Today I had my first exam, Swedish for beginners. Here exams are written in special classroom that is big enough to accommodate around 300 students. Room is underground with no windows. Tables are for one person only, although they are big enough so you can have enough space for everything you are allowed to have with you. There is a bathroom in the room as well.

When you enter you have to put your jacket, bags, mobile phone, etc… to a special place. When you are left with only pen and ID with you, you can go sit to your table. For every 20-30 tables there is an exam supervisor seating: facing towards students. And there are some supervisor that walk along the isles as well.

When the exam starts, you get a piece of paper, where you fill out your info, exam info (name of class, number of pages). And later when you start to solve exam, you have to mark which exercises you have finished. This is something similar to Slovenian matura exams.

After you fill this page an examiner comes over and gives you exam. You have to sign your name and ID number on every page of exam. The exam is only printed on even pages. Our exam consisted of 7 pages.

While you are writing an exam an examiner comes over and checks you ID and name, which he also does when you turn in your exam. Exams last from 1.5h (our) to 6 hours. And you can’t leave examination room for the first hour. Although you can bring whatever food and drink you want with you (example; pizza with coke).

Back to the exam. Exam consisted of 4 grammar exercise. 2 that tested understanding of words/text, and one where you had to write short paragraph about yourself. Here is that paragraph that I wrote, if anyone is interested how Swedish looks like (note I’ve changed my parent’s profession for something easier to write).

Jag heter Jani. Jag kommer från Slovenien men jag bor i Luleå nu. Mitt gatunamn är Väderleden och mitt gatunummer är 11. Jag talar slovenska, engelska, lite franska och lite svenska. Jag studerar på Luleå tekniska universitet. Jag pluggar till programmerare. Jag fyller 24 i år. Mitt telefonnummer är 070 123 42 42. Mina föräldrar heter Lilijana och Jožef. Min mor är född 1966 och min far är född 1964. De har födelsedag samma dag, 17 maj. Min mamma arbetar som läkare och min pappa som tandläkare. Jag har en farbror, en faster, en moster och fyra kusiner. Min flickvän heter Veronika. Hon studerar till ekonom. Hon talar slovenska, engelska, italienska, franska och lite tyska. Veronika fyller 24 i år.