NORA0110IN – Intensive Elementary Norwegian, Level I
Course description
Course content
Intensive Elementary Norwegian level I is an intensive course offered in the summer semester. It is the first of a total of three courses that foreigners (or Norwegian citizens who do not master the Norwegian language) can take in order to meet the Norwegian language requirement for university studies in Norway.
Students work with texts and exercises relating to daily life (family, home, work, shopping, food etc.). Extensive practice in communicative speech functions, such as greetings, asking for and providing information, and expressing opinions and feelings. Work with the main features of Norwegian phonetics and grammar is also central to this course.
Learning outcome
Students will learn: to understand clearly spoken Norwegian; to read textbooks and similar texts and to talk about subjects relating to everyday life; to pronounce Norwegian in a way that does not interfere with communication; to write about topics dealt with in the course and to express thoughts and opinions, albeit simply; and to know the basic rules of Norwegian grammar.
Admission
The course fee is NOK 15 500. Prices are subject to change on a year-to-year basis. NORA0110IN does not qualify for financial support from Lånekassen.
Please see our information about admission requirements and application procedures.
Application period
The application portal is now closed. The deadline for applying for summer 2024 was February 15.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Applicants must meet basic requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway, except in Norwegian, and to be admitted you must submit required supporting documents.
Recommended previous knowledge
No previous knowledge of Norwegian language is necessary for this beginner's course.
Overlapping courses
- 15 credits overlap with NORA0110 – Elementary Norwegian Level I
- 15 credits overlap with NORINT0110 – Norwegian for International Students, Level 1
- 15 credits overlap with NORINT0110BK – Betalingskurs i norsk språk, trinn 1 (continued)
- 5 credits overlap with NORINT0105M
- 10 credits overlap with NORINT0114 – Norwegian for International Students, 60 hour Introductory Course
This course is equivalent to the courses listed above, and is also equivalent to Folkeuniversitetet's Levels 0-A2 and European levels A1-A2, but it does not automatically qualify you for a residence permit.
Norwegian courses up to a maximum of 40 credits can be used as part of a degree at the University of Oslo. Contact your department for more information.
Teaching
The course consists of classroom lectures, 3 hours every morning, Monday-Friday, for six weeks.
Classroom sessions include instruction and group work. Daily attendance and active participation in this course is expected of all participants.
Books
Books: Elisabeth Ellingsen & Kirsti MacDonald (2018): På vei. Norsk og samfunnskunnskap for voksne innvandrere. Tekstbok og Arbeidsbok. Oslo: Cappelen Damm. The books can be bought at Akademika and other bookstores, they are also available in a digital format at Brettboka. Instructions for buying the digital textbook and workbook from Brettboka here.
Examination
Current exams
The final exam consists of an oral and a written examination. The oral exam counts for 50 % of the total grade and includes two parts; listening comprehension and spoken production. The oral exam lasts for 30 minutes. The written exam counts for 50 % of the total grade and includes two parts; written production and reading comprehension. The written exam lasts for 2.5 hours. Your teacher will inform you when your oral exam will take place. There will also be information about the time and place of the written exam in Studentweb.
The guidance for examiners for the current exam is published here (NORWEGIAN ONLY).
Exams summer 2020 and summer 2021
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, there has been a change to the examination format for the summer semester.
The exam will consist of a written and an oral examination. The written examination counts for 25% of the total grade and lasts for 1,5 hours. The oral examination counts for 75% of the total grade and lasts for 45 minutes. The written examination will be a take home exam i Inspera, the oral exam will be held in Zoom.
Grades summer 2020 and 2021
The exam will be graded on pass/fail scale. All parts of both the oral and the written exam must be passed to receive a passing grade.
The guidance for examiners for the exam is published here (NORWEGIAN ONLY).
Exams summer 2019 and earlier
The exam will consist of a written and an oral examination. The written examination counts for 50% of the total grade and lasts for 3 hours. Part of the written exam includes a dictation. The oral examination counts for 50% of the total grade and lasts for 10-15 minutes.
The oral exam will be arranged before the written exam, your teacher will tell you when your oral exam will take place. There will also be information about the time and place of the written exam in StudentWeb.
Previous exams
Previous exams are available for download as a study aid.
Digital examination
The written examination is conducted in the digital examination system Inspera. You will need to familiarize yourself with the digital examination arrangements in Inspera.
Read more about written examinations using Inspera.
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
Norwegian
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Examination results are available three weeks after the exam, at the latest. Grades and transcripts will be available via StudentWeb.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Candidates may re-sit an exam free of charge if they: a) have a valid absence (doctor’s note), or b) failed the examination. A valid doctor's note must be given to the ISS office 3 days after the exam at the latest.
Candidates who did not show up for the scheduled exam must pay a fee of NOK 2 500 to re-sit the exam.
You can take the exam up to three times. You cannot re-sit an examination if you have used the maximum number of examination attempts. Candidates who re-sit the exam must take all parts of the exam again (both written and oral exams).
Candidates who re-sit the exam may take the exam in April/May, July/August and November/December when regular exams are arranged. Candidates who are re-sitting NORA exams can also re-sit the exam in the summer semester.
To re-sit the exam, contact the ISS office by email (nora-admin@iss.uio.no) during these dates:
- To re-sit in the spring semester: Contact us between January 1st – January 31st
- To re-sit in the summer semester: Contact us between June 1st – June 30th
- To re-sit in the autumn semester: Contact us between August 1st – August 31st
Please note that there are limited number of seats for the re-sit exams. You are therefore not guaranteed a seat if you register for a re-sit exam; registrations are treated on a first-come, first-serve basis. We therefore encourage you to sign up for a re-sit exam early in the registration period.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Students who need a specially adapted exam must submit a Request for Special Examination Form along with medical documentation to NORA by July 14 for the summer semester.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.