At the beginning of their degree programme in nursing (English) studies, all the degree programme in nursing students whose mother tongue or language of prior education is not Finnish, take an initial test in Finnish. The initial tests are the same for all fields of study and may only be taken once. Students who transfer between degrees within Laurea do not have to retake the test. The test is used to check the students’ starting level before language studies begin. Students who fail the test must take preparatory studies in the language at the start of their studies. Having passed the preparatory studies, students obtain credits for inclusion in elective studies.