New final exam for apprentices passes test 

As apprenticeships come to an end in the summer, social media are awash with posts that show apprentices proudly holding up their diplomas, companies congratulating their graduates and parties celebrating this important milestone. This pride is justified, since the day marks the culmination of an intensive period of training and the start of a new chapter in these young people’s careers. This year has been a special one in many respects. It was the first in which apprentices completed basic commercial training under the new rules introduced by the 2023 reform.

Reform becomes reality 

The 2023 reform represented a comprehensive overhaul of basic commercial training, shifting the focus onto acquiring practical skills. Rather than simply amassing knowledge, apprentices now learn how to apply it in the workplace. Almost three years of training were followed by the first big test as apprentices took the new final exam. This had also been redesigned as part of the reform, with the oral extended to a total of 80 minutes and the written exam abolished completely. 

This new qualification process is the result of a project lasting several years, intended to highlight specialist skills as well as the ability to apply knowledge in the sort of situations you’ll actually face, solve problems and think critically about your own actions. It brings aspects with relevance for the future to the fore, including social and methodological skills. The new practical coursework fully integrates these through a mix of role-play, mini-cases, simulations and reflection.

Shared success 

Swiss Banking was responsible for developing the practical coursework concept, coordinated its implementation and supported banks, apprentices and examiners with training and preparatory materials. These included exercises based on case studies and a new film explaining the coursework procedure step by step.

Suggested improvements 

Immediately after the exam sessions, Swiss Banking surveyed the apprentices and examiners involved. Their feedback provided valuable suggestions for improvements, which are now being carefully analysed and will flow into optimisation efforts as appropriate. 

In its first year, the new final exam has clearly passed the real-world test. It makes practical professional skills visible and enables an assessment focused rigorously on the day-to-day needs of the workplace. This enhances the quality of the banking apprenticeship and ensures that it is future-proof. 

Opinions on the project
We asked three of the people involved for their views on the project, and they were full of praise.