About Tisus

Tisus is a qualifying test in Swedish for university and college studies in Sweden. It is, intended for anyone with an upper secondary school diploma from a foreign country, who is planning to apply for academic studies in Sweden and who lacks a certificate in Swedish.

About Tisus in Swedish: Om Tisus

 

Tisus consists of three sub-tests

Read more about each sub-test:

Reading

Writing

Speaking Proficiency Sweden

Speaking Proficiency abroad

 

Application

To sign up for Tisus there is a web form and you will have to pay a registration fee at the same time. Tisus is offered in Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå and Uppsala in Sweden, as well as abroad.

Information in Swedish about application:

Anmälan och avgift Tisus Sverige

Anmälan och avgift Tisus utland

Please note that the web form is

  • in Swedish and that it looks different for Tisus Sweden and Tisus abroad.
  • only available during the application period, see Test dates.
    Test dates

Scholarship Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad

Scholarship Fund For Swedish Youth Abroad

 

Test and application dates

Tisus is offered twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. The test dates are the same in Sweden and abroad, but the application dates differ.

Please note that there are a limited number of seats. It is possible that a test centre can run out of seats before the last application date.

  • Usually, sub-test 1 Reading and 2 Writing are given in the morning on a Tuesday and take about four hours.
  • N.B! Certain test locations in Sweden do not have time to conduct sub-test 3 Oral proficiency with all test takers on the same day. Therefore, you can get an appointment for the oral exam on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
  • Your allotted time for sub-test 3 Oral proficiency is stated in the invitation, which we will email you about three weeks in advance.
Year
 
Upcoming test dates
 
Application opens up
at 08.00 o'clock*
Last application date
at 17.00 o'clock*
Autumn 2024 Tue–Wed. 22–23 Oct. 2024 5 Aug. 2024 13 Sep. 2024
Spring 2025 Tue–Wed. 6–7 May 2025 17 Feb. 2025 28 March 2025
Autumn 2025 Tue–Wed. 21–22 Oct. 2025 4 Aug. 2025 12 Sep. 2025
Spring 2026 Tue–Wed. 5–6 May 2026 16 Feb. 2026 27 March 2026

*Local time Sweden.

Please note that there are a limited number of seats. It is possible that a test centre can run out of seats before the last daty of reporting your interest.

Year
 
Upcoming test dates
 
Period for
reporting interest
Last date for payment
of application fee
Autumn 2024 Tue. 22 Oct. 2024 24 June 2024 at 08.00*
– 30 Aug. 2024 at 17.00*
6 Sep. 2024
Spring 2025 Tue. 6 May 2025 6. Jan. 2025 at 08.00*
– 14 March 2025 at 17.00*
21 March 2025
Autumn 2025 Tue. 21 Oct. 2025 23 June 2025 at 08.00*
– 29 aug. 2025 kl. 17.00
5 Sep. 2025
Spring 2026 Tue. 5 May 2026 5 Jan. 2026 at 08.00*
– 13 March 2026 at 17.00*
20 March 2026

*Local time Sweden.

 

Year

Upcoming
test dates

Period for
reporting interest

Last date for payment
of application fee
Autumn 2024 Tue. 22 Oct. 2024 24 June 2024 at 08.00*
– 30 Aug. 2024 at 17.00*
6 Sep. 2024
Spring 2025 Tue. 6 May 2025 6. Jan. 2025 at 08.00*
– 14 March 2025 at 17.00*
21 March 2025
Autumn 2025 Tue. 21 Oct. 2025 23 June 2025 at 08.00*
– 29 aug. 2025 kl. 17.00*
5 Sep. 2025
Spring 2026 Tue. 5 May 2026

5 Jan. 2026 at 08.00*
– 13 March 2026 at 17.00*

20 March 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Local time Sweden.

Last date to apply for courses and programmes, and for supplementing grades/diploma, please see universityadmission.se (Swedish equivalen: antagning.se)

antagning.se

universityadmission.se

studera.nu (study now)

Swedish Council for Higher Education

 

Test locations

In Sweden, Tisus is organized in seven cities with a geographical spread throughout the country. Abroad, we have no permanent test locations, but Tisus is held where there is a demand and where we have an available test leader.

In Sweden, Tisus is organized by seven universities on seven locations with a geographical spread throughout the country. Each University/test location has a limited number of places and when you register for Tisus you can therefore be referred to a different location. You sign up for all test locations in Sweden via a web form and at the same time you pay a registration fee.

See the Swedish site:

Provorter Tisus Sverige

The Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism at Stockholm University is responsible for Tisus abroad. In order to administer the test abroad, we cooperate with, primarily, Swedish embassies and consulates, Swedish schools abroad and universities that provide education in Swedish Language and Scandinavian studies.

