There are national courses with nationally defined syllabuses and local courses for which syllabuses and grade criteria are determined within the municipality. At the end of upper secondary schooling students receive a leaving certificate which summarises the grades they have achieved in all courses studied. Upper secondary school students can be examined in courses which are part of the programme before grades have been set, or if they have been awarded a fail grade in that course. Anyone who does not study at upper secondary school has the right to be examined in all courses organised as part of national programmes. The new curriculum provides students with a significant influence over teaching content and methods and also with influence over the school situation in general.
Students have the right to choose programmes and specializations.
Within every national programme there is scope for special course options. This scope varies according to the different programmes. The programmes give students individual options for 300 points. For these points, students can choose between the various courses provided by the municipality. Most upper secondary schools are municipal and most students attend school in the municipality where they live.