I have searched but cant find this answer...so please bear with me...
I understand that you can take the kurz gymnasium entrance exam in year 8 & year 9.Is there a maximum number of attempts allowed for this test?
My daughter will try the kurzgymnasium test next year when she is in year 9. If she fails in year 9 can she repeat 3rd year sek and take the test again or is there a special school she must go to to study? She is in a local school and we cannot afford to go private.
I hear some children get to study a "year 10" but its not clear to me who is eligible for this.....
The school are not very helpful and the careers advice. Our lack of german and knowledge of the swiss system means we dont really understand what the options are. She is a bright girl but has difficulty with exams.
Any thoughts, tips, websites would be helpful. Thank you
Personally I would bring a translator along to school, before planning whatever I would like to know what the school advises and what arguments they have for such advice.
Hi, thanks for your answers. I can take a friend along to translate but I guess my lack of knowledge means its more about understanding the system. The teachers have been vague to date. They only seem to want to discuss up to year 9. I have the feeling year 10 must be part of a separate department????
Her grades are just about there for gymi but she just doesn't perform well in exams, its not just on the content side that she's not quite there but its with regard to handling the pressure and performing on the day.
She has taken some exam preparation courses for mental strength and she can take more but I think its not just a question of skills but of maturity.
So I'm trying to understand how many shots she gets.....some more time might help her mature which will help with the learning how to handle exam pressure.
People should correct me if I am wrong, but I always thought that the 10th year is for people who have finished their 9 yrs and who can't find a spot to continue their studies, and is not intended for people who failed the gym-test but succeeded the 9th yr.
Ahhh ok. So you mean can try for kurzgymi only in year 8 or 9 and then in year 10 you must find another route. What Im a bit worried about is if she puts all her efforts into trying gymi, doesnt pass and then is too late to get an apprenticeship....the school said she must apply for apprenticeship in August so based on that she must decide in August if she will be ready in March.....
Im a little worried that the decisions are made so early and if we are too late we'll have wrecked her chances of getting any job! For us gymi or another route is ok.
My kid is about to get 3 in summer so I do not know all details, but really you should take somebody along and ask for a meeting at school. It is not really complicated and your questions are fairly simple for somebody familiar with the matter.
The year after 3rd Sek in public schools is a Berufsvorbereitungsjahr, to help students who haven't managed to get an apprenticeship for whatever reason. Some schools offer a Schulisches Berufsvorbereitungsjahr including exam preparation. I believe you have to pay for the Berufsvorbereitungsjahr around Fr. 2500.
It does seem rather than unfair that students can repeat year 9 in private schools but not in sek. However the Kurzgymi exam itself can be taken repeatedly, so long as the student is still under 18 by the 1st May in the year in which they want to start gymnasium. Some students start a Lehrstelle and decide they like studying better than working and take the Kurzgymi exam.
There are plans to base Kurzgymi entrance 50% on grades, 50% on exams in Maths and German, but it hasn't yet been confirmed if this will start in 2020.
If your daughter really doesn't like exams then Kurzgymi will be very stressful - my daughter had about 40 exams last semester in the Probezeit.
3years old is just before the joy of experiencing and understanding the swiss system! Good luck - this forum is an excellent place to exchange knowledge and advice, what is a simple question to one person is not so simple for the next I'm always grateful for the help I receive here.
Thanks Rayne, its good to know that the 10th year is called "Berufsvorbereitungsjahr"
Its very interesting to know that the kids just have to be under 18 by the 1st May in the year in which they want to start gymnasium. I'm not quite clear on how this works.....
Her birthday is in April so when she finishes year 9 she'll only be just 15 years old. Could she start a 3 year lehrstelle and take a gymi test in the 3rd year whilst 18 and then go to kurz gymi???
in that case I'd rather do an apprenticeship, then go for the professional matura and the fachhochschule (if a subject of interest is available there) or a höhere fachschule (requirements vary).
Sitting around without a clear stream for 2 years as a teen-ager doesn't sound great to me.
From what you say Gymnasium is not the Right place for her. Let her try to find an apprenticeship and do a Berufsmaturität at the same time. Also check Fachmittelschule if she is interested in one of the Areas https://mba.zh.ch/internet/bildungsd...telschule.html
After an apprenticeship she can do a Kantonale Maturitätsschule für Erwachsene (KME) https://kme.ch/ or a Passarelle to University if she does not want to attend a Fachhochschule.
I would suggest that you make an appointment at your local BIZ as soon as possible. They have advisors who know the entire system, not just K-9. Request someone who speaks english. It is free for students.
My daughter didn't want to take the Gymi test, but she did take the 10th year of school. They *do* have a program specifically for students who didn't pass the Gymi test and want to take it again during year 10. They specifically say that it is meant for students who need an extra year of maturing. Your daughter would have to be assigned to that class, and it's not a guarantee that they will. They will look at her grades, her first gymi test results, the teacher's recommendation etc.
Lastly, know that it is perfectly ok to choose to do a Lehre instead of going to Gymnasium. She will have 4 years of continued education as well as work experience. At the end, she will be able to continue her education in her chosen field, or choose to go in a different direction. The possibilities are endless.
Have you asked her what she wants? Having seen her brother go through the Gymi, my daughter was very clear that no way was she going to put herself through that pressure. So she went with an apprenticeship and is now doing the berufsmatura as well to keep an option for college open if she wants to. As far as we can tell, she is very happy with her choices.
My son is another story... he is in college now, but of the eight friends he had at the Gymi, he is the only one that made it to second year in college! All the others have dropped out, a few found apprenticeships, a few went traveling and three are sitting at home wondering what to do. Only time will tell if my son completes college or not, but right now he is not a happy camper either.