If your Multicheck results are poor or you may even have received an unsatisfactory result and have effectively failed the Multicheck test, the question arises as to whether you should still apply for the coveted apprenticeship position or whether you should repeat the Multicheck test.

In the following article, we first explain what a poor (bad) result in the Multicheck is, how often you can repeat the Multicheck and finally whether you should apply with a poor Multicheck result or repeat the Multicheck.

What is a bad result in the Multicheck?

As the majority of apprenticeship companies require an overall score of at least 60 per cent in the Multicheck test, Multicheck results that are below 60 per cent are poor. In many cases, however, the training companies require a much higher score than 60 per cent in the Multicheck test.

How many per cent you have to achieve in the Multicheck aptitude analysis - as the Multicheck aptitude test is also called - in order to have a good chance of getting the desired apprenticeship position depends on the respective apprenticeship company.

Please also read our article ‘What is the Multicheck?’.

How often can I repeat the Multicheck?

If the result of the Multicheck test is unsatisfactory or if the Multicheck test is passed but you are still not satisfied, you can repeat the Multicheck test.

The next question that arises is: How often can the Multicheck test be repeated? In principle, you can repeat the Multicheck as often as you like, but there is one restriction: you can only repeat the Multicheck once per occupational field within a test period that runs from the end of May to the end of May of the following year. There is no minimum waiting period for repeating the test; you can be tested at the next available date.

The disadvantage of repeating a test within a test period is that the overall result of the first test is also listed in the Multicheck certificate for the second test, provided the tests are in the same occupational field. The job you are applying for will then see on this results report (certificate) that you have already taken the test once and generally did worse the first time than the second time.

If you want to prevent the result of the first test from being noted on the certificate of the second Multicheck test, you must therefore take the second test in the next test period, whereby it is also necessary that three months have passed between the first test and the second test.

And by the way: A cancelled test counts as a completed test, whereby the unfinished tasks are set to zero.

Apply for a job with a poor Multicheck result or repeat it?

Many people ask themselves whether they should apply with a poor Multicheck result or whether they should repeat the Multicheck test. The answer to this question must be: It depends.

For example, if you have a good overall result of over 60 per cent in a Multicheck test in the ICT (‘information and communications technology’) occupational field, but scored well below 60 per cent in the logic part of the test, you should repeat the Multicheck, as logic is a very important skill in ICT professions.

If you have achieved a poor overall result, this is not always an exclusion criterion for getting the desired job, unless the job advert explicitly states that you must have achieved a certain minimum percentage in the Multicheck test. There are even reports that even with an unsatisfactory score in the Multicheck, which means you are not considered suitable for the job according to the Multicheck, you can still get your dream apprenticeship.

The Multicheck is just one of several pieces of evidence you can use to prove your own performance in an application. Among other things, you also have your school report, which provides reliable information about your own performance. And the hiring company is free to decide whether or not to follow the Multicheck recommendation. So even if you have a poor result in the Multicheck, you should not lose hope of getting the apprenticeship you want. There are also other qualities that count in the interview, such as the way you present yourself, your motivation for the job and often the sympathy between the applicant and the future trainer.

If the Multicheck result is bad, it may simply take longer to find an apprenticeship compared to those who have a better Multicheck result. It is then important to weigh up whether you have this time to look for an apprenticeship or whether you want to speed up the process of finding an apprenticeship by repeating the test.

If you decide to repeat the Multicheck but have to send your application before the deadline because the application deadline has expired, you should indicate in your application that you will submit the Multicheck certificate as soon as possible. After the test, you will receive the certificate within one to two weeks.

In any case, you should not despair if you have to repeat the Multicheck test. Rather, you should see repeating the Multicheck test as an opportunity to improve considerably. The first test run should be seen as an exercise afterwards and you should learn from your mistakes. You should therefore take a close look at the test results and analyse where your strengths and weaknesses lie. All areas in which you scored below 60 per cent are weak. You can overcome these weaknesses by preparing specifically for the Multicheck and practising.

Please also read our article ‘Multicheck preparation in Wohlen and Zurich’

Rethink your career choice before repeating

If you have scored unsatisfactory in the Multicheck, you should also consider whether you may have chosen the wrong occupational field before repeating the test. You may be better suited to a different occupational field and therefore a different apprenticeship.

In this case, you can seek help from professional career counsellors to find the right profession. You can also do a taster apprenticeship in a particular profession to check whether you are suitable for it.

If you realise that a different occupational field suits you better, you do not repeat the first Multicheck, but instead do the Multicheck with reference to a different occupational group.

Conclusion

The aim when taking the Multicheck test should be to pass this test with good results the first time. This is because in the event of poor results and repeating the test within the test period or in the next test period at an interval of less than three months, the disadvantage is that the poor result of the first Multicheck test is noted on the certificate for the second Multicheck test.

You should therefore prepare well for the Multicheck at the first attempt, although professional Multicheck preparation courses are also available.

If you repeat the Multicheck, then do a preparation course!