The Gymnasium Entrance Exam 2026

Here you will find the most important information about the Gymnasium entrance exam 2026, both the long-term Gymnasium exam and the short-term Gymnasium exam: registration, choice of Gymnasium, date, procedure, content and assessment.

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Long and short term gymnasium

In Switzerland, there are two different gymnasium paths, both of which lead to the same degree (the Matura).

The long-term gymnasium follows on directly from the 6th grade of primary school (after passing the entrance examination). Accordingly, the entrance examination is taken during the 6th primary grade (in March each year). The long-term gymnasium lasts a total of six years.

The exam for the short-term gymnasium will be done by students in the second or third grade of lower secondary school, Level A or B, filed. 

Pupils who have entered the lower secondary level directly after the 6th grade of primary school can take the examination, as well as pupils who have made the leap to the long-term gymnasium but had to change to the lower secondary level during the trial period. For them, the short-term gymnasium thus also means a second chance on the way to the Matura. The short-term gymnasium lasts four years.

Registration for the High School entrance exam

You can apply for the grammar school exam on the website of the Canton of Zurich. First you have to register there and then you can apply for the grammar school exam.

All students from the 6th primary level can register for the Long-Term High School, and all students from the 2nd or 3rd secondary level A and B can register for the Short-Term High School.

It is crucial that the respective registration deadlines are observed:

Choice of Gymnasiums

In principle, the gymnasium can be freely chosen by the pupils or the parents. An overview of the gymnasium in the Canton of Zurich can be found on the website of the Department of Education. Get informed!

All gymnasiums in the Canton of Zurich offer information events at the beginning of the school year. Take advantage of this opportunity. The current dates for the information events of the Zurich gymnasium can be found on Zh.ch. 

When will the 2026 Gymnasium entrance exam be held?

Exams will be held on-site at the respective gymnasiums. The expected examination dates are:

How does the gymnasium entrance exam work? What is being tested?

The examinations for both the long-term grammar school and the short-term grammar school are exclusively written.

The examination for the long-term grammar school is structured as follows::

Detailed learning objectives for the long-term gymnasium can be found at Lern-Forum.ch or on Zh.ch.

The examination for the short-term grammar school is structured as follows:

Detailed learning objectives for short-term gymnasium you will find at Lern-Forum.ch or on Zh.ch.

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How is the Gymnasium entrance exam scored?

In order to be admitted to the long-term grammar school or short-term grammar school, the overall grade must be at least 4.75 if the preliminary grade counts, whereby the overall grade consists of 50 per cent of the preliminary grade and 50 per cent of the examination grade of the grammar school examination. 

Further information on calculating grades can be found on the page of our grade calculator for the grammar school exam.

The exam results are usually within two to three weeks available after the tests and are sent by mail as well as on the website Zh.ch posted. The exams are not sent home to the participants. Those who wish to view the correction must do so on the occasion of specific viewing appointments.