The Zentrale Aufnahmeprüfung for the Kurzgymnasium, often called ZAP 2, is the second major fork in Zurich’s school system. It decides which Sekundarschule students transfer directly into the four-year gymnasium after 2nd or 3rd Sek and earn the federally recognised gymnasial Matura there.
If your daughter or son is sitting it in 2027, here’s the essentials in one place: dates, exam format, the pass mark, and the points that matter most in preparation.
This article is exclusively about the ZAP for the Kurzgymnasium — the entry after 2nd or 3rd Sek. The separate ZAP for entry directly after 6th grade primary uses different content and a different grading formula. See our separate guide on the Langgymnasium ZAP.
Key dates at a glance
| Milestone | 2027 date |
|---|---|
| Request login credentials (pre-registration) | from 1 September 2026 |
| Registration window (online via zh.ch/zap) | 1 January to 10 February 2027 |
| ZAP Kurzgymnasium (written) | Monday, 8 March 2027 |
| Results published | Late March to early April 2027 |
| Probezeit at the Kurzgymnasium | August 2027 to January 2028 |
Login credentials for the online portal can be requested from 1 September 2026; the actual registration runs between 1 January and 10 February 2027. The registration fee is CHF 50 and is non-refundable.
ZAP 1 (Langgymnasium) and ZAP 2 (Kurzgymnasium) are both held in Canton Zurich on the same day — but the two exams cover different content, and a candidate cannot sit both at once.
Who has to sit the ZAP 2
The Kurzgymnasium is the four-year gymnasium that begins after 2nd or 3rd Sek and ends, four years later, with the federally recognised Swiss Matura. The Matura grants automatic admission to all Swiss universities.
Eligible to register are students currently in 2nd or 3rd Sek (track A or track B) in Canton Zurich. Sek B candidates additionally need a written recommendation from their class teacher. Candidates from private Sekundarschulen, from other cantons, or from abroad can also register — different grading rules apply (see below).
Exam-free admission (Prüfungsfreie Aufnahme)
A child who has already passed the admissions process for a public Kurzgymnasium in another canton can register exam-free in Zurich. The Zurich school accepts the other canton’s admission decision.
What’s tested
The Kurzgymnasium ZAP is a written exam in German and Mathematics, all on a single day. Contrary to a widespread misconception, French is not a written exam subject — for Sek-A candidates from Canton Zurich, French only counts toward the Vorleistungsnote.
| Part | Duration | Weight in the exam grade |
|---|---|---|
| Language analysis and reading comprehension (German) | 45 minutes | 1/4 |
| Mathematics | 90 minutes | 1/2 |
| Essay (German) | 90 minutes | 1/4 |
The exam starts at 9:00 with the language section, continues after a break with mathematics until 11:45, and ends in the afternoon with the essay from 13:15 to 14:45.
The mathematics paper covers algebra, geometry, functions, and applied problems — at a markedly higher level than the Langgymnasium ZAP. Students entering from 2nd Sek face a curriculum gap (the canton’s Sek 2 maths is fully tested), while students from 3rd Sek have covered the syllabus and need to work on exam-level performance. Both routes work, but they require different preparation strategies. The language section covers grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The essay asks the student to write their own text on a given topic.
The mathematics paper counts twice as much as each individual German part. Across the whole exam, German and Mathematics each contribute half of the exam grade.
Allowed materials
Unlike the Langgymnasium ZAP, a battery-powered, non-graphing, non-CAS calculator is permitted in the mathematics paper — but only models on the canton’s official approved list. A set square (Geodreieck) and a compass are also allowed; pencil and eraser only for geometry questions.
For the German parts, a dictionary is permitted: either Duden Volume 1 or whichever dictionary the student used at Sekundarschule. Candidates whose first language is not German may apply at registration to use a bilingual dictionary.
The pass mark
For students in a public Sek A in Canton Zurich (and Sek B with the teacher’s recommendation), the final mark is built from two equally weighted halves. One half is the Vorleistungsnote, the other half is the exam result.
The Vorleistungsnote is the average of the most recent grades in five subjects, each weighted at one-fifth:
- German
- Mathematics
- French
- English
- Science and Technology (Natur und Technik)
Under this rule, a child passes if the combined average of Vorleistungsnote and exam result is at least 4.75.
A worked example
| Component | Mark |
|---|---|
| Vorleistungsnote (5 subjects from Sek) | 5.0 |
| Exam average (German + Maths) | 4.5 |
| Final mark | (5.0 + 4.5) / 2 = 4.75 ✅ pass |
Two consequences are easy to underestimate:
- French and English count, even though they aren’t tested. A student who lets the French grade slip in 2nd Sek loses real points on the final mark.
- Solid Sek grades are a buffer. A student going in with a 5.5 Vorleistungsnote can score a 4.0 on the exam and still pass.
That’s why the semester before the ZAP 2 registration matters in all five Vorleistungsnote subjects, not just in German and Mathematics.
Special case: private school, other canton, abroad
The Vorleistungsnote only counts if all five subject grades come from a public Sekundarschule in Canton Zurich. For students from private Sekundarschulen, from other cantons, or from abroad, the Vorleistungsnote does not count. The same applies in principle to Sek B candidates without a teacher’s recommendation.
In those cases the final mark equals the exam result alone, and the pass threshold drops to at least 4.5 on the exam. The bar is lower because there’s no Vorleistungsnote half to balance the exam half — but it also means everything depends on the exam day.
