On this page you will find frequently asked questions and answers about the HPE. If you have any further questions, we will be happy to help you.
What does subject funding mean?
From January 2018, graduates of courses that prepare them for a federal examination (such as the HPE) will receive financial support. You can find more information here.
How is the HPE integrated into the Swiss educational landscape?
The Advanced Federal Diploma Examination for Counselors in the Psychosocial Field is a tertiary-level continuing education program. The following graphic serves as an overview.
How much does the HPE cost?
The registration fee is CHF 800.
The examination (with four examination parts, for Sur Dossier registrations) costs CHF 4,600.
The examination (with two examination parts, for SGfB members) costs CHF 2,300.
Who is responsible for exam admission?
You are responsible for the formal examination of your application documents. The examination board is responsible for checking the content.
What activities are recognized as professional experience in the psychosocial context?
The six or eight years of professional experience with a counseling function in a psychosocial context must be proven by means of confirmations (usually by the employer, proof of self-employment, social time card or by supervisors).
Counseling function in a psychosocial context means: professional activities with a significant proportion of social interactions.
What title may be worn after successfully passing the federal exam? Exam?
Successful completion of the examination leads to the state-protected professional title
“Counselor in the psychosocial field with a federal diploma”.
This professional title signifies a distinction as a qualified specialist in the field of psychosocial counseling.
History of the Higher Professional Examination in Psychosocial Counseling.
After several years of commitment, the SGfB was able to achieve a decisive success for the position of psychosocial counseling in the professional landscape of Switzerland. With the introduction of the Higher Professional Examination (HFP), the SGfB was the first professional association to succeed in establishing an orientation aid in the broad field of counseling that creates identity for our profession and is valuable for those seeking advice.
From June 28, 2013 to December 12, 2017, the first examination regulations were in force, subsequently the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI adopted the revised examination regulations, which have been in force since the 13 December 2017 is in force.
The Swiss Association for Counselling SGfB has thus been commissioned by the federal government to organize and conduct this federal examination in the psychosocial field.