– Age points at medical school help to keep people out of work for three to four years, because many do not enter without the age points. That’s what Marcus De Boer, medical student at the University of Oslo (UiO), says. In the current admissions system, you get two age points from and including the year you turn 20. You can get a maximum of eight age points. These come in handy when applying for studies in the ordinary quota, as two age points give as great an advantage as improving the grade in three subjects. It took Marcus two and a half years to get into his dream study. – I thought age points would motivate people who have been on the outside for a while to apply for higher education, but at medical school it has the complete opposite effect, says Marcus. It was only after taking up several subjects, taking a year’s study in German and working as a substitute teacher, that Marcus got a place on the course through the ordinary quota. Then he had 21 sixes and only one five on his diploma. In addition to four age points and six additional points. Marcus De Boer has spent a large part of the time after high school taking up subjects, only to get into medical school. Photo: Emma-Marie B. Whittaker / news Sky-high average The study of medicine has long been among the studies with the highest average. Since the pandemic and the subsequent lack of exams among high school students, the average has increased further. This year, you must have at least 70.1 points to enter the ordinary quota for the medical study at UiO, which starts in August. This means that you must have been born in 2001 or later to have the opportunity to get as many additional points as required. 70.1 credits is the highest average for a medical study since 2015, which is as long as the figures from Samordna admissions stretch. Admissions committee will remove all additional points Marcus thinks the age points provide a disproportionately good reward for waiting to study. The government-appointed admissions committee believes the same. In December 2022, they delivered a public report (NOU) on the Norwegian admissions system to the then Minister of Research and Higher Education, Ola Borten Moe. The committee wanted to remove all additional points on all studies, including age points. They would rather have 80 per cent enter the first-time certificate compared to the current system, where it is equally divided between the first-time quota and the ordinary quota. In the committee’s proposal, the remaining 20 per cent with too poor an average to get in with the first-time diploma will compete for places through a general entrance exam. – It is obvious that age points should be removed Marianne Aasen was head of the committee. She has previously been a parliamentary representative for the Labor Party and sat on the education and research committee. – The system is no longer sustainable and a change is needed, says Aasen. She acknowledges that some hearing bodies will retain certain additional points, but believes that age points will be removed – There have been few defenders of age points. Allowing young people in their prime to wait to study, through activities that do not necessarily prepare them, is not beneficial. Marianne Aasen was head of the admissions committee which was tasked with assessing the admissions system for higher education. Photo: NTB She points out that it is also costly for the individual and for society. – That makes it obvious that age points should be removed. Researcher at the Nordic Institute for Studies of Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), Elisabeth Hovdhaugen, submitted a report in 2020 on the use of age points in, among other things, medical studies. The report was used by the committee and showed that many people who entered on the ordinary quota had almost a full pot of age points. – Compared to other additional points, age points give a disproportionately large advantage. This applies especially to medicine, as there are very high requirements to enter. Elisabeth Hovdhaugen is a researcher at NIFU and an opponent of age points for medical studies. Photo: Press photo UiO also sees a clear tendency where those who enter medical studies through the ordinary quota are often 22 or 23 years old. – We would prefer to have as simple an admissions system as possible, and age points are basically very simple. But if it causes people to start their studies later, then we think it is very unfortunate and something that should be considered to be removed, says Magnus Løberg, vice dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Magnus Løberg is vice dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UiO. He says it is thought-provoking that there are so many people who spend so much time and resources to get into medical school. Photo: University of Oslo The Ministry of Education wants to make the system more understandable The Ministry of Education has had the committee in consultation, and it is now up to them to find out how the proposal should be followed up further. – Parts of the current recording system do not function optimally. That is why we are currently looking at how we can make the system more understandable, fair and adapted to the educational needs of the future, says State Secretary Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel (Sp). Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel (Sp) is state secretary in the Ministry of Education. Photo: Ragne B. Lysaker The ministry does not want to say when the matter will come up in Parliament or what they think about the consequences for society that many people wait to study. Leader of the Norwegian Student Organization, Oline Sæther, thinks it makes sense for the government to make a thorough assessment before making a decision. She believes there should be at least three years’ notice before any change becomes effective. – It is important that the change does not happen too quickly, so that high school students and others have a few years to prepare for the changes and what it will mean for them. Oline Sæther, leader of the Norwegian Student Organization. She sees both advantages and disadvantages of the current admissions system and is open to change. Photo: Skjalg Bøhmer Vold Sæther believes that a new recording system requires a “complete renovation”. She would rather remove all types of additional points, than just remove not only age points alone. Sandra Borch was recently appointed as the new Minister of Research and Higher Education and Sæther is excited to see how she solves the challenges of the current admissions system. – The admissions scheme is very important for students, so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
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More people want to remove age points from medical studies – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
