Preparatory courses for the long term gymnasium
Almost all children in the 6th grade of primary school have small knowledge gaps in their subject material. In the entrance examination, they have to fight for every point and should avoid losing points unnecessarily.
In our long-term preparatory courses for the gymnasium, each topic is thoroughly reviewed and consolidated, so that the students can master the school material from scratch and easily recall it in the exam. In the exam, the material is examined in a mixed form. The students must be able to immediately assign the task to the correct topic. The child's intelligence plays an important role, but diligence in preparation is also an important element that can lead to a successful entrance examination.
It is often claimed that the material was poorly covered or not covered at all at school. Sometimes it is possible, that the students may have forgotten some topics. Essay writing is neglected in primary school, to the point that the students are unfamiliar with the construction, structure, and style of an essay. In the entrance examination, a text on a specific topic must be written, and the essay is evaluated based on whether the student has dealt with the topic and whether they can express themselves in written form using the German language. Writing an essay is not a talent, but can be practiced and trained through targeted essay teaching. In our courses that run parallel to the regular school program, the essays are corrected and reviewed with a comprehensive report and graded according to the scale of the entrance examination.
In our preparation courses, each topic is dealt with in small groups using specific exercises. Each child can ask questions directly and the task will be explained individually. This way, it is possible to respond to each child and encourage them. If they understand the material, the motivation to learn more increases. The child gains self-confidence and school grades improve. Good students are rightfully proud of their achievements.
And even if they narrowly fail the entrance examination for the long-term gymnasium, the students will still start gymnasium with good qualifications. It is then up to them whether they want to try and take the entrance examination again after the second or third grade of the gymnasium. It is important to maintain consistent performance and avoid knowledge gaps. That is why many students book our pre-course for the first grade of the gymnasium after primary school. The better the grades, the easier it is for the children.
Why decide for the long-term gymnasium?
The long-term gymnasium has a long tradition in the canton of Zurich. Particularly inquisitive and bright children are encouraged to enter the long-term gymnasium directly after the 6th grade of primary school, without the detour via high school.
Once the child has passed the gymnasium examination, nothing stands in the way of their university education. It is actually pointless to plan the child's life and education so early on because already in puberty they develop their own desires and make their own decisions, so that while they can still be influenced, they can no longer be controlled.
Nevertheless, most parents want to give their child the best education possible, because they believe that an excellent education offers freedom in choosing a career and a financially secure future. Continuous learning in adult life opens new doors in other professional fields.
Recognizing the importance of a solid education, more and more private schools are offering expensive Matura courses that not all parents can afford.
The main advantage of the cantonal long-term gymnasiums is that they are free of charge for parents. This is also the reason why there is a great demand for Zurich's gymnasiums every year. Seats are limited and not all students who want to attend the gymnasium will be admitted.
Entrance examination for the long-term gymnasium
The entrance examination for the long-term gymnasium is a hurdle that not all children can pass. The first selection takes place. In the subject of German, text comprehension, grammar and essay writing including orthography are tested and in the subject of Mathematics, complex text tasks are tested. Children of academic parents are clearly at an advantage here, since in these families the vocabulary of everyday conversations is more varied and complex topics are discussed at the table. Academic parents know about the privileges of a university education.
Insight into our course material
In our courses, we use our own developed course material.
Clearly structured, excellently built, exceptional design
- Theory
- Simple exercises for comprehension
- More difficult exercises for exam preparation
- Exam exercises
Sample pages of exercises of the long-term gymnasium preparation courses
Scope of services for gymnasium preparation
Factsheet Gymnasium Preparation 26 x
Factsheet Gymnasium Preparation 18 x
Factsheet Gymnasium Preparation 16 x
- Kursdaten
- Aufnahmebedingungen
- Schwierigkeit der Prüfung
Course dates long-term gymnasium
(in German)
Admission requirements long-term gymnasium
The entrance examination consists of various parts:
- Writing a text (60 minutes)
- Text and speech comprehension (45 minutes)
- Mathematics (Calculation, 60 minutes)
If overall school marks are factored into the admission decision, then students have passed the entrance exam as long as they have an average of 4.5. To determine the average, the following grades are all weighted equally:
- Incoming marks (=overall school marks) "German”
- Incoming marks (=overall school marks) "Mathematics”
- Exam grade "German" (50% writing of a text, 50% text and speech comprehension)
- Exam grade "Mathematics”
There are no more oral entrance examinations.
Exam result = average between the incoming marks and exam score
Exam result ≥ 4.75: Admission
Exam result < 4.75: Rejection
Requirements for students from private schools (without incoming marks):
Exam result = Exam grade
Exam result ≥ 4.50: Admission
Exam result < 4.50: Rejection
Why is the entrance examination for the long-term gymnasium so difficult?
