The results of the 2024 Gymnasium Entrance Exam (short: Gymi Exam 2024) have been released, and as in previous years, the gymnasium admission rate has remained stable, with approximately 15 percent of all students in the Canton of Zurich able to transition to a gymnasium.

The figures for passing the respective entrance exams for the long-term and short-term gymnasiums, as well as the pass rate during the trial period at the gymnasium, were also published by the Department of Education of the Canton of Zurich. Additionally, the success rates for the exams for FMS (Fachmittelschule), HMS (Handelsschule), IMS (Informatikmittelschule), and for the vocational baccalaureate entrance exam were announced.

In the following article, you can find the numbers regarding the gymnasium trial period, the results of the Central Entrance Exams (ZAP) for the various cantonal secondary schools, and the general gymnasium transition rate.

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How many passed the Gymnasium Entrance Exam? (Results 2024)

As shown in the statistics published by the Zurich Department of Education regarding the Central Entrance Exam (ZAP) for the Canton of Zurich, the results for passing the gymnasium entrance exam in 2024 vary significantly depending on whether it is for the long-term gymnasium, the short-term gymnasium from the 2nd secondary level, or the short-term gymnasium from the 3rd secondary level.

• Long-term gymnasium: Out of 4,457 examinees, 2,370 passed, or 53.17%.

• Short-term gymnasium: from the 2nd secondary level: Out of 2,515 examinees, 989 passed, or 39.32%.

• Short-term gymnasium: from the 3rd secondary level: Out of 1,481 examinees, 655 passed, or 44.23%.

In total, 8,453 candidates took the 2024 gymnasium entrance exam in the Canton of Zurich, of which 4,041 passed, resulting in an overall pass rate of 47.49%. In the previous year, this rate was 49.63%.
Looking at all sixth-grade students, 14.8 percent of them were able to transition to Zurich gymnasiums in 2024, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). The NZZ refers to this as an "unofficial rate" because this transition rate has remained stable at around 15 percent for years. The required overall grade for transitioning to the gymnasium has also remained constant. Since last year, this has been 4.75.

Success Rates for FMS, HMS, IMS (Results 2024)

In addition to the Gymnasium entrance exam, candidates for various other cantonal secondary schools also take part in the Central Entrance Exams (ZAP), including the Fachmittelschule (FMS), Handelsmittelschule (HMS), and Informatikmittelschule (IMS). The Education Department of the Canton of Zurich has also published the results for these exams for the year 2024:

Fachmittelschule (FMS): Out of 998 candidates, 580 passed, equating to a success rate of 58.12%.
Handelsmittelschule (HMS) from 2nd secondary level: Out of 1,215 candidates, 589 passed, resulting in a success rate of 48.48%.
Handelsmittelschule (HMS) from 3rd secondary level: Out of 1,096 candidates, 601 passed, with a success rate of 54.84%.
Informatikmittelschule (IMS): Out of 202 candidates, 90 passed, resulting in a success rate of 44.55%.

Overall, the success rate for the Zurich entrance exams for FMS, HMS, and IMS in 2024 stood at 52.98%.

Pass Rate for Vocational Baccalaureate Entrance Examination (Results 2024)

The entrance exam for the Vocational Baccalaureate School (BMS) is also part of the Central Entrance Examination (ZAP), with the success rates in 2024 as follows:

Vocational Baccalaureate during vocational training (BM1): out of 1,992 candidates, 1,299 passed, which is 65.21%
Vocational Baccalaureate after vocational training (BM2): out of 805 candidates, 211 passed, which is 26.21%

Overall, the success rate for the entrance exam for the Vocational Baccalaureate School in the Canton of Zurich in 2024 was 53.99%.

Gymi Probation Period Success Rate (Results 2023/2024)

When it comes to passing the probation period at the Gymnasium, the success rate remained high in the 2023/2024 academic year. Although the rate for the long-term Gymnasium slightly decreased to 92 percent compared to the previous year (92.1 percent), the passing rate at the short-term Gymnasium increased from 86.1 percent in 2022/2023 to 88.3 percent in 2023/2024. A few years ago, the dropout rate after the probation period due to failing was nearly twice as high.

We recommend: Attend a Gymnasium probation period course!

Conclusion

A total of 14,761 students took the central entrance exams for a cantonal Matura school (Gymnasium, HMS, IMS, FMS, Berufsmaturitätsschule) in 2024, which is 569 more students than in 2023, when there were 14,192 candidates. The Zurich Department of Education attributes this increase to population growth.

As for the results of the Central Entrance Examination (ZAP) for Gymnasium, HMS, IMS, FMS, and Berufsmaturitätsschule combined, 7,684 of the 14,761 candidates passed the exam, resulting in an overall success rate of 52.06 percent, which is in line with the long-term average.

To improve the chances of passing the Central Entrance Examination for a cantonal Matura school, students should take one or more preparatory courses. Parents can book a suitable preparation course for Gymnasium, HMS, IMS, FMS, or Berufsmaturitätsschule, for example, through the Lern-Forum in Zurich. Courses are also offered in Winterthur and the canton of Aargau. Those who prefer to prepare from home can also take certain courses online. In addition to preparation courses for the Central Entrance Examinations, Lern-Forum also offers preparatory and support courses for the Gymnasium probation period.

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