IMS Preparation

IMS Preparation courses in Zurich

Every year, many Swiss students take the IMS entrance exam. In Zurich, the exam takes place at the end of October. This exam is a great challenge that your children must master in order to attend an IT secondary school, short IMS, in Switzerland. The IMS is a 4-year program that starts after the third year of gymnasium level A.

The school is attended for three full years before a one-year internship with a company is scheduled. The obtained degree is the commercial vocational Matura as well as the diploma of vocational education and training as a computer scientist. Especially the latter is becoming more and more important in today's world, which is why many students choose an IT secondary school.

In addition, the degree from the IT secondary school enables students to start their practical training, attend higher technical schools and study at universities of applied sciences. However, to benefit from the great opportunities and possibilities of this professional field, your children must first pass the IMS entrance examination. This is exactly how we have been helping a wide variety of Swiss students at the Lern-Forum in Zurich for many years.

Available spots and registration
Free spots

IMS Canton School Hottingen Information

The IMS Entrance Exam

Registration for the IMS Entrance Examination

In order to register your child for the entrance examination, they must attend or have completed the third year of the gymnasium, level A or B. Alternatively, registration is also possible after completing an equivalent education, but your children must not be 18 years old before May 1st of the entry year. You can easily register your children via the corresponding online portal

Contents of the IMS Entrance Examination

The entrance examination for the IT secondary school is divided into the examination subjects:

Mathematics – 90 minutes geometry, algebra, and arithmetic
German – 90 minutes text comprehension, language review, and the writing of a short essay

Passing the IMS Entrance Examination

Advance Note

For the admission into a computer science middle school, the preliminary grade count is mandatorily. The candidate should meet one of the following two conditions at the time of application:

Benefits:

  • Attendance of a Zurich public secondary school A without requirement levels
  • Attendance of a Zurich public secondary school A, which leads requirement levels. All subjects offered in requirement levels must be completed in the highest requirement level.

In all other cases, the advance performance score does not count.

Calculation of the advance performance grade

Each of the following subjects count for one-fifth:

  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Nature and technology
  • Mathematics (two thirds arithmetic and algebra, one third geometry)

If there is no grade in one of these subjects, the preliminary grade does not count.

Exam subjects

The ZAP is written and includes the examination subjects German and mathematics.

The examination of subject German consists of the parts:

  • Writing text (essay)
  • Language observation and text comprehension

Exam score

The examination grade consists of one quarter each of the two German examination parts and half of the mathematics examination.

Overall score

If the advance performance grade counts, the overall grade is the average of the exam grade and the advance performance grade. If the preliminary performance grade is not taken into account, only the ZAP examination grade counts.

Overall grade for admission

Candidates pass the exam with the following overall grades:

With advance performance grade

Minimum 4.5

Without advance performance grade

Minium 4.25

Successful IMS Preparation

To ensure that your child has the best chances in the IMS entrance exam, we prepare it in the best possible way for the upcoming exam in our preparation course. Our experienced teaching staff work with teaching materials adapted to the current curriculum, take a close look at the strengths and weaknesses of the students, and repeat and deepen the two examination subjects, Mathematics and German in effective course sessions.

This is how we have been preparing countless Swiss students very successfully for the entrance examination for the IT secondary school for many years, which is probably also the reason why our IMS preparation course is extremely popular. With our preparation courses, we not only significantly increase the chances of a successful entrance examination, but also significantly help your children to get started at the IT secondary school.

Reserve a place for your child in our preparation course now.

Available spots and registration
Free spots

Factsheet IMS-Preparation course (Scope of service)

15 x Saturday13 x Wednesday and Saturday

Course dates school-accompanying preparation

Course dates Saturday

Course dates Wednesday & Saturday

Available spots and registration
Free spots

Changed IMS entrance examination - school year 2024/2025

Since 2023, the IMS entrance examination is held according to the new regulations. The examination date takes place after the autumn vacations. The report marks count for half.

Examination subjects: Mathematics, German (no oral examination).

Experience grades: Mathematics, German, French, English.

IMS Simulation Test

Available spots and registration
Free spots

Matura Preparation

Available spots and registration
Free spots

FMS Preparation

Available spots and registration
Free spots

BMS Preparation

Available spots and registration
Free spots

Supplementary Courses English & French

Increase the chances of examination: 
50% the report card grades count.

Supplementary courses

Consistently good grades on the report card count.