Here in Norway, we don't have any entrance exams - your HS grades are the only thing that counts - along with some extra points for age, military service, etc.

Here in Norway, we don't have any entrance exams - your HS grades are the only thing that counts - along with some extra points for age, military service, etc. For the most prestigious University majors, this results in two sets of students: Those that had good enough grades to get in on their first try, straight out of school - or those that simply have to wait X number of years, until they've re-taken enough classes, gained enough age points, and what not. One roomie of me during college had spent like 5 years doing all that, before finally getting accepted to medical studies. It's insane. But still, with all that, I really feel bad for the students in China / India / Singapore / etc. where your future pretty much rests on one exam, and that's that. At least here in the west, especially richer northern counties, people can "screw around" for years trying to find their way, without it hurting them too much - financially, or professionally.