Federal certificate
property manager

To be eligible to sit the federal vocational examination for property managers, you must meet one of the following two conditions:

Option A

• Hold a CFC (initial training lasting at least three years), a Maturité (any type), a business qualification recognised by the Confederation, a higher education diploma, a federal certificate or diploma, a university degree (Bachelor’s/Master’s), or training deemed equivalent
• AND provide proof of at least 3 years’ full-time professional experience in a property-related profession, obtained after completing this qualification, at the time of the examination

Option B

• No prior qualification: provide evidence of more than 5 years’ full-time professional experience in a property-related profession

A condition common to both options

• At least Two years of this professional experience must have been carried out in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein

Occupations recognised as professional real estate practice:

• Property management, purchase and sale of properties
• Brokerage (estate agency and finance)
• Trust / project management support / main contractor
• Property valuation and appraisal
• Property advice
• Facility Management (commercial operations)

(Professional experience is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the examination board.)

Other administrative requirements

• A criminal record extract issued within the last 6 months, containing no entries that are inconsistent with the purpose of the examination
• A copy of an official identity document with a photograph
• Summary of education and professional experience

Who is this course aimed at?

This course is aimed at anyone already working in the property sector who wishes to formalise and develop their property management skills:

• Current property managers who wish to have their experience recognised by a federally recognised qualification
• Management assistants on a contract basis, with a view to progression to a managerial role with increased responsibilities
• Portfolio managers, team or group leaders in property management
• Managers or sales managers in the property sector who wish to broaden their skill set
• PPE administrators wishing to strengthen their legal, technical and accounting foundations
• Professionals from related sectors within the property industry (brokerage, valuation, facility management, trust services) with the required professional experience and wishing to move into property management
• Prospective candidates for the advanced vocational examination (Federal Diploma in Property Management), for whom the certificate is a key milestone in their SVIT/USPI career path

Required profile: you are currently working (or have worked) in the property sector and meet the entry requirements for the federal examination (see the ‘Prerequisites’ section): 3 years’ professional experience with a professional qualification, or 5 years without one, including 2 years in Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

The examination regulations do not specify fixed dates or venues from one year to the next; these are determined for each examination session by the Swiss Real Estate Examination Board ((CSEEI/SFPKIW). Here is what the regulations officially stipulate:

• Session publication : the official announcement is published in the three national languages at least 3 months before the start of the exams, including dates, examination fees, address and registration deadline
• Individual invitation : successful candidates will receive their invitation at least one month before the start of the exam, including the detailed programme (venue, date and time of each event, authorised assistive devices)
• Language of the examination : a session in French will be organised if at least 8 candidates meet the entry requirements (German: 25 mins, Italian: 3 mins)
• Admission decision : given in writing at least 2 months ago the start of the examination

This course can be fully customised (content, format, language). Contact us for a free quote.

The examination consists of 5 tests making a total of 1.45 pm, divided into written and oral components:

• Law : written, 2 hours, weighting 1
• Knowledge of construction : written, 1 hour 30 minutes, weighting 1
• Human Resources Management : written, 1 hour 30 minutes, weighting 1
• Property management : written, 8 hours, weighting 2
• Property management : oral, 45 mins, weighting 2

The written papers assess professional competence through real-life scenarios. A single mark is awarded per assessment (no partial marks). The content is strictly limited to that set out in the guidelines; nothing else is included in the assessment.

The oral examination assesses social and methodological skills first, followed by professional skills, through an interview with two experts based on a practical case study that serves as the basis for the discussion.

Conditions for success :

• Overall average ≥ 4.0
• Only one mark below 4.0 is permitted (out of the five assessments)
• No rating <3.0
• Average mark for modules 4 and 5 (property management – written and oral) ≥ 4.0

If unsuccessful: the option to retake the exam in twice. The first resit covers only those papers in which the mark was less than 5.0; the second covers all the papers from the first resit.

Exemption may be granted: Candidates who have already passed (with a mark of ≥4) the modules equivalent to Module 1 (Law) and/or Module 2 (Construction) in another professional examination may apply to the examination board for an exemption.