Enrolment in the vocational secondary school in the Swiss canton of Zurich
The vocational secondary school, short BMS, offers Swiss students the opportunity to obtain the vocational Matura. This not only opens up better career opportunities for the students, but above all enables them to study at a university of applied sciences. Therefore, many Swiss students take advantage of the opportunity to take this qualification in parallel to their basic vocational apprenticeship. This option is called vocational secondary school 1, short BM(S) 1. In addition, there is also the option of BM(S) 2, where the vocational secondary school is attended after completion of the apprenticeship. Students can choose between one year of full-time classes and two years of part-time classes.
In any case, students must first pass a central entrance examination in order to be admitted to a vocational secondary school in the canton of Zurich. For this reason, we have compiled all the important information on this page about a successful entry to a vocational secondary school, as well as dates and requirements. There are a number of differences between the vocational secondary schools due to the different fields of specialization.
All important dates for the vocational secondary school
The central entrance examination for the vocational secondary schools takes place annually in March. Before the start of the registration period, information evenings are held at your children's schools, where you will receive all the important information as well as the dates to register your children for the central entrance examination. Finally, the aforementioned registration takes place via an online portal, which you will find under the following link: Registration for the central entrance examination
The registration period for the central entrance examination in March 2021 runs from November 15, 2020 to February 10, 2021 and applies to both BM 1 and BM 2. While BM 1 candidates may take the examination from the last year of secondary level 1, levels A and B, the situation is different for BM 2 applicants, as these candidates are already in an apprenticeship and are allowed to take the examination from the penultimate year of apprenticeship. For BM 2 students, the exam is therefore valid for two years.
The BMS exam procedure
The central entrance examination usually takes place on two consecutive days. Students are first tested for 30 minutes in text comprehension and language review and a further 60 minutes in writing a text in German. This is followed by the exams in English and French in the same topics, but at a lower extent of only 30 minutes each. The final section is mathematics with the topics of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, which are tested for 90 minutes in total.
There are also two special cases. Firstly, the subject of design and art is additionally examined for students in the field of design. For this, the participants receive three tasks of 60 minutes each in freehand drawing, picture completion and collage. Secondly, applicants for the BMS specialization in business will take a separate exam on a different date. For this reason, participants should be particularly well informed here. Otherwise, the participants all write the same exams.
The calculation of the BMS test scores
Your child has passed the BMS entrance exam by achieving an average grade of 4.0 or higher. However, the individual subjects are weighted differently depending on the specialization area when calculating the average grade.
In the fields of business and services and health and social affairs, German and mathematics each account for 33 percent, French and English for 16 percent.
In the fields of technology, architecture, and life science, as well as nature, landscape and food, mathematics on its own accounts for 50 percent. German accounts for 25 percent and the remaining 25 percent is divided equally between English and French.
Since the subject of design and art with design has an additional examination subject, the distribution here is again different. Mathematics, German and design each account for 25 percent of the overall grade. English and French each account for 12.5 percent.
Course dates and registration
Free spots
- BMS Preparation (Video)
- BMS 1 / BMS 2
- Exam requirements
- A secure career
BMS 1 and BMS 2
The entrance examination for BMS 1 (attendance of vocational secondary school during apprenticeship) is not structured quite the same as that for BMS 2 (school attendance after completion of apprenticeship). The biggest difference lies in the language subjects (German, English, French). In the exam for BMS 2, more emphasis is placed on text comprehension, while prospective BMS 1 students are required to have a more in-depth knowledge of the respective grammar rules. In the Lern-Forum, those young people who want to take the BMS 2 are taught in the same course as prospective BMS 1 - students.
Those course participants who are aiming to enter BMS 2 will be taught more than they need to pass the exam. In this way, they gain an advantage and can look forward to the first weeks of school in a relaxed manner.
Learning objectives in comparison BMS-Gymnasium
When asking for opinions about the entrance exams to the Gymnasium, one often hears the statement: "There were things asked that we have never covered before!" This is true insofar as the exams for the Gymnasium often include tasks that the students do not know. This is done to test the ability of logical thinking as well as the comprehension skills of the prospective high school students.
In the case of the entrance examination for the vocational middle school, the whole thing looks somewhat different: the examination tasks focus more on the concrete learning objectives. If you compare the learning objectives for the entrance exam for the BMS with those for the Gymnasium, at first impression you have the feeling that the BMS exam is much more difficult, because more learning objectives are listed for the prospective BMS students.
However, the reality is different: the entrance exam for the BMS is more of a "learning exam" than the one for the Gymnasium. Although the learning objectives are more extensive, fewer tasks are set in which the students are "thrown in at the deep end".
With the appropriate preparation, can succeed in the BMS exam!
The Vocational High School (BMS) - Springboard for a Successful Future
Many students have the dream of later pursuing a university or comparable education. They want to attend the Gymnasium in order to take the Matura and open the door to numerous educational paths. For many, a world comes crashing down when they fail the entrance exam for the Gymnasium. Today, however, an alternative path exists in the form of the Vocational High School (BMS), which is more suitable for many young people. Some find it difficult to cope with the theory-heavy nature of high school education and would like to gain a foothold in practice at an earlier stage. This is possible with the BMS.
An entrance examination must also be taken for the BMS, but this differs from the Gymi examination in various respects. The level of knowledge at the end of the 3rd secondary level is tested, and English is also tested in addition to Mathematics, German and French. The focus of the exam is also different.
The BMS entrance exam is a "learning exam". If a student has mastered the material learned in secondary school and is also familiar with the structure and procedure of the entrance exam, he or she has a good chance of passing the exam successfully. In the Lern-Forum preparation course, young people learn what is important for successful exam preparation. They are given an overview of the material tested and an in-depth look at the topics relevant to the exam. By practicing with old exams, it becomes clear what is required, so the students can recognize their own weak points and correct them in time.
Course dates and registration
Free spots
Attending the BMS course
For some students, BMS is "Plan B" when they fail to pass the entrance exam for short-track Gymnasium. Then the question arises of whether it is necessary to attend a BMS prep course when they have already completed the prep course for Gymnasium.
The required knowledge for entrance into vocational school is not the same as that which is required for Gymnasium. The students are at a very different point in their education: the BMS exam tests students' progress levels at the end of secondary year 3. There are new learning objectives, such as binomial formulas in maths and imparfait in French. BMS students must also pass an English test.
- BMS Preparation
Tutoring and intensive holiday courses so your child can prepare for the BMS entrance exam.
- IT School (IMS)
Tutoring and intensive holiday courses to optimally prepare your child for the IMS entrance examination.
- FMS Preparation
Tutoring and intensive vacation courses to prepare your child optimally for the FMS entrance exam.
- Matura Preparation
Repetition preparation courses of all relevant subjects for the Matura examinations in mathematics and French.
- Supplementary courses
[Translate to Englisch:] Mit unseren Ergänzungskursen legen Schülerinnen und Schüler den Grundstein für gute Zeugnisnoten und eine Aufnahme ins Gymnasium. Erfahren Sie im Folgenden, für wen sich Ergänzungskurse lohnen und welche Inhalte behandelt werden.