Would you like to apply for higher education after completing your vocational education? As a general rule you need the general university/college admissions certification, but there are also alternative paths to higher education for you who have taken vocational training.

Do you want to acquire the general qualifications for admission to higher education?

The supplementary programme for general university admission certification
You can apply to take the supplementary programme for qualification for general university admission certification after Vg2 in a vocational education programme or after you have acquired vocational competence. You acquire general university admission certification after completing and passing the VG3 supplementary programme, and then you can apply to take higher education at a college or university.

The 23/5 rule
If you have turned 23 years of age and have five years of full-time work experience and/or education (the 23/5 rule), you can acquire general university admission certification by completing the following common core subjects:

• English 140 teaching hours
  
• History 140 teaching hours
• Mathematics 224 teaching hours
• Natural science 140 teaching hours
• Norwegian 393 teaching hours
• Social studies 84 teaching hours

At samordnaopptak.no you can read more about what type of employment and which types of education will qualify you for the 23/5 rule.

Do you want to take an alternative path to higher education?

V-path (in Norwegian Y-path)
V-path stands for "vocational path" and is offered by some colleges and universities to you who have vocational education but do not have general admission certification to universities or colleges. The V-path requires that you have a relevant craft or journeyman’s certificate or vocational competence. Some courses of study also require 12 months of relevant experience. At utdanning.no you will find an overview of possible V-paths.

Admission based on formal, non-formal and informal competence
You can apply for admission to studies at universities and colleges based on formal, non-formal and informal competence.

• If you are unable to document certification for admission to university and are 25 years of age or older, you have the right to be assessed as to whether or not you are qualified for admission to university according to your formal, non-formal and informal competence.
• The educational institution assesses what the necessary qualifications are and decides what is the suitable and appropriate procedure for such assessments.
  
• Your qualifications will be assessed in relation to the subject you want to study.
  
• Even if you acquire formal, non-formal and informal competence for studying in one subject, you cannot apply this qualification to other subjects or courses of study.
  

At samordnaopptak.no you can read more about admission based on formal, non-formal and informal competence.

Tertiary vocational education
Tertiary vocational education is higher vocational that lasts from six months to two years. The admission requirements for tertiary vocational education are  vocational competence, general qualification for admission to university/college or formal, non-formal and informal competence.

• Tertiary vocational education is made up of vocational studies that can be used directly in working life.
• You learn to combine theory and practice by working with relevant vocational tasks.
• The studies aim to develop reflective vocational practitioners and provide a wide range of employment opportunities in the private and public sectors.