Applying for Swiss Gymnasium in Zurich
Did your child come home with an excellent school report (Zeugnis) and the teacher thinks that your child should give the exam a try? Below are the next steps.
How to apply for Gymnasium entry in Zurich
The deadline for registration to the entrance exam is usually mid February. Students first have to register on the Zurich Zentrale Aufnahmeprufung https://www.zh.ch/de/bildung/schulen/maturitaetsschule/zentrale-aufnahmepruefung.html webpage with a PIN code. PIN codes must be purchased at the school (ask the school administration for one if you didn’t get yours during the orientation session or purchased online. To complete registration, students have to submit their report card (Zeugnis) by mail! (signed by the teacher). Most schools also ask for proof of age and some require other documents, so be sure to check with the school!
While students can apply for a Gymnasium of their choice, there is no guarantee that your child will get into the chosen school! Some of the more popular Gymnasiums might get over-subscribed and children will have to be re-allocated to other schools.
After registration, your child will receive a letter with the provisional allocation to one of the three Gymnasium schools and an invitation to sit the entrance exam at that school. The entrance exam is held in mid-March (see below for the different types of high school).
Registration deadlines
Gymnasium registration usually starts in November and ends in mid February. Note that the registration for the Informatics Middle School (IMS) is in September!
Examination dates
- Langgymnasium and K + S Langgymnasium (6 year gymnasium and arts and sports 6-year gymnasium) – March
- Kurzgymnasien and Handelsmittelschulen (4-year gymnasium and specialised high school, HMS) – March
- K + S-Kurzgymnasium, Fachmittelschule (Arts and Sports 4-year Gymnasium and specialised high school (FMS) – March
- Informatics Middle School (IMS) October!!!
The exam
The exam is divided in three parts and the duration varies according to the different types of high school. From 2022/2023, exams for both the 6-year Langgymnasium and the 4 year Kurzgymnasium programmes will be in German and Maths only, French is no longer examined!
Entrance exam Langgymnasium
Written exam
- German: Text comprehension and grammar
- German: Essay
- Mathematics
Entrance exam Kurzgymnasium, HMS, FMS
Written exam
- German: Text comprehension and grammar
- German: Essay
- Maths
Do you need more information about the Gymnasium admission process? Book an online consultation with your local school expert! Click here for more information: https://swisseducationconsulting.ch/settled-families/
