SFI in 2027: new courses, new course names and new national tests
On 1 January 2027 SFI gets new syllabuses and a new series of national tests. Skolverket decided the regulation in June 2026, but what it means for SFI learners has had little attention. Here is what is confirmed, and what has not been published yet.
The key point: the change applies per course
The new syllabuses apply to courses that start after 31 December 2026. A course you have already started is finished under the old syllabus. The regulation puts it like this:
“De upphävda föreskrifterna gäller fortfarande för kurser som har påbörjats före den 1 januari 2027.”
(The repealed regulations still apply to courses started before 1 January 2027.)
So the change goes by course, not by person. If you are in course C now and move up to D in February 2027, your D course follows the new syllabus. During 2027, both the old and the new course names will be in use.
New course names that show the study path
The three study paths remain, but each path gets its own courses, and the name shows which path a course belongs to:
- Study path 1: 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, for people with little or no experience of formal study.
- Study path 2: 2B, 2C and 2D, for people with experience of formal study.
- Study path 3: 3C and 3D, for people with broad experience of formal study.
Each course also gets its own syllabus. Stockholm University sums it up as eleven syllabuses instead of one.
Two new courses
- Basic reading and writing (grundläggande läs- och skrivinlärning) is for people who have not learned to read and write.
- Latinisering is for people who can already read and write, but in another alphabet, such as Arabic.
Every course gets a size
The new syllabuses set how many credit points (verksamhetspoäng) each course is worth. In komvux, 20 points equal one week of full-time study.
| Course | Points | Roughly, weeks full-time |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | 900 | 45 |
| 1B | 1,000 | 50 |
| 1C | 1,000 | 50 |
| 1D | 900 | 45 |
| 2B | 600 | 30 |
| 2C | 800 | 40 |
| 2D | 700 | 35 |
| 3C | 500 | 25 |
| 3D | 300 | 15 |
| Basic reading and writing | 400 | 20 |
| Latinisering | 100 | 5 |
The figures describe the size of a course, not a deadline, and how fast you go depends on your own pace. The head of the school can also split a course into smaller sub-courses. More on timing in How long does SFI take?
National tests
- Still three tests. One at the end of 1B and 2B, one at the end of 1C, 2C and 3C, and one at the end of 1D, 2D and 3D.
- The same four parts. Läsa (reading), Höra (listening), Skriva (writing) and Tala (speaking).
- A new test series. No new tests come out in autumn 2026, and schools use the existing tests numbered 6 to 10. Two new tests arrive in spring 2027. The new tests are used for courses started from 2027, while courses started earlier keep the existing tests.
- Teachers can combine test parts. From 2027, teachers can choose and combine parts from different versions of the test.
- Not published yet: whether task types, the number of questions or time limits change. There is no example material for the new series yet.
How the test works today is covered in The SFI national test: everything you need to know.
What does not change
- The grades are still Godkänt (Pass) or Icke godkänt (Not passed).
- SFI is still free and run by the municipality where you are registered.
- The three-year time limit, in place since 2026, is not affected by the new syllabuses.
What it means for you
- If you are in a course now, you finish it under the old syllabus, with the existing tests.
- If you start a new course after New Year, it will be called something like 2C or 3D, and if the course ends with a national test, that test comes from the new series.
- Can you read and write, but in another alphabet? Ask your school whether latinisering fits you.
In summary
From 1 January 2027, SFI gets course names that show the study path, two new courses and a new series of national tests. The change applies per course: a course you have already started is finished under the old rules. There are still three tests with the same four parts, and the grades are still Pass or Not passed.
SFI Prov is a free app for SFI learners, with practice tests in reading, listening and writing for courses C and D. It also starts from zero, with the alphabet explained in Swedish, English, Arabic, Persian and Somali.
Download SFI Prov on the App Store → · Google Play →
Sources
In Swedish.
- Skolverket: SKOLFS 2026:67, the regulation with the new sfi syllabuses
- Skolverket: Information about the new sfi syllabuses
- Stockholm University: What do the new sfi syllabuses mean?
- Stockholm University: Several changes to sfi and sva in komvux are coming
- Skolverket: Test dates for sfi
- Skolverket: Ordering national tests
- Ordinance (2011:1108) on adult education
SFI Prov is independent study material from SverigeFokus and is not affiliated with Skolverket, Stockholm University, your municipality or any other authority. Always check what applies with your school.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new SFI syllabuses start to apply?
To courses that start from 1 January 2027. A course you started before then is finished under the old syllabus.
What are the new SFI courses called?
Study path 1 has courses 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, study path 2 has 2B, 2C and 2D, and study path 3 has 3C and 3D. There are also two new courses: basic reading and writing, and latinisering.
Are the national tests changing?
There will still be three national tests: one at the end of 1B and 2B, one at the end of 1C, 2C and 3C, and one at the end of 1D, 2D and 3D, with the parts Läsa, Höra, Skriva and Tala. A new test series arrives in spring 2027, and the task formats have not been published yet.
What is latinisering?
A new course for people who can already read and write, but in an alphabet other than the Latin one, such as Arabic. It is 100 credit points.
Are SFI grades changing?
No. The grades are still Godkänt (Pass) or Icke godkänt (Not passed).
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