The number of students enrolled in this autumn's college exams has increased by 4.6 percent compared to last fall, according to statistics from the University and University Council (UHR). At the same time, the number of applicants for higher education has increased, both in the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020, says Tuula Kuosmanen, head of department at UHR.

- The fact that more people apply to the university also means that more people choose to do the university exam.

The word part most noticed

One of the reasons may be the imminent expected recession, which means that more and more want to plug when the prospect of getting a job deteriorates. A total of 21 universities and colleges organize the university exam at locations around the country. Above all, it is the test section that tests word comprehension that usually draws attention. Blotted out, celiac disease and patina are some of the words that have caused the most headache among test writers in recent years.

"In the spring, the words rough and full were the most difficult," says Maria Johansson, test developer at Umeå University.

- The difficulty of a word is partly due to the answer alternatives, you can consciously make words both harder and easier by changing the answer alternatives, she continues.