How to prepare for a whole-course assessment in Sweden

A Swedish whole-course assessment, called a prövning, is not an ordinary chapter test. You need to demonstrate knowledge across the entire course or subject level, so your first job is to map everything that could be assessed.

A recent question in Sweden asked how to prepare for a whole-course assessment when all of Psychology 1 and 2a might be included. Read the Reddit discussion from August 2026.

1. Find out exactly which rules and documents apply

Following the Gy25 reform, older courses and new subject levels coexist during a transition period. Ask the assessment provider to confirm which one your assessment covers. Then get the correct purpose statement, core content and grading criteria from Skolverket, the Swedish National Agency for Education, and ask how the assessment will be carried out.

Skolverket explains on its page about assessment for a grade that the assessment covers an entire course, level or equivalent, not just the parts you happened to miss before. More than one form of evidence may be needed.

2. Turn the core content into a checklist

Copy each item into a working document. Under each one, write:

• Key concepts and theories.
• A concrete example.
• A comparison or connection.
• A possible question.
• The kind of answer the grading criteria require.

Mark each area red, yellow or green. Red means you cannot explain it without a source. Yellow means you understand it but cannot apply or compare it. Green means you can answer a new question with your own examples.

3. Study in three layers

Layer 1: language

Learn the concepts, models, people, formulas or processes the subject is built on.

Layer 2: connections

Explain why something happens, compare perspectives and connect a theory to an example.

Layer 3: evaluation

Discuss strengths, limitations, sources, consequences or which perspective fits best.

Many people get stuck in layer 1 and feel prepared because they recognise the words. The assessment will often require you to show that you can use them too.

4. Build questions, not just notes

Make one question for each core-content item and several for larger areas. Mix short checks with longer tasks: explain, compare, apply, analyse and evaluate. You can use our guide to active recall when writing your questions.

5. Practise the different parts of the assessment

Ask the provider whether there will be a written exam, an oral component, an assignment, laboratory work or a practical task. Then practise in the same format. An oral answer requires you to organise your thoughts aloud; a longer written task requires you to choose relevant material and maintain a clear line of reasoning.

A four-week plan

• Week 1: map the documents and take a diagnostic test.
• Week 2: work on the red areas and create questions.
• Week 3: mix topics, write longer answers and practise aloud.
• Week 4: complete two realistic exam sessions and review your mistakes.

Your final check

• Can I explain every part of the core content?
• Can I use the concepts in new examples?
• Can I compare and reason, rather than just define?
• Do I know the exact time, location, permitted aids and assessment formats?

There is a lot of content, but it becomes manageable when every syllabus item turns into a concrete question you can practise.