Retail specialist with
federal patent

The conditions for admission to the federal professional examination are as follows:

• CFC in retail management (or equivalent) + 3 years' experience in the
• AFP retail assistant + 5 years' experience in the
• Other profile + 10 years' experience in the retail trade

In all cases, part of this experience must have been gained in a directing function at least 1 year (department manager, team leader, assistant manager, etc.).

To register for the final examination, candidates must also submit a full module certificate form, The certificate attests to the successful completion of the 5 module validation exams. This form must be fully completed and signed by the training establishment.

This preparatory course is aimed at retail professionals who want to progress to positions of responsibility and gain official recognition for their expertise.

It is for you if you are :

• Department manager, head of department or executive assistant wishing to validate and structure your managerial skills
• Retail manager (CFC) with at least 3 years' experience, ready to take the next step in your career
• Professionals from other fields 4 or more years' experience in retail
• Holder of an AFP with 5 years' experience in the sector
• Self-taught professional with at least 10 years' retail experience, including 1 year in a managerial position

In a nutshell: this course is aimed at anyone working in retail, who manages or has managed a team, and who would like to obtain the nationally recognised federal diploma.

The federal professional examination for Retail Trade Specialists is held once a year, in October, by the Commission de l'Assurance Qualité Spécialiste du Commerce de Détail (CAQ SCD), in collaboration with BDS FCS.

Timetable : Registrations for the final exam are taken around end of March of each calendar year. On this date 5 module validation exams must be passed in full and the fully completed module certificate form.

If you are starting the course now, the examination session will be that of 2027. As the course lasts around a year, you will have enough time to complete all 5 modules before sitting the final exam.

To find out the exact dates of the session that suits you best, please contact us.

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 exam consists of 5 papers:

Test 1: Practical work (written, at home) Completion of a practical assignment on a set theme, handed in by a set deadline.

Test 2: Professional interview on practical work (oral) Presentation and defence of the practical work before a panel of experts. Candidates argue their choices and recommendations.

Test 3: Planning exercise with presentation (oral) Operational situation: candidates are given a case study to prepare and present their solution to the examiners.

Test 4: Role play (oral) Simulation of a real-life professional situation (employee interview, conflict management, customer situation) assessed in real time.

Test 5: Critical Incidents (oral) The candidate reacts to complex and unexpected professional situations, demonstrating good judgement and decision-making ability.

Official information by BDS FCS.