Self-test for baccalaureate schools for adults: Is this course the right one for me?
Test here whether a Matura school for adults and the gymnasiale Matura are the right next steps for your professional future and whether you meet the requirements for course admission and successful participation (previous education, finances, time).
What is the baccalaureate and what is it good for?
What?
The gymnasiale Matura is a federally recognized qualification that confirms a broad general education and general university entrance qualification. The general higher education entrance qualification includes various skills such as abstract thinking, the ability to gather information and form an independent judgment.
What for?
The baccalaureate enables access to all Bachelor's degree programs at Swiss universities (university, ETH and teacher training colleges PH).
Combined with (usually practical) additional qualifications, the baccalaureate also enables access to universities of applied sciences FH and universities of applied sciences HF.
When?
The baccalaureate is obtained either during adolescence via a long or short-term baccalaureate at the end of upper secondary school or afterwards: Adults can catch up on the Matura through secondary education and prepare for the Matura examination independently or in private and public Matura schools.
AttentionThere are various Matura qualifications - in addition to the baccalaureate, there are also the vocational Matura and the specialized Matura. The latter two also entitle students to study, but not at universities, but at universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education, and there are restrictions on the choice of possible courses.
Question 1:
Do you value a comprehensive general education and would you like to study at a university, ETH or teacher training college?
If a broad general education is less important to you than further training in selected specialist areas, then check whether the courses offered at universities of applied sciences or universities of applied sciences are more in line with your expectations. If this is the case, clarify whether your previous career qualifies you for admission.
If you are not sure whether the subject you would like to study or in which you would like to continue your education is only offered at universities, clarify this question. You may not even need a baccalaureate for your desired further education.
If a broad general education is less important to you than further training in selected specialist areas, then check whether the courses offered at universities of applied sciences or universities of applied sciences are more in line with your expectations. If this is the case, clarify whether your previous career qualifies you for admission.
If you are not sure whether the subject you would like to study or in which you would like to continue your education is only offered at universities, clarify this question. You may not even need a baccalaureate for your desired further education.
Who are baccalaureate schools for adults suitable for?
The courses offered by Matura schools for adults are aimed at
- Adults who want to receive a broad and well-founded general education
- Adults who wish to obtain a general higher education entrance qualification and study at a university without subject restrictions
Indispensable personal requirements:
- High motivation
- Learning ability
- Perseverance and determination
Question 2:
Do you belong to one or both target groups and do you have the necessary personal qualifications?
If you do not belong to either target group, this does not mean that you are definitely in the wrong place. There are certainly other, individual good reasons for attending a baccalaureate school for adults and the gymnasiale Matura. What you need in any case are really good reasons and a strong motivation that you can maintain even under high pressure. If in doubt, get in touch with the course director of the school of your choice and ask for advice.
But perhaps A-level schools are not really suitable for you. In that case, we hope you enjoy the rest of the test. Take a look at other tests and further education opportunities atEducation-Further-Education.chon. Perhaps you will come across the training course that seems to be made for you.
Requirements for admission to Matura schools for adults
The requirements for admission to Matura courses for adults depend on the provider:
- The requirements for public Matura schools are regulated at cantonal level.
- Private baccalaureate schools usually have different conditions for admission to baccalaureate courses that conclude with an internal, federally recognized baccalaureate and those that prepare students for the external Swiss baccalaureate examination, which is held twice a year.
Private baccalaureate schools require:
- Completed 18th year of age
- Completed compulsory schooling or equivalent knowledge including French and English
- Good knowledge of German
- Interest in a broad general education
- partly: Entrance examination
In some cantons there are public baccalaureate schools for adults. These require:
- Age of majority in the year before entry. In some cases there are age limits (e.g. Canton of Zurich: 40 years)
- Secondary school leaving certificate
- Completed apprenticeship or at least 2-3 years of professional activity. Apprenticeships, internships, proven unemployment, housework and childcare are partially counted as professional activity.
- Good knowledge of German
- partly: Entrance examination
Question 3:
Do you meet the requirements for admission to a baccalaureate school for adults?
If you do not have a basic education that is recognized and completed in Switzerland, find out directly from the schools of your choice whether it is possible to take placement tests, for example, so that you can check your level of knowledge.
If you are unsure whether your German language skills are sufficient, you should also take a test to find out.
If you are not yet 18 years old, you have the option of taking the Matura at a cantonal school or a private grammar school. Here are some providers:
If you do not have a basic education that is recognized and completed in Switzerland, find out directly from the schools of your choice whether it is possible to take placement tests, for example, so that you can check your level of knowledge.
