Who can be a praksiskandidat?
- Long enough experience. Your work experience must be at least 25 % longer than the normal training period for the trade. For the health worker trade that means at least five years (Udir: guide to the praksiskandidat scheme (Norwegian)).
- Relevant work. The experience must be from work in the trade, for example in a nursing home, home care, a hospital or supported housing. The county (fylkeskommunen) assesses your documentation.
- Documentation. You need references from your employers with start and end dates, your position percentage and your tasks. The county tells you what it accepts.
The HEA3103 exam
| Length | 5 hours |
|---|---|
| Form | Written and digital. You bring your own PC or Mac |
| Preparation part | No |
| Tasks | Several tasks based on situations and assignments from the work. You answer all of them |
| Language | The tasks are published in Norwegian bokmål and nynorsk |
| Grading | Two examiners, grades 1–6. Grade 1 is a fail |
| Next exam | 26 November 2026, 09.00–14.00 |
You may use all aids that do not need the internet, and some selected online aids. You may not communicate with others or use artificial intelligence to create content, and you must state the sources you use (Udir: exam information for HEA3103 (Norwegian)).
What the examiners look for
The examiners grade your answer against the competence aims in the curriculum (Udir: curriculum for the health worker trade, HEA03-03 (Norwegian)). The grading criteria describe three levels:
- Grade 2: the answer shows familiarity with the subject, for example with the guidelines for hygiene and infection control.
- Grade 4: the answer shows knowledge, with professional reasons and reflection.
- Grade 6: the answer shows judgement and competence: it suggests, justifies and assesses measures.
Only what answers the task counts. Material that does not belong to the task can make the answer less precise.
Registration and the trade test
- Apply to the county where you live to be approved as a praksiskandidat.
- Register for the exam as a private candidate (privatist). Registration is normally 15 January–1 February for the spring and 1–15 September for the autumn.
- Pay the exam fee. The county sets it.
- When you have passed the exam, you can register for the trade test (fagprøve).
You cannot take the trade test before you have passed the written exam.
Key Norwegian terms
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| fagbrev | trade certificate |
| helsefagarbeider | health worker (the trade) |
| praksiskandidat | candidate who qualifies through work experience |
| fagprøve | practical trade test |
| privatist | private candidate |
| fylkeskommunen | the county authority |
| kompetansemål | competence aims in the curriculum |
| sensor | examiner |
| vurderingskriterier | grading criteria |
| attest | reference from an employer |
| smittevern | infection control |
| taushetsplikt | duty of confidentiality |
How the Kurs.ing course helps
Kurs.ing is a private online course in Norwegian, because the exam tasks are in Norwegian. You can turn on English help text in the lessons and the practice questions. The course covers all 30 competence aims in ten lessons, explains what the examiners look for at grades 2, 4 and 6, and gives you a method for answering case tasks in 5 hours. You practise on three task sets with model answers. The tasks are written by Kurs.ing and are not past exam papers.
Helsearbeiderfaget for praksiskandidater costs NOK 597 with 8 weeks' access. The exam fee is paid separately to the county.
More guides in English
Sources
Important: Kurs.ing is a private course provider. We do not hold the exam and we are not approved by Udir. Udir makes the exam, and the county grades it and issues the certificate. Always check the county's and Udir's current pages before you register.