Self-test: Is the "Social Insurance Expert with Federal Diploma (HFP)" course the right one for me?

What does the day-to-day work of social insurance experts with a federal diploma look like?

Social insurance experts work in social services, insurance companies, public administrations, compensation funds, human resources and private sector companies. They work in upper management, where they take on demanding and responsible management tasks.

A social insurance expert is a proven professional in all aspects of the social insurance system, particularly in the social insurance branches of AHV, ALV, BV, IV, KV and UV, and can provide detailed information.

In their day-to-day work, they have to deal with complex social insurance law issues, which they handle independently.

They analyze a situation comprehensively and determine the type of benefit and the amount of the contribution and benefit entitlements, taking into account the legal basis and international agreements. This also includes the analysis, assessment, calculation and finally the determination of contributions and benefits for special cases or difficult life situations (e.g. pension entitlements, occupational accidents or occupational illnesses). This requires professional negotiation skills on the part of the social insurance experts.

Social insurance experts deal with sensitive personal data. They therefore ensure that the regulations on data protection and the principle of publicity are complied with at all times.

Social insurance experts work closely with other benefit providers to avoid unlawful payments (overcompensation) and, if necessary, to initiate appropriate proceedings for reversal.

Social insurance experts also provide comprehensive advice to employers, insured persons, authorities and institutions on all aspects of the various branches of social insurance. They develop suitable solutions based on customer needs. In view of globalization, social insurance agreements with other countries in particular are becoming increasingly important and require the in-depth knowledge of specialists.

(Note: The distribution of tasks (weighting and frequency) may vary depending on the task profile/job profile or function and company).

Target group and skills: For whom is the Advanced Federal Diploma in Social Insurance suitable? What qualities and skills are required?

The preparatory courses and the higher professional examination "Social Insurance Expert" are aimed at specialists from the social insurance sector who wish to deepen their knowledge and skills in a specific branch of social insurance and expand them with international topics, legal aspects and social policy issues.

The target group of this course also includes ambitious social insurance specialists who would like to increase their career and salary opportunities with the federal diploma and position themselves advantageously against the competition on the job market.

Necessary qualities and skills as a social insurance expert are required:

• Ability to negotiate
• Load capacity
• Sense of responsibility
• Reliability
• Trustworthy
• Communication skills
• Assertiveness
• Analytical and networked thinking
• Precise working method
• Enjoy meticulous research work

Requirements for admission to the higher professional examination for social insurance experts:

In order to be admitted to the federal higher professional examination "Social Insurance Expert", you must fulfill the following conditions for admission by the time you register for the examination or by the start of the examination:

• Be in possession of the federal certificate for social insurance specialists (BP) or be able to present an equivalent certificate

and

• Have at least one year's professional experience in the social insurance sector after obtaining the federal certificate by the start of the examination

At least three months before the start of the examination, candidates will receive written notification as to whether they have been admitted to the examination. In the event of a rejection, this will contain a statement of reasons and information on legal remedies.

Note:Even if you do not (yet) meet all the admission requirements, it is still possible at some schools to start the preparatory course for the higher professional examination "Social Insurance Expert". But please note: In this case, you are responsible for ensuring that you meet the necessary requirements by the time you register for the examination or start the examination.

Tip:At some schools, it is also possible to attend the course without the intention of taking an exam. In this case, you will usually receive a course confirmation or the school's own certificate upon completion. The admission requirements then vary depending on the provider. We recommend that you contact the school of your choice directly for such offer-specific questions.

Subject matter and content of social insurance training

The subject matter* of the "Social insurance expert" training course is divided into a "general part" and a "subject-specific part".

• In the subject-specific part, candidates choose one of the following subject/work areas from the field of social insurance: AHV, ALV, BV, IV, KV, UV.
• The general part provides knowledge and skills in international social insurance / Internet, social policy, law and organization. These topics are covered in all subject areas, i.e. regardless of the chosen branch of social insurance.

Below you will find a detailed insight into the learning content of the Social Insurance Expert course:

• AHV (old-age and survivors' insurance)Among other things: compulsory AHV/IV insurance, agreement on the free movement of persons between Switzerland and the EU, employer and employee contributions, self-employed persons, receipt of AHV/IV contributions, old-age and survivors' pensions, data protection provisions, employer controls, record keeping and storage.
• ALV (unemployment insurance and insolvency compensation)including the social security agreement between Switzerland and third countries, the agreement on the free movement of persons between Switzerland and the EU, the Federal Act on Compulsory Unemployment Insurance and Insolvency Compensation, leading decisions of the Federal Supreme Court.
• BV (occupational benefit scheme)Among others: Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU, agreement with EFTA, Federal Law on Occupational Retirement, Survivors' and Disability Pension Plans, various ordinances (e.g. on the supervision of occupational pension plans (BVV1) or on mandatory occupational pension plans for unemployed persons), Federal Law on Insurance Contracts (VVG), Insurance Supervision Act (VAG), Civil Code (ZGB), Code of Obligations (OR).
• IV (disability insurance)Including the social insurance agreement between Switzerland and third countries, the bilateral agreement between Switzerland and the EU, the Federal Disability Insurance Act (IVG), early detection and intervention, medical integration measures, calculation of benefits for special cases, various circulars (e.g. on IV daily allowances, on the provision of aids, on the duty of confidentiality in the AHV/IV).
• KV (health insurance)Bilateral agreement between Switzerland and the EU, agreement with EFTA, Federal Law on Health Insurance, various ordinances (e.g. on health insurance or on the benefits of compulsory health insurance), various circulars (e.g. on compulsory insurance and forms of insurance, financing, benefits, rights to information and inspection of files), leading decisions of the Federal Supreme Court.
• UV (accident insurance)Bilateral agreement between Switzerland and the EU, agreement with EFTA, federal law on accident insurance, various ordinances (e.g. on the provision of aids or the prevention of accidents and occupational illnesses), various circulars (e.g. on the type contract, coordination with AHV/IV or calculation of daily allowance)
• Internationalincluding the main features of the social security agreement and specialist social security aspects.
• Social policyIncludes the basics of social policy, framework conditions and influencing factors, elements of demography (changes and influences), society (structures, new risks), relationships and trends, financing and revision plans.

