Högskoleprovet: the complete guide for Swedish university admissions

Högskoleprovet (the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test) is one of the two main routes into Swedish universities — alongside your upper secondary school grades. Every year, tens of thousands of students sit the test hoping to improve their chances of getting into competitive programmes. Whether you're considering taking it for the first time or preparing for a retake, this guide covers everything you need to know.

What is Högskoleprovet?

Högskoleprovet is a standardised aptitude test used for university admissions in Sweden. It tests verbal and quantitative reasoning — not specific subject knowledge. The result gives you a score between 0.0 and 2.0, which can be used alongside or instead of your upper secondary grades when applying through Antagning.se.

Good to know: A third of all university places in Sweden are allocated based on Högskoleprovet scores — making it a significant pathway for students whose grades don't reflect their full potential.

Who should take Högskoleprovet?

The test is open to anyone who has completed Swedish upper secondary school (or equivalent). It's especially valuable if:

• Your gymnasium grades are lower than what your target programme requires
• You finished school a while ago and want a fresh shot at admission
• You're aiming for a highly competitive programme like medicine, law or architecture where every decimal matters

There's no limit to how many times you can take it, and only your best score counts.

What does the test cover?

The test has 160 questions split equally between two sections:

• Verbal section: Reading comprehension, vocabulary, sentence completion and English reading comprehension
• Quantitative section: Mathematical problem-solving, data analysis, graphs and diagrams

Each section contributes equally to your final score. The test takes about five hours including breaks.

How is Högskoleprovet scored?

Your raw score (number of correct answers out of 160) is converted to a normalised score between 0.0 and 2.0. The conversion varies between test dates because it accounts for difficulty level.

Score benchmarks: ~100–110 correct for a 1.0 · ~140+ correct for a 1.5 · Aim for 1.7+ for the most competitive programmes.

How to prepare for Högskoleprovet

Preparation makes a significant difference. Here's a structured approach:

• Establish your baseline: Do a full practice test under timed conditions
• Focus on weak spots: Prioritise the sections where you lost the most points
• Verbal section: Read widely — newspapers, non-fiction, academic texts — to build comprehension and vocabulary
• Quantitative section: Practice ratio problems, percentage calculations, and graph interpretation
• Free resources: Practice tests are available at Studera.nu

When is Högskoleprovet held?

The test is held twice a year — spring (usually April) and autumn (usually October). Registration opens several months in advance through Antagning.se. The fee is 450 SEK. Results are typically available about five weeks after the test date, and your score is valid indefinitely.

Tips for test day

• Sleep well — the test is long and requires sustained concentration
• Bring a watch (phones aren't allowed), pencils, an eraser, and your ID
• Don't spend too long on any single question — mark it and come back
• There's no penalty for guessing, so never leave a question blank
• Eat a proper breakfast and bring snacks for the breaks

Högskoleprovet and your university journey

A strong Högskoleprovet score can open doors that your gymnasium grades alone might not. And once you're in, Memmo is here to help you succeed — with digital textbooks, AI-powered study tools and course material from over 500 publishers.

Good luck with your studies!