If you are unsure whether your German language skills are sufficient, you should also take a test to find out.
If you are not yet 18 years old, you have the option of taking the Matura at a cantonal school or a private grammar school. Here are some providers:
Course content: Subject matter and skills
The gymnasiale Matura is made up of basic subjects, core subjects and supplementary subjects. The individual baccalaureate profile results from the 10 basic subjects plus 1 specialization subject and 1 supplementary subject of (partly limited) choice. This model replaced the prescribed Matura types in 2007.
The basic subjects in German-speaking Switzerland are:
- German or Romansh (or generally: first language)
- French (or generally: second national language)
- Italian (or generally: third national language) or English or Latin or Greek
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- History
- Geography
- Visual arts and/or music
The main subjects are:
- Ancient languages (Latin, Greek)
- modern languages (e.g. English, Spanish, Russian)
- Physics and applications of mathematics
- Biology and chemistry
- Economy and law
- Philosophy/Pedagogy/Psychology
- Creative design
- Music
Supplementary subjects are:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Applications of mathematics
- History
- Geography
- Philosophy
- Economy and law
- Education/Psychology
- Creative design
- Music
- Sport
- Computer science
ExampleIf you are linguistically gifted and want to work internationally, e.g. for UNESCO, you can opt for a Matura with a focus on modern languages. Then choose English as a third language alongside German and French for the foundation subjects and Spanish or Russian as a specialization subject (you cannot take English again). In addition to all the desk work and studying, sport might be a good choice as a supplementary subject.
Not all specialization and supplementary subjects are offered at all Matura schools.
Question 4:
Are you interested in the basic subjects? Would you like to acquire good general knowledge in all of these subjects and also specialize in specific areas?
If the subjects are too general for you and you have already had enough of general education at vocational school, find out about more job-specific further education courses. Perhaps studying at a higher technical college (HF) or continuing your education to obtain a federal certificate in the profession you have learned would suit you better. Here are some links for further information or inspiration:
Costs
TheSchool costsdepend on the school and form of teaching and total around CHF 30,000-60,000 - depending on the proportion of face-to-face teaching, self-study and supervision. They are usually paid on a semester or monthly basis. Monthly fees range from just under CHF 500 (for a high proportion of self-study) to around CHF 2,500 (for the most intensive face-to-face teaching).
At some Matura schools, theTraining materialsincluded in the price. Others may incur additional costs of several hundred up to almost CHF 3,000 (for the entire course).
As a rule, no fees are charged for in-house baccalaureates.Examination feesare charged. For the external Swiss Matura examination, the fees for registration, assessment of the Matura paper and examination are around CHF 870-1,200 (some schools may charge slightly more).
Some cantons contribute to the school costs or pay them in full.
Question 5:
Can you afford the costs for the type of school you would like to attend as well as any examination fees and material costs? Can you also cope with the loss of salary as a result of reduced employment?
Enquire about the conditions for baccalaureate schools for adults in your canton of residence. Some cantons (e.g.) cover the costs of public schools for their residents. You may also be eligible for a partial or full scholarship in your canton of residence or in the canton where the school is located.
You may be able to reduce the overall costs by taking a lateral entry course. If you have good prior qualifications, e.g. a certificate from a technical secondary school with a good performance record, you may be able to enter the 2nd or 3rd semester and save a few thousand francs. Discuss this possibility with the baccalaureate school of your choice.
If you have a vocational baccalaureate and would like to study at a Swiss university or ETH, there is also an alternative to the baccalaureate:the Passerelle. Perhaps this is the perfect solution for you.
There may also be people in your private circle who will support your further education project with a loan. Finally, there are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Course duration and time required
TheFull-time programsof most baccalaureate schools for adults last 6 semesters, thePart-time programsusually 7 semesters. Very compact courses last 2 semesters full-time and 4 semesters part-time.
Depending on the school and time model, the part-time programs can be combined with a 40-80% workload.
The full-time programs comprise 24-39 lessonsClassroom teachingper week plus (partially supervised)Self-study time. Part-time programs include 1-2 days of classroom instruction per week. They often start with less classroom teaching and more self-study time in the early semesters and increase the proportion of classroom teaching in the later semesters.
Question 6:
Can you manage the workload for classroom teaching and self-study in a part-time or full-time model?
If you are struggling to find enough time, choose a course that is as long as possible and talk to the course director at the Matura school of your choice. It may be possible to adapt the course to your individual needs.
And if you still don't have enough time, check whether you can create space for yourself elsewhere. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the duration of your training?
