Until 2018, passing the MarKom certificate examination was a prerequisite for participation in the federal professional examinations (BP) in the fields of marketing, sales, PR, copywriting and communication. From the 2019 examination year, participants in the professional examinations will no longer necessarily need the certificate. However, it is still an excellent preparation for further courses or for a solid entry into the marketing communications sector.

The learning content in a MarKom course is as follows:

• Business knowledge: Business administration, economics, accounting, working techniques
• Law
• Digital applications
• Marketing
• Communication: Public relations and marketing communication
• Sales and distribution

To be able to register for the MarKom certificate exam, you must be at least 18 years old on the day of the exam and have paid the exam fee by the due date. After registering, it is mandatory that you complete the online practice tool in order to take the exam. You will receive further information on this directly from the schools.

According to the examination regulations, you are not required to attend a preparation course to take the MarKom exam, but it is highly recommended. In a preparation course, you will not only be taught everything you need to know to pass the exam, but you will also be able to ask questions, discuss and prepare for the exam situation. You take part in test exercises and can repeat specific practical exercises in areas where you have deficits. As the certificate exam is very comprehensive, you should definitely consider attending a course beforehand.

With the MarKom certificate you can perform the following tasks:

• Support superiors in the marketing department with all the work that arises
• Procuring and researching information and offers for marketing campaigns and creating sub-concepts in marketing planning
• Coordinate and monitor marketing activities
• Dealing with correspondence from the marketing department
• Meeting organization
• Collaboration on presentations

The MarKom certificate examination is not a federally recognized training course, but an examination founded by the industry associations pr suisse Schweizerischer Public Relations Verband (SPRV), Schweizer Werbung (SW), Verkauf Schweiz /VS), Swiss Marketing (SMC), Schweizer Direktmarketing Verband (SDV), Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Marketing (GfM) and FAIR Fédération des Agents Indépendants et Réprésentants, which is valid for five years. Until the 2018 examination year, it was a prerequisite for admission to the five professional examinations with a federal certificate in these areas. But even today, the MarKom certificate still enjoys a good reputation throughout the country.

Each school offers different course models that last between four and six months. At some schools, you can also attend intensive courses that provide you with the necessary knowledge within a few weeks. If you have a basic commercial training, you can also reduce the time required for MarKom exam preparation at some schools.

If you fail the MarKom certificate examination MZP, you can retake the examination as often as you like. However, you must pass all parts of the examination again, including those you have already passed, and pay the entire examination fee. The same conditions apply for retaking the exam as for the first exam.

The MarKom Certificate Examination MZP also prepares you for the Federal Professional Examinations Marketing Specialist, Sales Specialist, Communications Planner, Copywriter and PR Specialist. This means that the subjects tested can also be found in all of these areas and test your basic knowledge in the subjects of marketing, PR, sales and distribution and marketing communication. In addition, your basic knowledge of business administration (business studies), economics (economics) and law will be tested. The exact content of the individual parts of the examination can be found in the examination guidelines, which will be sent to you by the individual schools.

There are training providers who offer the MarKom training as an online course. For example, the e-learning is structured as 180 lessons including 6 online meetings as a supervised course or as complete self-study. The advantages of training as an online course are obvious:

• Flexible, as it is independent of time and place, including free choice of learning environment and time
• Needs-based offer with individual lessons
• Methodical and didactic approach
• Learning content available at any time
• Learning objective check
• Individual division of the learning units
• Exchange with specialist lecturers and learning group
• Minimal organizational and logistical effort for supervised variants
• Online exam training
• Efficient acquisition of basic knowledge in the MarCom area
• Can also be completed as an intensive MarKom course in just three months

With the MarKom exam, you can lay the foundation for entering your desired profession in the field of marketing or communication. You will learn:

• Know marketing instruments
• how marketing concepts are created
• more on topics such as market research, market segments and marketing objectives
• Insight into the areas of sales and distribution, marketing communication and public relations

As a MarCom assistant with a federally recognized certificate, you can start your career in the field of marketing and communication.

As a MarCom assistant, you can complete the following advanced courses:

• Professional examination for a federal certificate as:
  • PR specialist
  • Sales specialist
  • Marketing specialist
  • Communications specialist
  • Copywriter
• Certificate courses on in-depth topics in marketing