Which schools offer a Kurzgymnasium
In Canton Zurich, nine public Kantonsschulen offer a Kurzgymnasium. Five of them run a Kurzgymnasium only:
- Kantonsschule Enge (KEN)
- Kantonsschule Hottingen (KSH)
- Kantonsschule Stadelhofen (KST)
- MNG Rämibühl (MNG)
- Liceo Artistico (LA)
Four schools run both a Langgymnasium and a Kurzgymnasium and admit through both ZAP routes:
- Kantonsschule Freudenberg (KFR)
- Kantonsschule Wiedikon (KWI)
- Kantonsschule Zürich Nord (KZN)
- Kantonsschule Limmattal (KSL)
Locations, profiles, and Schwerpunktfächer for each school are in the School Explorer.
School choice and assignment
At registration you list a first and second choice. Zurich’s middle schools operate on freie Schulwahl (free school choice) in principle. If a school is over-subscribed, the canton may reassign students before or after the ZAP — so the final placement isn’t guaranteed. In most cases families do receive their first choice.
Private gymnasiums: their own admissions, their own profiles
Several private schools run a Kurzgymnasium and hold their own admissions, often on a similar timeline to the cantonal ZAP, but with their own questions, deadlines, and sometimes additional oral interviews.
Examples in Zurich:
- Freies Gymnasium Zürich (FGZ) — own written exam in April, with orals shortly after
- Freie Katholische Schulen Zürich (FKSZ) — exam day on the cantonal ZAP date, with optional orals for borderline cases
- Aurum Schule Zürich and Tandem IMS — newer providers with Kurzgymnasium tracks designed specifically for the Sek 2 / Sek 3 cohort
The question “Hausmatura or Schweizerische Maturitätsprüfung” is the most important single criterion when comparing private gymnasiums for the Kurzgymnasium too. Both routes lead to a federally recognised Matura with the same rights — but exam logistics, day-to-day pressure, and pass rates differ noticeably. There’s a full explanation in our Langgymnasium ZAP guide.
Exact dates, profiles, and Matura paths for each private gymnasium are on the school profile pages.
Realistic preparation
A few points consistently make the biggest difference, drawing on what families in Zurich report and what published statistics show.
Sek 2 vs Sek 3 — the starting point matters. Students entering from 2nd Sek haven’t covered the full Sek curriculum yet, but have more time to close the maths gap. Students entering from 3rd Sek have covered the material but need to push it to exam-level command. Both routes work; they need different preparation strategies.
Don’t neglect the Vorleistungsnote. Because of the 50/50 rule, every grade improvement in the Sek semester is exam-relevant. French, English, and Science and Technology count just as much as German and Mathematics.
Practise with original past exams. The ZAP 2 question style is specific. The canton publishes past exams free on zh.ch. Most prep providers also work with this material, often with their own additional sets.
Take the essay and reading comprehension seriously. Together they make up half the German mark, but they’re harder to “memorise” than maths. Months of guided writing beat a one-week sports-holiday crash course.
Mock exams under real conditions. At least two or three full run-throughs at the same time of day and in full length build the routine that’s missing on exam day — the 90-minute maths paper and 90-minute essay are longer than most school tests in the Sek.
Prep providers in Zurich
Zurich has a wide selection of ZAP 2 prep providers. Many run a dedicated Kurzgymi track alongside their ZAP 1 offering. Formats range from group classes of five to eight students to one-on-one tutoring, from half-year courses to intensive holiday weeks.
Prices roughly range from CHF 1,500 to CHF 4,000 per student. Some providers publish success rates, but those numbers are hard to compare directly because the baseline level of admitted students varies a lot.
The School Explorer has the active Zurich providers, including LearningCulture, Lern-Forum, Gymivorbereitung Zürich, Nachhilfe Akademie, Schlaumacher, and Edufox, with formats, group sizes, locations, and pricing. Tandem IMS will additionally launch a 10th-year bridge programme in 2026/27 that’s specifically designed to prepare students for entry into a Kurzgymnasium and for the ZAP 2.
Frequently asked
What if my child doesn’t pass the ZAP 2? There’s no second attempt the same year. The student stays in Sekundarschule and can try again the following year from the next-higher Sek class. A student who fails from 2nd Sek therefore has a second attempt from 3rd Sek. A student who fails from 3rd Sek typically continues via apprenticeship + Berufsmaturität or via Fachmittelschule.
Does the Probezeit at the Kurzgymnasium matter? Yes, and more than is often appreciated. The entire first semester at the Kurzgymnasium counts as Probezeit, with the decision falling in January 2028. A student who fails the Probezeit returns to Sekundarschule. In practice, most admitted students pass the Probezeit — an exact cantonal rate isn’t published regularly.
What if my child is sick on exam day? Notify the school administration immediately and submit a medical certificate within three days. The student will then be invited to the Nachprüfung (make-up exam). Anyone who shows up and sits the exam is considered fit to take it — a doctor’s note submitted afterwards will not be accepted.
Sek A or Sek B — does it make a difference? Yes. Registration from Sek A is straightforward. Registration from Sek B requires a written recommendation from the class teacher. The exam itself and the grading scale are identical. In practice the path from Sek B is harder because the maths curriculum there goes less far.
Can my child sit ZAP 1 and ZAP 2 in the same year? No — both exams take place on the same day. A student who didn’t pass (or didn’t sit) the ZAP 1 after 6th grade primary can later sit the ZAP 2 from Sekundarschule.
Bottom line
The ZAP for the Kurzgymnasium is demanding, but it isn’t a lottery. Students who understand the 50/50 rule, take the Vorleistungsnote seriously across all five subjects, and prepare structurally for the two tested subjects have realistic odds.
The Schulpfad Pathway Map gives you the full picture of every route through Zurich’s school system, including dates, profiles, and a comparison of the schools that may fit your child.
Sources: zh.ch/zap (Cantonal Office of Education), in particular the Kurzgymnasium exam page; annual reports of the Zurich Kantonsschulen; Schulpfad’s own research. As of: April 2026. Updated when the canton publishes new dates or regulations.