Receptionist with federal diploma

There are two routes to admission under the Official Rules.

Track A: Hold a CFC in commerce (or equivalent qualification) and have at least 3 years' post-apprenticeship work experience, including at least 1 year in reception/administration.

Track B: Hold a CFC (any speciality) and have at least 4 years' experience in the reception/administration field, with prior validation of the basic modules Finance I and Marketing & Sales I.

This preparation is aimed at professionals working in the hotel sector who wish to formalise and enhance their skills with a federal qualification recognised throughout Switzerland.

It's for you if you're a receptionist in a medium-sized or large hotel and want to progress to a position of responsibility, if you're already in a senior reception role and want official recognition of your skills, or if you're aiming to progress to management positions or want to take a higher professional examination.

The entire course is taken on the job, so you can continue to work throughout the course.

The professional examination is organised once a year by Hotel & Gastro Formation Switzerland for the whole of Switzerland. The preparatory courses take place in blocks of 5 consecutive days. The exam is published at least 6 months before the start of the tests; candidates are invited to attend at least 6 weeks before the start of the final exam.

For the French-language sessions, the main centre is located in Pully (VD). You can register for the courses and exams via the official portal portal.hotelgastro.ch.

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

The course is priced at CHF 12 900., excluding federal examination fees.

The good news is that the Confederation can reimburse up to 50 % of your training costs. Since 2018, the Confederation has reimbursed 50 % of the costs of courses preparing for a federal certificate, up to a maximum of CHF 9,500, provided that the candidate sits the federal examination after the course. Entitlement to the subsidy is independent of the examination result. 

In concrete terms, for a course costing CHF 12,900, you can receive a reimbursement of CHF 6 450.00, bringing your net investment to CHF 6 450.00.

Qualifying conditions:

• Attend a course on the SEFRI list of preparatory courses, pay the course fees yourself and be legally resident in Switzerland at the time of taking the exam.
• The grant application is submitted after passing the federal examination, by submitting invoices and proof of payment via the SEFRI online portal.

For more information on the federal grant:  here.

You should also bear in mind that the price of the exam is not included in the preparation. It depends on the examination centre, and costs around CHF 2,000.

The final examination is organised by Hotel & Gastro formation Suisse, a body accredited by the SEFRI. It can be held in French, German or Italian, at the candidate's choice.

It comprises 4 tests:

• Reception and administration -> 60-minute written practical test (weighting 8)
• Case studies -> 180-minute written test (weighting 6)
• Interview on business economics -> 45-minute oral test (weighting 3)
• Reflecting on achievements -> dossier prepared during the course, followed by a 30-minute oral interview (weighting 3)

The examination is passed if the overall mark is at least 4.0, with a maximum of one test mark below 4.0 and no mark below 3.0. In the event of failure, the examination may be retaken up to twice, on the insufficient papers only.

The certificate is issued by SEFRI and authorises the use of the official title : Receptionist with federal diploma.