and apply for Grade 7 on Wilma

Enrol your child in seventh grade using the Wilma form during the application period. The same application form is used for enrolling in local lower secondary school, applying for 7th grade teaching of weighted-curriculum, bilingual or English-language education, or applying for a school other than the child’s local school.

Applications for the weighted-curriculum in music at the Swedish-language school Åshöjden Comprehensive school follow the school's own guidelines. For more detailed instructions, see Åshöjdens Grundskolan website, section 'Intensifierad musikundervisning från årskurs 7'.

Your school can give you more detailed instructions on how to fill in the Wilma form. Applications submitted late will not be processed.

If you do not yet live in Helsinki or if you cannot use Wilma, see the application instructions at the end of this page.

Accepting a place

If your child participates in the aptitude or language test for weighted-curriculum, bilingual or English-language education, the child also commits to accepting a place if they are selected. When you receive the decision that the child has been accepted, no separate acceptance is therefore needed.

If the pupil is not accepted into the school of their choice, they will continue onto the 7th grade of their local school, assigned based on their home address.

Schedules for the 2024–2025 school year

October–November 2023

Schools may hold information events. The dates and times of these events can be found on the schools’ websites.
November–December 2023

Enrolment and application period. Submit an enrolment form on Wilma.
January–February 2024

Aptitude or language tests for weighted-curriculum, bilingual and English-language education and B2 Latin.
March 2024

Pupil admission decisions are posted.

Applicants who live in other municipalities, applicants in Swedish-speaking schools and applicants in private schools who do not have access to the Wilma form should apply according to the instructions on this page. The instructions will be updated on this page by October 2023 at the latest.

Pupils living in Helsinki have a priority when admitting pupils to teaching provided by the City of Helsinki. Applicants moving to Helsinki will be considered a Helsinki residents when their residential address in the national Population Information System is in Helsinki at the time of making the admission decision and at the start of the school year.

After the pupils living in Helsinki have been accepted into the groups of weighted-curriculum, bilingual or English-language education and if there are still places available, pupils from other municipalities who have passed the aptitude or language test will be admitted based on the order of their scores from the test.

School journeys for pupils from other municipalities must be arranged and paid by the pupil’s guardian. The same principles apply to secondary school admission, i.e. if the pupil applies for general education at a school other than their local school, the grounds for school admission remain the same and priority is given to applicants living in Helsinki.

By participating in the aptitude or language test, the pupil commits to accepting the offered school place if they are accepted in the weighted-curriculum education in question.

Your local school and its website will have more information available on all practical matters.

Oppilaita ulkona. — Photo: Frida Lönnroos

Weighted-curriculum education beginning in the 7th grade

To gain admission to weighted-curriculum education, pupils must take an aptitude test, registering for it on Wilma. Pupils can apply for five different options, i.e. schools/weighted subjects. The applied for options should be listed in the order of preference. Schools with the same weighted-curriculum education areas will use the same aptitude test, (with the exception of Helsinki Normal Lyceum, which uses its own aptitude test for Latin) and pupils will participate in the test at the school they listed as their first choice.

More detailed schedules and additional information about the aptitude tests and the equipment needed for them are available on the school’s website.