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Q&A

Information from A(ns-Gymi) to Z(AP)

Everything you need to know about the “Gymiprüfung” (‘Gymi’ entrance exam) in the Canton of Zurich and the “Gymivorbereitung” (‘Gymi’ preparation).

  • A good 20% of the people in Switzerland have a Matura diploma and about the same number have a “Berufsmaturität” diploma or a “Fachmaturität” diploma. The trend is slightly on the rise.

  • In total, around 15% of children and young people in the Canton of Zurich make it to Gymnasium. Around a third of students from primary school and from the 2nd and 3rd secondary schools take the entrance exam to a Gymnasium in the Canton of Zurich (including FMS, HMS and IMS, i.e. different types of Matura schools). On average, half of the candidates from all these school types pass the exam.

  • The “Gymivorbereitungen” vary greatly between municipalities - the spectrum ranges from “non-existent” to “excellent”. As mentioned already, the admission rate to the Gymnasium is around 50%. The chances of children passing the entrance exam improve significantly if they attend a private preparatory course. The providers of these courses naturally want to attract as many students as possible - and they can only do this if their courses are of a high quality and achieve good results.

  • “Ans Gymi” consists of exactly two teachers: Ksenia Gattiker (mathematics) and Christian Müller (German) - they personally stand for 100% quality standards with 0% fluctuation. With their experience in Gymi preparation, correcting entrance exams and teaching at Gymnasium, they are highly qualified. As Gymi teachers, they know exactly what is needed at Gymi during the probation period and beyond and can also prepare their students for this phase by providing them with optimal support on their way to Gymi and at Gymi.

  • Many potential Gymi or HMS students get through their secondary school years without much studying effort and have therefore never really learned how to study. In the “Gymivorbereitung” at “Ans Gymi”, children are therefore also taught efficient studying strategies that significantly increase their chances of success in the probation period and in the following semesters.

  • For all those who would like to take the entrance exam for the Kurzgymnasium or the Handelsmittelschule (HMS), i.e. the ZAP2.

  • “Ans Gymi” has a boutique concept: small offer - highest quality. 

  • The ZAP is the central entrance exam for grammar schools and all other types of middle schools in the canton of Zurich. “Central” means that all students of a particular ZAP take exactly the same exam at the same time, which is then assessed using the same criteria. 

  • ZAP1: 

    • Entrance exam to the “Langgymnasium” 

    • Transfer from the 6th year of primary school

    • Exam date: beginning of March

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    ZAP2:

    • Entrance exam to a “Kurzgymnasium” or a “Handelsmittelschule” (HMS) 

    • Transfer from the 2nd or 3rd year of secondary school

    • Double registration possible (in this case, only one exam is taken and, depending on the average grade, admission to the Kurzgymnasium or the HMS is granted)

    • Exam date: Beginning of March

    ​

    ZAP3:

    • Entrance exam to a “Informatikmittelschule” (IMS), “Fachmittelschule” (FMS) or a “Berufsmaturitätsschule” (BM)

    • Transfer from the 3rd year of secondary school (IMS, FMS, BM1) or from the 2nd/3rd year of an apprenticeship or after completing an apprenticeship (BM2)

    • Triple registration Kurzgymi/HMS (ZAP2) and FMS (ZAP3) possible

    • Exam date: IMS end of October / FMS beginning of March (2 days after ZAP 2) / BM1 beginning of March / BM2 March 15 or June 20 (depending on the course)

  • The examinations take place at all cantonal grammar schools/middle schools. You always register for the entrance exam at the school you wish to attend. 

  • The registration window is from January to beginning of February (exception: registration for the IMS exam in September).

  • You can find all of this on the official ZAP website of the Canton of Zurich. https://www.zh.ch/de/bildung/schulen/maturitaetsschule/zentrale-aufnahmepruefung.html

  • All entrance exams are written only. German and mathematics are tested in all ZAP examinations; the examination in German always comprises the two examination parts “Writing a text (essay)” and “Language analysis and text comprehension”.

  • The school grades in the subjects German, English, French, Science & Technology and Mathematics each count 20% as preliminary grades. The preliminary grades count if you attend a public secondary school level A in Zurich. If this is a secondary school level A with performance levels, the highest requirement level must be completed in each subject. 

  • When calculating the examination grade, mathematics counts for half and the two parts of the examination in German for a quarter each. The examination grade (unrounded) and the average of the preliminary grades (unrounded) each count half for the calculation of the overall grade.

  • For the Kurzgymi you need an average of a 4.75 with preliminary grades and a 4.5 without preliminary grades, for the HMS a 4.5 with preliminary grades and a 4.25 without preliminary grades.

  • No, oral exams were discontinued in 2023.

  • No, unfortunately this is no longer possible. If you did not pass the probation period and want to re-enter the Gymi or HMS the following year, you will have to take the entrance exam again. 

    1. Firstly: Read a lot! 
      Reading not only trains children to understand texts, but also increases their vocabulary and sensitizes them to linguistic structures. It is recommended that the children read books as part of their “Gymivorbereitung”, in addition to the short texts covered in the “Ans Gymi” courses. Christian Müller will be happy to make individual recommendations.
       

    2. Secondly: Write a lot! 
      Of course, the children need some basic knowledge of the types of texts that may be required at the exam. But: You can only learn to write well by writing a lot yourself! In the “Ans Gymi” courses, students write regularly and receive feedback on their texts. 
       

    3. Thirdly: Practise a lot! 
      What has been said about writing also applies in a similar way to the “language analysis” section of the exam. In addition to working on grammar theory, one thing is crucial here: practise, practise, practise! In addition to the exercises which are solved and discussed together in the courses, “Ans Gymi” provides extensive practice material with solutions for independent consolidation and practice.  

    1. Firstly: Consolidate the basics!
      As a basis of “Gymivorbereitung” it is important to establish a good understanding of basic mathematical concepts. These include fractions, decimals and understanding percentages, as well as basic geometry. These basics are crucial for success in advanced mathematical topics.
       

    2. Secondly: Practice regularly!
      Regular practice is also the key to success in mathematics. Children should solve mathematical problems every day or at least several times a week. Both simple and more complex tasks should be worked on in order to improve understanding and application skills. In addition, it is helpful to prepare specifically for the exam formats and practice old exam questions in order to get a feel for the type of questions.
       

    3. Thirdly: Understand word problems well! 
      Word problems are an important part of entrance exam in mathematics. Filtering out problems from word problems and solving them systematically is important for the high school exam. Understanding the question and the ability to extract relevant information are essential here.

    1. Firstly: The right time to start
      Children should start their preparation at the right time. If they start too early, they may become tired and demotivated. However, if they start too late, the material can no longer be studied and deepened with the necessary care, which can lead to stress and uncertainty on the exam date. Of course, not all children learn at the same speed. But generally a good time to start the “Gymivorbereitung” is after the summer holidays.
       

    2. Secondly: Regularity 
      Regularity is probably the most important aspect of “Gymivorbereitung”. Only if the children deal with the exam material regularly over a longer period of time and practise it in a variety of ways will they gain the confidence that is crucial for exam success.
       

    3. Thirdly: Attend a course of “Ans Gymi” ☺
      Attending an “Ans Gymi” course is highly recommended and creates the ideal basis for exam success! This also ensures that all the tips mentioned above are taken to heart.

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