Education in Switzerland: schools, the Matura and university entry

In short

Education in Switzerland is the responsibility of the 26 cantons, not of the federal government. Each canton runs its own public schools, sets its own curriculum and decides on many details of the school year, so rules differ between Zurich, Geneva, Ticino and the others. The cantons coordinate their work through the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), and the Confederation sets the frame for vocational education and the federal institutes of technology. Schooling is offered in the language of the region: German, French, Italian or, in parts of Graubünden, Romansh. This guide is a general overview and does not replace the rules of a particular canton or school. After compulsory school, young people choose between a general route that leads to the Matura and a vocational route with an apprenticeship.

School stages

1. Kindergarten and primary school: Under the HarmoS agreement among the cantons, compulsory schooling lasts eleven years and starts at about age four, with two years of kindergarten followed by primary school. Pupils learn the local language, mathematics, a second national language, English, nature and society, art, music and sport.
2. Lower secondary school: The last years of compulsory school. In many cantons pupils are placed in levels or tracks with different demands, and the structure varies from canton to canton.
3. Upper secondary level: After compulsory school, most young people take one of these routes:
   • Gymnasium (general baccalaureate school): A general academic route of three to four years that ends with the Matura (in German Maturität, in French Maturité, in Italian Maturità).
   • Vocational education and training: A dual route, usually of three or four years, in which the apprentice works in a company and attends a vocational school. Apprentices can add a vocational baccalaureate that opens the way to universities of applied sciences.
   • Specialised middle schools: Schools for fields such as health, education or social work, with a specialised certificate or a specialised Matura.

Grades and the Matura

Swiss school marks run from 1 to 6, where 6 is the best mark and 4 is a pass. The Matura is the certificate that ends the gymnasium. Its rules are set in a regulation agreed by the Confederation and the cantons, which is why a Matura from any canton is recognised across the country. Students are examined in a range of subjects: the first language, a second national language, a third language, mathematics, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, a chosen focus subject, an option subject and a personal Matura paper. Each canton and school decides how written and oral exams are organised, so the format of the exams is not the same everywhere.

University entry

A holder of the Matura can in principle enrol at a cantonal university or one of the two federal institutes of technology, ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne, without an entrance exam. Cantonal universities include those in Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Zurich and the Italian-speaking Switzerland. For some fields, such as medicine, places are limited and applicants sit an aptitude test. Study programmes follow the Bologna structure of bachelor's and master's degrees. Applicants with foreign certificates are assessed by the university or by the Swiss authorities, and they usually have to show a good command of the language of instruction.

Languages and studying abroad

Because the country has several national languages, language learning is part of the curriculum, and pupils learn a second national language and English. Many students who plan to study abroad or in English-taught programmes also prepare for international tests such as IELTS and TOEFL, or take the SAT or the International Baccalaureate Diploma at an international school.

Practising on GetMyMockTest

These are practice questions we wrote for study. They are not the official exams, and we do not claim they match an exam's current format. Free practice for Switzerland:

• Schweizer Maturität (maturitat-switzerland): mathematics, national language and literature, and history of Switzerland, with timed tests and flashcards. Because each canton sets its own rules, these questions cover general upper-secondary topics.
• Fahrprüfung Theorie (fahrpruefung-theorie-switzerland): Swiss Category B driving theory preparation covering Swiss road traffic law, priority rules, road signs, signals, speed limits, vehicle safety and accident protocol.
• Swiss general knowledge (gk-ch): history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture, with a source for each question.
• SAT, IELTS, TOEFL and IB Diploma: international exams that many students in Switzerland also take.