Psychology (BSc)
Selection & Placement
The Bachelor programme Psychology will admit a limited number of students (Numerus Fixus). A selection process will determine which applicants best fit our programme. Also, it is a good way for you to discover if Psychology in Leiden is the programme for you.
Selection
The Institute of Psychology bases the selection, for the academic year 2025-2026, on:
- The grade average of your secondary school*;
- The results on the Online Assessment;
- A draw
Candidates will be divided into 4 categories:
- Candidates with a grade point average (GPA) higher than 7.5 and a ‘pass’ on the Online Assessment will be placed at the top of the ranking.
- Candidates with a grade point average (GPA) of 7.5 or lower and a ‘pass’ for the Online Assessment will follow after group 1 on the ranking.
- Candidates with a grade point average (GPA) higher than a 7.5 and a ‘fail’ for the Online Assessment will follow after group 2 on the ranked.
- Candidates with a grade point average (GPA) of 7.5 or lower and a ‘fail’ for the Online Assessment will follow after group 3 on the ranking
The exact ranking number will be determined by a drawing of lots.
Please note that if you meet the minimum admission requirements you will receive a positive admission statement after you have submitted an application. This admission statement does not mean that you are automatically placed in the programme, as this also depends on the selection process. The selection process will begin after the deadline of 15 January.
*For the calculation of the grade point average (GPA) for candidates with a Dutch secondary education the following applies: We only use subjects in which you have taken (or will take in the case of 6VWO students) HAVO/VWO final exams (school exams AND central exams). You fill in these courses yourself via the online form. Your GPA will be rounded to 1 decimal place.
Did you submit a complete application before the deadline? Then you can participate in the selection process. You will receive an email from the Institute of Psychology at the end of January at the latest with more information.
The Online Assessment will take place in Brightspace on 14 OR 15 February 2025. The online assessment will appear in your Brightspace account (you will get access to it if you are admitted) on the night of Thursday, February 13 to Friday, February 14 at 00:00 CET and will be available all day in Brightspace on Friday, February 14 and Saturday, February 15, until Saturday, February 15, 23:59 CET. You can start the assessment on any of these days, but please note that once you start, you have three hours to complete the assessment before you are automatically logged out (or if it is Saturday, February 14, 11:59 p.m. CET). It is up to you to choose the time on Friday, February 14 or Saturday, February 15 when you start the online test. The Assessment consists of several type of questions, e.g. open questions and multiple choice questions.
Do you have a functional impairment and require extra time for the Online Assessment? Then you can request this, see Functional Impairment.
You can prepare for the Online Assessment via the Self Study Module in Brightspace. You will be granted access to the Self Study Module 2 weeks prior (from 31 January until 13 February 2025) to the Assessment. In these 2 weeks you can study literature on Psychology and watch weblectures. You can also make use of sample test questions. It's not necessary nor possible to prepare for the Online Assessment before these 2 weeks of preparation start.
TIP:
Please make sure that you have access to a computer, have reliable access to the internet and work in an environment which allows you to concentrate. The Online Assessment and the Self Study module do not work on tablets or smartphones.
The Selection Committee of the Bachelor programme in Psychology will make use of the period between mid-February and the 15th of April to determine the ranking of applicants. The Online Assessment will be reviewed. This result combined with your high school grade average will determine in which category you will be placed. The exact ranking number will be determined via a drawing of lots.
We can offer a place to 600 students, which will be distributed over the Bachelor Psychology (in Dutch) and the International Bachelor in Psychology. The lower your ranking number, the better your chances of being offered a place in our programme.
You will be informed about your ranking number through Studielink on the 15th of April. If a student withdraws or turns down an offer, their place will be offered to the next student in line. This means that places will be offered throughout the period April 15 to August 31. If you are offered a place, you have fourteen days to accept or decline, so remember to check your email and spam folder regularly from 15 April onwards.
Please carefully read the details of the selection process in the selection regulations. This document specifies the requirements you must meet in order to participate in the selection process and the procedures that are used to determine your ranking number.
In Studielink you can see how many selection attempts you have used up. If you did not pass the final secondary school exams, you can have a selection attempt removed. For more information, see the website.