Kristel Kivisik, the project coordinator for the newly-opened test centre, says that queues for language courses are generally long.

“The number of immigrants is continuously increasing and people are queuing or have to take several exams to determine their language skill level. It was a problem, so now the testing will be centralised in one place.”

Many educational facilities have also had problems with the test; gauging language skills takes time away from language instruction and is also costly.

Immigrants' language abilities can vary significantly. Some immigrants may not be able to read or write, while others may have PhDs. The goal is to find an appropriate Finnish language course for everyone and help immigrants find jobs in Finland.

Kivisik says that improving the language instruction for immigrants with academic backgrounds would be particularly beneficially to the entire society.

”Without a doubt, Finnish language skills will help academics move forward and get a job in their own field. It is a tremendous resource when a highly-educated person moves here.”

Officials hope that someday all of the capital region’s immigrants can have their language abilities tested under the same roof.