Nearly three-quarters of Norwegian teacher students admitted with waivers from standard entry requirements failed a national mathematics exam, according to new data from the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (Nokut). The data, first reported by Khrono, reveals a 73.7% failure rate among primary school (grades 1-7) students and 75.9% among middle school (grades 5-10) students who entered teacher education programs without meeting the usual math prerequisites. Nokut Director Kristin Vinje highlighted a clear performance gap between students admitted with and without the prior qualification requirements. These results raise concerns about the preparedness of teachers entering the profession via alternative admission pathways. The exam serves as a key indicator of mathematical competency for future educators. The findings are prompting discussion regarding admission standards and support for teacher candidates.