Good to know: The schools with preparatory courses for the HFP for social insurance experts can offer additional subjects on an individual basis. These are usually voluntary and can be attended according to personal needs and ambitions. The courses on offer can vary from school to school. It is therefore advisable to compare the providers with each other.

* When compiling the course content, the schools are guided by the specifications of the sponsors of the federal examination. The sponsoring body is responsible for periodically reviewing the higher professional examination and the requirements for social insurance experts. This ensures that the knowledge and skills imparted remain up to date, i.e. that they meet the requirements of the labor market. The periodic review by the awarding body is one of several success factors for the good establishment and recognition of the professional examination and higher professional examination qualifications on the Swiss job market and among employers.

Costs, financing and salary during further training Social insurance

The fees for the preparatory courses for social insurance experts are not regulated uniformly, but are set independently by the schools. There may therefore be differences.

In contrast to this, the examination fee is set by the examination organizer.

In general, the following costs must be expected for the two-semester, part-time continuing education program for social insurance experts:

• Course fees:between CHF 6,500 and 8,900 Of this, you will receive around 50% back from the federal government on application after the examination (regardless of the result).* In addition: Members of the Kaufmännischer Verband benefit from a 10% member discount on the course costs. You can find more information in the answers.
• Fee for the federal examination:CHF 3,000 (as of July 2023) Candidates pay the examination fee once admission has been confirmed.
• Extra costsSome schools do not include the costs for teaching materials, training documents and simulation exams in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.
• WagesThe training to become a social insurance expert itself is not remunerated. Thanks to its part-time structure, you can also pursue a (slightly reduced) professional activity during the training and thus continue to have a secure income. This means that you do not have to fear any major loss of salary. What's more, with the federal diploma in your hands and the assumption of more responsible tasks/management positions, your salary opportunities will increase. The training and the costs incurred will quickly pay for themselves.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.

Duration of studies, teaching times, teaching formats and learning effort

• DurationThe Social Insurance Expert course is designed to be completed alongside work and lasts two semesters.
• Times:Lessons for social insurance experts take place at different times, depending on the provider. They determine the time variants themselves. Lessons are often held weekly on a whole day or in the afternoons and/or evenings and sometimes also on Saturdays.
• Teaching formatsSince the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, many schools have been offering different teaching formats. In addition to traditional face-to-face teaching, these include online and hybrid teaching as well as blended learning. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine continuing education with family, work and leisure in the best possible way. You can find out how the various teaching formats differ in the answers.
• Learning effortThanks to the extra-occupational concept of the Social Insurance Expert course, you can apply and deepen your knowledge immediately in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The Higher Professional Examination for Social Insurance Experts is held annually, provided that at least 15 candidates meet the admission requirements after the announcement, otherwise every two years. Candidates can choose the language in which they wish to be examined: German, French or Italian.

Candidates are notified at least 20 days before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (including details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The higher professional examination "Social Insurance Expert" is divided into three parts, which are organized as follows (type of examination, time, weighting):

1. selected branch of social insurance (general part, written, 3 hours and case dossier, written, 3 hours, weighting of both parts: 2)

In the first part of the examination, candidates are presented with complex and specific questions from practice, which they must then work on accordingly. In the second part of the examination, candidates are confronted with a challenging, complex and coherent work situation.

2. international studies (written, 1.5 hours, weighting: 1)

In this part of the examination, candidates are asked to work on individual practical cases.

3. social policy (oral, 30 minutes, weighting: 1)

This part of the examination is oral. Here, a technical discussion takes place between the candidates and the experts on various aspects of social policy. Particular emphasis is placed on current issues in this regard in the expert discussion.

Note: Internet access for online research is available to candidates in the written parts of the examination.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Social Insurance Expert".

In French: "Experte diplômée en assurances sociales / Expert diplômé en assurances sociales"

In Italian: "Esperta diplomata in materia di assicurazione sociale / Esperto diplomato in materia di assicurazione sociale"

In English (Please note that this is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title): "Social Insurance Expert, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education"