BMS | FMS Preparation Course

BMS Preparation Zurich

Preparation for the BMS (vocational baccalaureate school) is highly recommended. Incidentally, the vocational baccalaureate school used to be called a vocational secondary school, a term that is still used today as a synonym for the vocational baccalaureate school.

Entrance examinations for vocational baccalaureate schools in Zurich are held annually in March (BM 1 and BM 2 all orientations) and June (BM 2 - Business and Services, three semesters), the passing of which is a prerequisite for attending one of these schools. The participants have to solve numerous tasks and fulfill many other requirements.

A basic distinction is made between:

• Vocational baccalaureate during apprenticeship (BM 1)
• Vocational baccalaureate after apprenticeship (BM 2)
• BM 1 flex

While the vocational baccalaureate school during the apprenticeship (BM 1) – as the name suggests – is attended by students who are completing a vocational apprenticeship at the same time as attending school, attendance at the vocational baccalaureate school after the apprenticeship (BM 2) is only possible after completing an EFZ apprenticeship. BM 1 takes place one to 1.5 days per week in parallel with the vocational apprenticeship in the company. In contrast, there are two options for BM 2: students can attend school full-time for a whole year or part-time for 1.5 to 2 years while working.

Finally, there is the BM 1 flex option, which allows students to spread their BMS attendance over a longer period in the case of certain three-year apprenticeships. With the BM 1 flex option, the vocational baccalaureate school is completed after the end of the apprenticeship. The BM 1 flex option is available for the following three-year apprenticeships: laboratory technician EFZ, care specialist EFZ, healthcare specialist EFZ, food technologist EFZ, optician EFZ.

However, all three options – BM 1, BM 2 and BM 1 flex – require an entrance exam, for which your child must register in advance and, if possible, prepare thoroughly. This is because the failure rate is high every year. To spare your child this, we have been successfully offering our BMS preparation courses at the Lern-Forum for many years.

Participants in our BMS preparation course receive a comprehensive and constantly updated learning programme, which our experienced teaching staff use to prepare them as well as possible for the BMS entrance examination.

Registration for the BMS entrance exam

As already mentioned, your child must register for the entrance examination.

If it is attending BM 1, this is possible from the last school year of secondary level 1, level A as well as B.

If, on the other hand, your child is already in an apprenticeship and would like to attend BM 2 after completing it, this registration is possible from the penultimate year of apprenticeship. Here, your child has the advantage that the entrance examination is valid for two whole years, so that registration can take place one year earlier.

Contents of the BMS entrance examination

The content of the BMS entrance exam is based on the material covered in the third year of secondary school and is divided into different subjects:

• Mathematics: 90 minutes
• German – language analysis and text comprehension: 45 minutes
• German – writing a text (essay): 90 minutes

Passing the BMS entrance exam

Once your child has taken the central entrance exam (ZAP) for the BMS, it's time to cross your fingers and wait for the results: if the preliminary grade counts (BM 1 only), a ZAP grade of at least 4.5 must be achieved; without a preliminary grade (BM 1 and BM 2), at least 4.25.

With our grade calculator, you can calculate the required ZAP exam grade based on your preliminary grades.

Successful BMS preparation and FMS preparation at the Lern-Forum Zurich

In order to meet the diverse requirements of the BMS entrance exam, your child naturally has the option of preparing on its own or with parental support. However, this is usually not very effective, so many students resort to professional preparation.

With a success rate of up to 80%, we support students and apprentices in preparatory courses for BM 1 and BM 2 in efficiently and effectively preparing for the BMS entrance exam. Experienced teachers convey the material using comprehensive and up-to-date teaching materials and appropriate exercises. This ensures your child has the best chances for a successful professional future in Switzerland! 

As mentioned at the beginning, the BMS entrance exam is identical to the FMS entrance exam; only the assessment of the FMS exam is stricter. However, the preparation for the FMS exam and BMS exam is also the same, which is why we offer the BMS preparation courses and FMS preparation courses as a joint course. Further information on the FMS exam and FMS preparation can be found here.

Scope of services | BMS/FMS preparation course

The exact scope of services offered by the BMS/FMS preparation courses can be found in the following fact sheets:

Factsheet BMS | FMS 18 x

Factsheet BMS | FMS 14 x

Factsheet BMS | FMS 10 x