Preparation for Exam into  Langzeitgymnasium  
ZAP 2026/2027

Optimal preparation begins one year before the exam. In 5th grade, it is important that students immerse themselves in essay writing in German and consolidate their basic knowledge in mathematics.

This is followed by preparatory courses 1 and 2, in which they are taught the specific tasks required at secondary school. Finally, the intensive course during the sports holidays serves as exam training.

Our courses cover the entire entrance exam preparation program. A second preparation session is not recommended. Those who wish to invest more time beyond the required homework can delve deeper into the school material to achieve the best possible preliminary grade, or review the material covered using course materials or other suitable resources. Students can also book individual tutoring to address specific gaps in their knowledge.

Our exam preparation covers entrance exams for long-term and short-term secondary schools, HMS, FMS, IMS, and BMS.

What if it is foreseeable that a student will not pass the entrance exam?

Our students are assessed in a personal interview and an evaluation of their current level. If it turns out that the student is not ready for a preparatory course for high school, he or she can be guided toward their goal with the help of individual lessons. Alternative educational paths can also be explored.

Adicum Tutors believes it is important to create a positive learning environment so that every student feels supported. If a student's performance nevertheless declines, we contact the parents and work together to find a way to help the student regain confidence and motivation.  

Adicum Tutoring prioritizes creating a positive learning environment so that every student feels supported. If a student experience a decline in performance, we will contact the parents and work together to find a way to help the student regain confidence and motivation.

Adicum Tutoring designs its courses to be practical. Continuous assessment allows us to track the student's progress.  If this progress is not as desired, we contact the parents and work together to find a way to overcome these difficulties. Our goal is to provide optimal preparation for the entrance exam. Nevertheless, other aspects play a central role in the exam itself, such as how the student is feeling on the day, luck, and disruptions during the exam, which Adicum Nachhilfe cannot influence, so we cannot guarantee success.

To find the right high school, I recommend gathering information about several schools. High schools also offer information evenings and possibly open days around November. You can find more information on their website, www.zh.ch, and at the schools themselves.

You can register your daughter/son online via the website of the respective school at www.zh.ch. For grammar schools, HMS, FMS, and BMS, the registration period is between mid-November and the beginning of February. For the IMS, whose exams take place in the autumn of the final school year, the registration deadline is the end of September of the exam year.

If your son/daughter is ill on the day of the exam, please notify the school office where he/she is taking the exam and submit a doctor's note afterwards. The student will then be invited to a resit exam, which usually takes place a few weeks later. A written exam is considered to have been taken, and poor health cannot be claimed retrospectively.

If your son/daughter attends a public school, half of the grade is based on the report card grades from the first semester of 6th grade or the 2nd or 3rd year of secondary school. In 6th grade, the subjects are mathematics and German; in secondary school, the subjects are mathematics, German, French, English, and science and technology. The other half is the average grade from the entrance exam. Half of this grade is based on the math exam and the other half on the two German grades (language exam and essay), with both being weighted equally. The exam is considered passed if a grade of 4.75 is achieved. 

If your daughter/son comes from a private school, only the exam grades count, half of which are for mathematics and half for the two German grades (language exam and essay). The average must be 4.5 for the exam to be passed. 

There is no oral exam.

Generally speaking, tutoring is effective when it benefits the learner, and what constitutes benefit varies from person to person. It's important that there is a good rapport between the learner and the tutor, and that the tutor can communicate effectively with the learner. At Adicum Tutoring, our tutors are trained for this, and we focus on matching each learner with the right tutor.

When tutoring is effective, it can achieve a great deal. First and foremost, good tutoring ensures that any problems someone has with schoolwork are resolved. You feel more confident when dealing with the material, you feel better when writing an exam, and you are happier when you receive your school report. Good tutoring always leads to good grades.

Learning counseling serves to comprehensively analyze the school situation. In cases of declining performance, personal or family crises, frequent teacher changes, unstable performance, and lack of motivation or concentration, it is advisable to consider the school situation as a whole, including the child's social environment. Often, simply becoming aware of the situation has a calming effect.