If you are an applicant to a Swiss university and do not have a recognized Swiss qualification (Swiss Matura), but have a foreign qualification, it is not always so easy to gain admission. In order to clarify whether the candidate also fulfills the requirements for admission to a Swiss university, he or she must first qualify for admission in the ECUS examination. This examination, the Examen Complémentaire des Hautes Écoles Suisses, is compulsory for all those who receive the decision from the university at which they wish to study that their previous education does not correspond to the required Swiss certificate of prior education.

The route to the examination is via the application for enrolment at a Swiss university, i.e. via the application for admission. These then register the applicant for the ECUS examination, which can take place either in Zurich or Geneva. In order to prepare for this examination, some institutions offer appropriate preparatory courses that go into detail about the required knowledge and provide the necessary qualifications. Depending on the certificate of prior education, participants only have to prepare for partial examinations in individual subjects or for the entire supplementary examination. The regulations for the supplementary examination of Swiss universities regulate the corresponding requirements.

The ECUS exam itself consists of a total of five subjects, which are divided into two parts. The first is the language of instruction of the relevant university, knowledge of which is tested both orally and in writing. The second part consists of the three compulsory subjects of mathematics, English and history, whereby the latter also includes an introduction to Swiss law and is the only compulsory examination that is only tested orally. As a fifth subject, candidates have the opportunity to choose a subject area from a compulsory elective subject in which they would like to be examined. They can choose from biology, physics, chemistry and geography with an introduction to economics. The compulsory elective subject can be prescribed by the university that registers the candidates for the examination.

Preparatory courses for the ECUS exam can be taken at various locations in Switzerland and offer the opportunity to acquire the knowledge required to successfully pass the entrance exam. For example, prospective students can expand their skills through guided self-study, which is individually tailored to their own needs and qualifications as well as the requirements of the university. Simply get in touch with the relevant educational institutions that offer preparation courses and receive comprehensive advice. You can contact the schools free of charge and without obligation using our form and get detailed information first.