# Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?: answers and explanations

The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 6, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 6, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | vi | "I took Besart on that year as my private student," explains Louhivuori. |
| 2 | vii | revealed Finnish youth to be the best at reading in the world. Three years later, they led in math. |
| 3 | i | government officials have attempted to improve standards by introducing marketplace competition into public schools. |
| 4 | iv | a Finnish child has a good chance of getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town. |
| 5 | viii | Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents |
| 6 | ii | The second critical decision came in 1979 |
| 7 | science | the nation came second in science, third in reading and sixth in math |
| 8 | economy | the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose public education as the best means of driving the economy forward and out of recession. |
| 9 | national curriculum | Teachers from all over the nation contributed to a national curriculum that provided guidelines |
| 10 | language | children started learning a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age nine. |
| 11 | equipment | The equal distribution of equipment was next, meaning that all teachers had their fair share of teaching resources |
| 12 | Master's degree | when it was required that every teacher gain a fifth-year Master's degree in theory and practice |
| 13 | respect | not because the salaries were so high but because autonomous decision-making and respect made the job desirable. |

## Why these answers are right

**1. vi.** Paragraph A tells the story of Besart, an immigrant pupil who was falling behind. The principal held him back a year and taught him privately, and by the end he could read and learn. This matches an approach that helped a young learner, vi.

**2. vii.** Paragraph B lists Finland's PISA results: best at reading in 2000, first in math three years later, first in science by 2006, and high places in the latest scores. These test rankings are statistical proof of education success, heading vii.

**3. i.** Paragraph C describes the United States bringing marketplace competition into public schools, with financiers backing charter schools and states competing for federal money. This is a business-model approach to education, heading i, which a Finnish principal criticizes.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-are-finlands-schools-successful/answers).

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