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What is SAS? Swedish as a second language after SFI

SAS means Swedish as a second language. SAS grund and nivå 1–3 explained in plain English: who it's for, what it demands and how it differs from SFI.

  • 7 min read
  • Updated October 26, 2026
Students studying in a classroom
Foto: Pexels
Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. SFI and SAS: what is the difference?
  3. What is SAS grund?
  4. SAS nivå 1, 2, 3: the upper-secondary levels
  5. What SAS demands from you
  6. Who should take SAS?
  7. Our honest take
  8. Common questions
  9. Related articles

SAS (Svenska som andraspråk) is Swedish as a second language: the school subject that comes after SFI. You study it at komvux (municipal adult education). It has a basic level, SAS grund, with four sub-courses. Then come three upper-secondary levels, since 2025 called nivå 1, 2 and 3. SAS gives you real grades, and nivå 3 opens the door to university. It is also harder and more academic than SFI. This article explains what each level contains and what it demands, so you can decide if SAS is for you.

SFI and SAS: what is the difference?

SFI teaches you Swedish so you can live in Sweden. SAS teaches you Swedish the way Swedish pupils learn it in school – with literature, essays, grammar analysis and oral presentations. The two subjects have different syllabi, different tests and different goals.

SFISAS
GoalEveryday, social, student and working lifeSchool qualifications; further studies
CoursesA, B, C, DGrund (delkurs 1–4), then nivå 1, 2, 3
Level (approx.)Up to B1/B1+ after DFrom B1 toward B2/C1
Typical textsMessages, forms, short articlesNovels, argumentative essays, reports
GradesPass or fail (Godkänt / Icke godkänt) since 2022; national tests at B, C, DGrades A–F per level, national test at nivå 1
Leads toSAS grund, vocational training, workNivå 3 gives the Swedish part of university eligibility
CostFree, no CSNFree, CSN studiemedel possible
WhoAdults new to Swedish, from age 16Adults with SFI D (or equivalent); gymnasial level from the year you turn 20

What is SAS grund?

SAS grund is SAS at grundläggande nivå (basic level). It has four sub-courses, delkurs 1 to 4:

  • Delkurs 1 (100 poäng) – for people who need to repeat parts of SFI before moving on. Simple reading, simple texts, speaking practice.
  • Delkurs 2 (200 poäng) – where most people start after SFI D.
  • Delkurs 3 (200 poäng) – longer texts, more writing.
  • Delkurs 4 (200 poäng) – a pass here equals year 9 of Swedish grundskola. This is the ticket to the upper-secondary levels.

Together that is 700 poäng. Komvux "poäng" are a measure of study time, not of difficulty: 20 poäng is roughly one week of full-time study. So delkurs 2 to 4 is about 30 weeks full time. Many people study part time next to a job, which takes longer. In Stockholm, for example, the same delkurs is offered as a 5-week intensive class, a 10-week class, or a 20-week distance course.

Who it is for: people who want the school qualification, plan to continue to nivå 1–3, or need "grundskola-level Swedish" for a vocational programme.

SAS nivå 1, 2, 3: the upper-secondary levels

From 1 July 2025, komvux at gymnasial level changed to ämnesbetyg (subject grades). The old courses "Svenska som andraspråk 1, 2, 3" are now "Svenska som andraspråk nivå 1, 2, 3". If you already have a grade in the old SAS 1, it is still valid. In everyday speech, everyone still says "SAS 1".

  • Nivå 1 (100 poäng) – entry requirement: SAS grund delkurs 4 or the equivalent. You write different types of texts, give oral presentations, and learn how Swedish works in different situations. There is a national test.
  • Nivå 2 (100 poäng) – more literature, more argumentation, language history and how Swedish relates to other languages.
  • Nivå 3 (100 poäng) – academic writing: a longer scientific-style essay, source handling, formal oral presentation. Nivå 3 (or Svenska nivå 3) is what you need for the Swedish part of grundläggande behörighet – basic eligibility for university. Tisus, a test run by Stockholm University, is the alternative if you don't want to take the course.

Each level is 100 poäng, so about five weeks full time, but most schools spread a level over 10–20 weeks. Three levels part time can easily take a year or more.

What SAS demands from you

This is the honest part. Many people go from SFI D straight into SAS and are surprised. A few things to know:

  1. It is school again. Fixed start dates, deadlines, essays with word counts, presentations in front of the class, a grade at the end. If that motivates you, good. If you have just spent two years in a classroom, be honest with yourself.
  2. Reading is the big jump. In SFI D you read short, clear texts. In SAS grund you read novels and newspaper articles. In nivå 2 and 3 you read and analyse literature and academic texts.
  3. Writing counts most. You will write a lot – and you will be graded on structure and argument, not only on grammar.
  4. You need time. Even part time, count on several hours of homework per week. Working full time plus SAS nivå 1 is possible, but it is hard.
  5. You apply through your kommun. SAS is applied for at your municipality's vuxenutbildning, usually online, with start dates a few times per year. Places can be limited.

Who should take SAS?

SAS is right for you if you want a Swedish school qualification, you plan to study at gymnasial level, yrkeshögskola or university, or your job requires it (nurses, teachers and many public-sector jobs do). It is also right if you like structure and want a teacher who grades your work.

SAS may not be right for you – or not right now – if you already have the education you need and what you really lack is confidence in everyday Swedish. SAS does not practise how to call in sick, argue with a landlord or understand a fast conversation at a parent-teacher meeting. That is not what it is for.

Our honest take

SAS is a good system. It is free, it is serious, and it leads somewhere. If you need it, take it – and do not let anyone talk you out of it.

But we also meet many people who finished SFI D, started SAS because "that is what you do next", and dropped out. Not because they were lazy. Because they needed practice, and got theory. Reading a novel does not help you at 1177.

That is why Beyond SFI exists. It is a free place to keep practising Swedish for real life after SFI – at the doctor, with your landlord, at work, at your child's school. The content follows Skolverket's SFI syllabus, so it starts where course C or D stopped. You practise at your own pace. The core is free; you pay only for extras that cost real money to run, like AI roleplay. It is not a competitor to SAS. If you take SAS, Beyond SFI is a good place to keep your spoken Swedish alive alongside it. If you don't, it is a good place to keep growing anyway.

Common questions

Facts checked: September 2026. Komvux rules change most years on 1 July – check your kommun's vuxenutbildning for current details. Beyond SFI is independent and not affiliated with Skolverket.

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