A student studies with an adult during the Gymi trial period at the long-term grammar school (Langgymnasium, Langgymi) in Zurich, which is even tougher than the Gymi exam.

Gymi probationary period at the long-term Gymnasium in Zurich even harder than Gymi exam

The Gymi probationary period at the long-term Gymnasium in Zurich is tougher than the Gymi exam; in the canton of Aargau, the Gymnasium (Kanti) is possible without a probationary period. The preparation for the Gymi exam at the long-term Gymnasium in the canton of Zurich is already tough, but the Gymi probationary period at the long-term Gymnasium is even more demanding. One of the reasons for this is that pupils in the first year at the long grammar school are taught subjects such as chemistry, physics and Latin, which they are not yet familiar with from elementary school and which were not tested in the grammar school exam.

In the following article, we explain how many students manage the Gymi trial period in the canton of Zurich, what demands the trial period places on new Gymnasium students and why the trial period at Gymnasium is so tough. We also explain in which cases pupils in the neighboring canton of Aargau can attend grammar school without a probationary period.

Table of contents

8 percent do not make it through the long Gymnasium probationary period
High demands in the Gymnasium probationary period
Primary school does not prepare students for Gymnasium
In Aargau, it is also possible without a Gymnasium probationary

8 percent do not make it through the Langgymi trial period

According to the probationary period statistics for grammar schools in the canton of Zurich, 8% of pupils at long-term grammar schools left during or after the probationary period in the 2023/2024 school year. In the previous school year (2022/2023), the figure was 7.9%. Such a withdrawal from the grammar school occurs either after failing the probationary period or because the grammar school is voluntarily left early.

In the 2015/2016 school year, the rate of pupils leaving grammar school during the probationary period at Zurich's long-term grammar school was still 16.8%. According to the canton of Zurich, the probationary period has been extended to six months and support measures for weak students have increased, which has led to this rate falling to 8% over the years. And yet the probationary period is still perceived as “hell”, as you can read in an article in the Tagesanzeiger.

The question is also how many of the 8 percent who leave during the probationary period do so voluntarily and how many actually fail the probationary period. The principal of the Zurich Oberland cantonal school provides an indication when he said in 2016 with regard to the probationary period failure rate at the short grammar school that around half would voluntarily drop out of the short grammar school probationary period. In the 2023/2024 school year, the overall drop-out rate at the Kurzgymnasium was slightly higher than at the Langgymnasium at 11.7 percent. In the 2015/2016 school year, they were almost twice as high at 22.2 percent.

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the Gymi trial period.

High demands in the Gymi trial period

In its “Information on everyday school life and the probationary period”, the Kantonsschule Zürich Nord (long and short grammar school) writes that the Gymi probationary period places high demands on pupils, which result from the following reasons, among others:

more school material
more homework
more complex school material
school material is usually only explained once
correct spelling expected
structure expected
precise formulation expected
students must learn to learn
knowledge learned must be able to be applied

Please also read our article “Passing the Gymnasium Trial Period – How Your Child Can Succeed”.

In addition, it should not be underestimated that many subjects are new to the probationary period students at the long-term grammar school, such as chemistry, physics and Latin. These subjects were not taught at elementary school. Even in the Gymi exam, i.e. the entrance exam for the long-term Gymnasium, students only had to prepare for mathematics and German, as these are the only two subjects in the Gymi entrance exam.

You may also be interested in the following article: "Tips for the 2025 Gymi exam (Gymnasium Zurich) and FAQs"

Elementary school does not prepare pupils for grammar school

However, the problem starts with the fact that elementary schooldo not prepare pupils who want to go to grammar school for the grammar school exam in their mainstream lessons. This is because primary school pupils are not confronted with tasks such as those in the grammar school entrance exam in their regular lessons. For example, it is important in the grammar school exam that pupils write down the arithmetic operations so that they can benefit from partial points.

It is also new for the students that the tasks in the Gymi entrance exam are nested in several subtasks. Furthermore, the essay writing relevant to the Gymi exam is not practiced enough in regular school lessons.

According to a grammar school teacher quoted by a father in the Tagesanzeiger, the problem for some pupils at grammar school is that the pace at grammar school is set by the strongest pupils in the class, while the pace at elementary school is adapted to the weakest pupils. The performance level of the strongest pupils would also be used as a yardstick for grammar school test marks and grading.

You may also be interested in the following article: “Preparation for Gymi exam necessary to pass”

In Aargau it also works without a Gymi trial period

In the neighboring canton of Aargau, students can transfer to the Gymnasium (cantonal school) without a Gymi exam if they achieve the required grades in the final year of the district school. If the student achieves an average grade of at least 4.7 in the subjects relevant for transfer and at least 4.0 in the core subjects of mathematics and German at the end of the last year of district school, the Gymi trial period is also waived. In this case, the term “definitive admission to grammar school” is used in Aargau.

You may also be interested in the following articles:

“Alternative Gymi exam: Parents move from Zurich to Aargau”

“Kanti entrance exam in the canton of Aargau in certain cases”

In the canton of Aargau, there is only a six-month trial period if you have only managed to gain provisional admission to a grammar school. You are provisionally admitted to the Aargau Gymnasium if you achieve an average grade of at least 4.7 in the subjects relevant for transfer and at least a grade of 4.0 in the core subjects of mathematics and German in the first semester of the last district school class, but do not achieve the grade requirements for definitive admission at the end of the second semester.

Book a course now to prepare for the Gymi trial period during the summer vacations or a trial period support course during the fall vacations at Lern-Forum.