Approximately 70 different locations across the world

Each examination is administered at approximately 70 different locations across the world, on all continents. At some locations, above all in Europe and the US, some of the test centres administer the test on almost every scheduled occasion, whereas other test centres only administer the test on isolated occasions.

When we receive a report of interest to take Tisus, we investigate whether it is possible to administer the upcoming Tisus test at the desired location.

Test locations vary

We primarily use already established test centres, which can imply that you be referred to a location other than the one desired. That is, we do not have permanent test centres abroad; rather, the test is administered at locations where there is a demand for the test and where we have test administrators available.

Consequently, we cannot guarantee beforehand that a specific test centre will be accessible. However, some test centres administer the test on almost every occasion; in 2023, the following test centers had the largest number of candidates:

  • Istanbul (Turkey)
  • London (United Kingdom)
  • San Fransisco (CA, USA)
  • Zürich (Switzerland)

Please note that despite the fact that these test centers received the largest number of candidates in 2023, there is no guarantee that Tisus will be administered at these test centers on upcoming test dates.

Map of test locations abroad:

Karta över provorter i utland 2023 (741 Kb)  (in Swedish)

 

Preparing for the test

Tisus is a proficiency test, not a knowledge test. This means that there are no demands to have read certain literature or passed certain courses. On the other hand, your language proficiency in Swedish must be at a level that allows you to take academic courses in Swedish.

To acquire the vast vocabulary needed at this level you can, for example, read Swedish fiction and Swedish newspapers. Keep in mind that the subtests in writing and speaking often require some knowledge about Swedish society, current problems and current events.

You can prepare for Tisus by looking at the sample tests, where you will also find out what will be assessed. The test samples are meant to make you familiar with the design of the tests.

The sample test material enables you to become acquainted with the test. Considering the new qualification requirements in Swedish, Tisus has an increased difficulty level compared to when the sample tests were developed. Only sample test material is available to candidates. All other test material is classified.

Reading samle assignments

Writing, sample test

Speaking Proficiency Sweden, sample test

Speaking Proficiency abroad, sample test

You can also study the course literature for "Behörighetsgivande kurs i svenska, 30 credits". This course yields the same qualification in Swedish as Tisus does, and the literature is therefore at a suitable level of difficulty. 

Behörighetsgivande kurs i svenska (in Swedish)

 

To bring to the test

To take the test you must be able to present a valid picture ID, and you are allowed to bring some support materials.

It is important that you bring the following to the test:

  • a valid picture ID
  • pen/pencil and eraser
  • fee to test leader (only valid overseas).

Please see each sub-test, what to bring or not to bring to the test.

Reading

Writing

Speaking Proficiency Sweden

Speaking Proficiency abroad

 

Results

The grading of the test takes approximately 5 weeks. When the grades are set you will receive your results by email.

If you have applied for university studies at a Swedish university or college for the upcoming semester you can submit your Tisus certificate until the last date for completing university applications. You find the exact dates on antagning.se.

antagning.se

We will send a list containing all the approved test results to the Admission service (Antagningen) prior to the last date for completing university applications.

  • If you have applied via antagning.se for the upcoming semester at a Swedish university/college, you will not have to  send in the certificate yourself. 
  • If you have applied elsewhere, or if you apply late, you will have to send in a copy of your certificate yourself in order to register. 

An approved Tisus result is equivalent to a grade, that is, it has no expiration date.

There are two grades: Pass (Godkänt) and Fail (Underkänt).

  • To pass Tisus you have to pass all three parts of the exam.
  • If one of the components is graded as Underkänt, you are allowed to retake that component only, a so-called residual test.
  • You will have to retake the residual test within a year from your first examination (i.e. at one of the two upcoming test occasions).
  • If two or three of the components are graded as Underkänt, you will have to retake the whole test.

Residual tests can be taken at any of the test centres in Sweden or abroad (regardless of where you took the first test).

If you are uncertain whether you will pass Tisus, it is advisable that you apply for a course in Swedish as a foreign language (Svenska som främmande språk) at a Swedish university or college before October 15th and April 15th, respectively.

Kurser i svenska som främmande språk (in Swedish)

Grades cannot be appealed. According to The Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100, 6 Chap. § 24) a grade can, however, be reconsidered if it is obviously incorrect due to new circumstances or for some other reason. Reconsideration does not involve reassessment, but can be e.g. a correction of a typo. If you want your result on Tisus to be reconsidered, you must fill in the following form 

Omprövning av resultat (682 Kb)  (in Swedish)

 

FAQ Tisus

Answers to frequently asked questions about Tisus:

FAQ Tisus

Since 1997, Tisus replaces the test called Rikstest

På svenska: Rikstest

 

Contact

Administration – Tisus
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