The strict selection at the end of each school level is partly due to historical reasons.
Making admission to the gymnasium dependent on a demanding entrance exam has political as well as financial reasons. The university and prestigious educational path swallows up a lot of tax money and therefore no money should be "wasted" for students with moderate motivation.
The examination requires complex thinking in every aspect:
- Writing of a text on a given topic (essay)
- Grasping the core message of a text and understanding the author's message (text comprehension)
- Multilevel calculation with terms and fractions
- Dividing calculation tasks in text form into several calculation steps and obtaining the required result (text tasks).
Through constant training, the students learn to understand the tasks quickly and correctly and are motivated to believe in themselves and gradually apply a specific rule to each question. Students of quick comprehension need less practice to understand the tasks. However, our preparation courses are designed so that even an averagely talented child will understand the tasks and pass the exam after completing the course.
Essay training for the long-term gymnasium
- 5 Essays (26-day course)
- 4 Essays (18-day course)
- 3 Essays (16-day course)
- 2 Essays (14-day course)
- 1 Essay (10-day course)
We discuss the structure and choice of content and carefully correct the essay. At the beginning of the course, students write more essays. Towards the end of the course we focus on solving the examination tasks. We are always up-to-date and always adapt our course material to the latest requirements.
Why Lern-Forum?
- Extensive course binder with solutions
- Special essay training with thorough and individual feedback
- Mathematics Videos (Examples)
- Online protocol of lessons for parents and pupils (including homework)
Gym preparation with milestones
Save time and costs
Our milestone program now offers students the new opportunity to prepare flexibly through guided self-study.
Scope of services
- Course Folder
- 4 seminar days - 1 time per month on Saturdays
- 4 professionally graded essays
- Lesson log with milestone program
- Participation in the "like real" simulation exam
- Long-term Gymnasium
Courses for the preparation for the long-term gymnasium. Successful exam preparation for primary school students from 6th grade upwards into the Long-Track gymnasium.
- Short-term Gymnasium
Lern Forum offers preparatory courses for the short-term gymnasium in Zurich. Prepare for the short-term gymnasium entrance examination now.
- Pre-course 4th Grade
Vorkurs Gymivorbereitung 4. Klasse Primarschule. Mathematik und Deutsch.
- Pre-course 5th Grade
Gymnasium preparation for 5th year primary students. In our courses, your child will learn how to understand and interpret texts, build vocabulary, improve math knowledge, improve essay-writing and much more. Your child will be fully prepared for the 2021 entrance exam.
- Gymnasium preparation 1st Sec.
Gymnasium preparation courses from 1st grade secondary school. In these learning courses your child will learn how to understand and interpret age-appropriate texts, build vocabulary, essay teaching, math 1st sec., sentence tasks 1st sec.
- Holiday Courses
Intensive courses and holiday courses so pupils can prepare for the gymnasium entrance exam. Check out our list of holiday and intensive courses focused on the gymnasium examination.
- Gymnasium Preparation Online
We offer online preparation courses for BMS, short and long-track gymnasium. We also offer online courses in the subjects Math, German and essay training.
- Mock exam
Lern-Forum offers simulated exams so that your child can get a realistic assessment of his/her learning level and determine whether he/she is ready for the upcoming entrance examinations.
- Gymnasium prep for individual subjects - German, maths, French
- Essay Training
Targeted, age-appropriate essay training for primary and secondary students. These students learn and train how to write great essays in small groups.
- Gymi probation courses
Gymi probationary courses and the probationary support in the gymnasium ensure that learning for the gymnasium is approached as intensively as necessary.
- Gymi Prep Milestones
In the course "Gymi Prep with Milestones" students work with the proven teaching materials and course folders from the Lern-Forum.
- Gymnasium prep taster days
In the first weeks after the summer holidays, the Lern-Forum offers taster courses in preparation for the Gymnasium and BMS for everyone.
- Exam archive
Free gymnasium exam exercises and old tests for preparing for the 2021 entrance examination. Feel free to go through and download any files of previous gymnasium exams.
- Exercise Material
Here you can find our customized exercise material for free download
- Our gymnasium preparation course material
Our course material for gymnasium preparation. Sample exercises in mathematics, French and German. Insight into our course material.
- Guide for the gymnasium examination
Guide to the Gymnasium entrance examination - All information on the gymnasium examination - Central entrance examination
- Frequently Asked Questions – Gymi exam
We have answered a list of frequently asked questions about the gymnasium exam and BMS exam. You can post your questions here and we will answer you as soon as possible