Degree and diploma
The federal baccalaureate comprisesWritten and oral examinationsin the twelve school subjects as well as the writing of aMatura thesis. There are two ways to take the baccalaureate examinations: Internal baccalaureates and external federal baccalaureate examinations (some schools refer to these as "external baccalaureates").
Grammar schools withIn-house baccalaureatemay take the examination at their own school and with their own teachers. The actual examination covers 6 of the 12 subjects and the preliminary grades are taken into account when calculating the Matura grade. In the remaining subjects, the preliminary grades from the semester reports count as Matura grades.
With theexternalAll subjects are examined in the Federal Matura examination; however, candidates are free to take the examination in one examination session or in two parts.
The first part of the examination covers the basic subjects:
- Biology (written)
- Chemistry (written)
- Physics (written)
- History (written)
- Geography (written)
- Visual arts or music (subject-specific)
The second part of the examination comprises:
- First language (written and oral)
- Second national language (written and oral)
- third language (written and oral)
- Mathematics (written and oral)
- Main subject (written and oral)
- Supplementary subject (oral)
- Presentation of the Matura thesis (oral)
Question 7:
Do you have the confidence to take and pass the Matura paper and the Matura examinations?
Attend information events organized by Matura schools and talk to head teachers and lecturers about the requirements and your personal concerns. It may help to take a preparatory course or an entrance exam in advance to see how you cope with the school situation and exam pressure.
If there are specific individual subjects in which you have weaknesses, you could use tutors to close knowledge gaps or discuss with the school whether there are internal tests.
If you have intense test anxiety, we recommend attending a Matura school with a home Matura, where your learning performance and progress are continuously recorded and credited as experience marks towards the Matura examination.
Here are three general tips for a good apprenticeship qualification:
- Take an active part in lessons.
- Prepare and review the lesson material regularly at home.
- Organize yourself into a learning group. Regular exchanges will support your learning process.
Attend information events organized by Matura schools and talk to head teachers and lecturers about the requirements and your personal concerns. It may help to take a preparatory course or an entrance exam in advance to see how you cope with the school situation and exam pressure.
If there are specific individual subjects in which you have weaknesses, you could use tutors to close knowledge gaps or discuss with the school whether there are internal tests.
If you have intense test anxiety, we recommend attending a Matura school with a home Matura, where your learning performance and progress are continuously recorded and credited as experience marks towards the Matura examination.
Here are three general tips for a good apprenticeship qualification:
- Take an active part in lessons.
- Prepare and review the lesson material regularly at home.
- Organize yourself into a learning group. Regular exchanges will support your learning process.
That's probably not going to happen with you and the Matura for adults. Forget about it! This is just one of countless possibilities.
Think about which other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find many different suggestions and offers.
Matura and Matura school for adults do not seem to be the right choice for you.
Perhaps take a look at what other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
The Matura for adults does not seem ideal for you.
Do you still want to study at a Swiss university or ETH? Perhaps your previous educational background will lead you to a Bachelor's degree at a university via other, cheaper and shorter routes, e.g.
- with a federal vocational baccalaureate viaPasserelle
- with a federal vocational baccalaureate andUniversity entrance exam
Perhaps the path to higher vocational education and training suits you better. Our tip: Check what professional examinations or courses of study at higher vocational colleges you can aim for based on your basic vocational training.
The Matura for adults doesn't go against the grain for you, but you don't seem to be entirely convinced of the education and the opportunities it opens up for you.
Find out about your personal options and opportunities at an information event. You may gain more clarity by talking to school management, teachers and other interested parties.
Directly to the schools:
Perhaps the route via a baccalaureate school doesn't really suit you and you still want to study at a Swiss university or ETH. Based on your previous educational background, you may be able to take other, cheaper and shorter routes to a Bachelor's degree at a university, e.g.
- with a federal vocational baccalaureate viaPasserelle
- with a federal vocational baccalaureate andUniversity entrance exam
A baccalaureate school for adults seems to be a good fit for you.
As a next step, we recommend that you contact the baccalaureate schools you are interested in and check the admission requirements. Depending on your previous education, you may be exempt from paying fees. You may also need to check with the vocational training office in your canton of residence whether you will receive financial support.
Directly to the schools:
A baccalaureate school for adults is just right for you!
As a next step, we recommend that you contact the baccalaureate schools you are interested in and check the admission requirements. Depending on your previous education, you may be exempt from paying fees. You may also need to check with the vocational training office in your canton of residence whether you will receive financial support.
Directly to the schools:
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