Qualification procedures (QPs)
The expression “qualification procedure” is used to refer to any or all procedures that allow examiners to establish whether a person has the competences mentioned in the training plan for the occupation in question. Qualification procedures can take the form of an overall examination, several partial examinations or other qualification procedures that are recognised by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). The main qualification procedure consists in a final examination, which is organised at the end of the VET programme. The qualification procedure is described in detail in the VET ordinance enacted for each occupation.
Other qualification procedures
The term “other qualification procedures” refers to procedures that differ from the standard qualification procedure involving a final written and practical examination upon completion of a full VET programme. They are nevertheless equivalent to the qualification procedure based on the final examination and are recognised by the SERI by virtue of Art. 33 of the Federal Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act (VPETA, SR 412.10), which was included following consultation with the cantons. With “other qualification procedures”, it is possible to obtain an upper-secondary level vocational qualification outside the framework of a formal VET programme.
Two examples of “other qualification procedures” are the validation of prior learning (also referred to in some cases as the validation of non-formal and informal learning) procedure and the qualification procedure with split examination
