Site manager AFPE self-test: Is this course right for me?

What does the day-to-day work of a federally certified site manager look like?

Construction managers with a federal diploma are highly qualified professionals in engineering and architecture.* They have specialist construction knowledge and work mainly in engineering, architecture and specialized construction management offices or for general contractors. There they manage and control the implementation of construction projects in building construction (residential, office and commercial buildings) or civil engineering (traffic routes, tunnels, bridges, sewer systems, etc.), depending on which specialization they choose.**

They work as members of project teams and report to the overall project manager. You are responsible for the quality of the work on the construction site, from preparation to acceptance of the building. They manage employees, are responsible for finances and ensure compliance with legal requirements and safety regulations. They cooperate competently with the authorities, the planners and the companies contracted for the project.

Site managers are responsible for their work to all project participants in technical, economic, legal, ecological and ethical terms.

Your day-to-day work includes the following activities

• They check the plans and basic principles of construction projects and draw up implementation plans, including cost calculations, phased schedules and invitations to tender.
• They check offers, write award applications and issue contracts for work and services.
• They manage and monitor the implementation of officially approved construction projects on the construction site.
• If they recognize deviations from the approved plans, they inform the overall management and the client (building owner) and initiate the necessary measures.
• On the construction site, they monitor the progress of construction and the work of the companies, as well as compliance with regulations, reports and invoices.
• You manage the construction accounting and ensure transparent and comprehensible documentation of the construction process.

* Caution: Do not confuse with professions and functions in the construction industry such as foremen (building envelope foreman with Federal Diploma of Higher Education) or master builders with Federal Diploma of Higher Education, who work "on the construction site" and for the construction companies carrying out the work.

** Until 2020, there were two separate Advanced Federal Professional Examinations (AFPE): "AFPE Construction Manager Building Construction" and "AFPE Construction Manager Civil Engineering". The two AFPEs were combined: Since 2021, there has only been one AFPE "AFPE Construction Manager" with the two specializations "Building Construction" and "Civil Engineering".

Target group: For whom is the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for site managers with a federal diploma suitable?

The continuing education, further training "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Achtung: English wie wie Fédéral Diploma)" is aimed at qualified (Federal VET Diploma) draughtsmen, bricklayers and carpenters as well as qualified professionals with higher qualifications and at least 5 or 6 years of experience in construction management who work in general contractors, planning, architecture and engineering offices or for other construction service providers and want to expand their skills in the field of construction management and have them confirmed with a federal diploma!

It is aimed at people with

• structural engineering knowledge
• Sense of responsibility
• Leadership and social skills
• Organizational and planning talent
• Negotiating skills
• Willingness to work irregular hours

Prerequisites for admission to the Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (AFPE) in Construction Management

You must meet one of the following requirements for admission to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) "Site Manager":

• Completed basic training (Federal VET Diploma) as a draughtsperson specializing in architecture or civil engineering or an equivalent qualification and at least 5 years of proven practice as a site manager
• other completed vocational education and training (Federal VET Diploma) or equivalent qualification and at least 6 years of proven practice as a site manager
• Holders of a Federal Diploma of Higher Education (CHE), a (minimum) Bachelor's degree from a University of Applied Sciences (UAS) or University or with an equivalent qualification and at least 6 years of professional experience as a site manager.

The deadline for providing proof of the required professional experience is generally the day on which the examination begins.

Attention:The admission criteria for continuing education, further training and preparatory courses for the AFPE Construction Manager are often not identical to the criteria for admission to the AFPE. Some schools also accept applicants with less experience, for example.

It is then up to you to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration.

Subject matter and content of continuing education, further training

The content of the various courses in preparation for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for site managers with a federal diploma is based on the specifications of the Association for Advanced Professional Examinations in Engineering and Architecture AFPE, the responsible body for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE).

The course material covers the following topics:

• Construction management: project management, construction management organization, scheduling, preparation of execution, on-site construction management
• Construction costs: construction cost planning, tendering and submission, construction cost monitoring
• Building construction: foundation, preparation, shell construction, building services, electrical engineering, finishing, surroundings, renovations
• Construction basics: structural analysis and strength theory, building physics, building materials science, ecology, safety and health protection, accident prevention and fire protection
• Surveying: position determination, height determination
• Law: contract and commercial law, SIA 118, land register and mortgages, builder's lien, spatial planning law, building and environmental law
• Communication: correspondence and minutes, conducting discussions, chairing meetings and teamwork, personal working techniques

Costs and financing of continuing education, further training

The costs of advanced training courses to prepare for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for site managers with a federal diploma vary considerably - depending, among other things, on the additional services included. You should expect the following costs:

• The majority of courses cost around CHF 13,500-16,700; individual training providers charge up to around CHF 25,000 (or CHF 30,000 without membership of the Swiss Federation of Master Builders (SBV)).
• Some schools charge additional costs for materials and teaching aids, internal examinations, etc.
• The fee for the federal examination is CHF 2,100 (as of August 2025). It is not included in the course costs.
• The federal government provides financial support for higher vocational education and training. If you have passed the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE), you will receive a refund of up to half of the training costs, up to a maximum of CHF 10,500 (regardless of the result).

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• The continuing education, further training courses in preparation for the Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (AFPE) in Construction Management can be completed on a part-time basis.
• The courses comprise around 600 lessons and last 4 semesters. There are also individual follow-up courses (5th and 6th semester) as revision courses and to accompany the diploma thesis (part of the AFPE examination).
• Most providers offer lessons on 2-3 evenings or half days per week (incl. Saturday), some offer lessons in blocks of several days.
• The federal examination takes place outside the school, certainly every two years. If enough suitable candidates register (at least 12), it will take place every year.

You can consolidate the learning material on an ongoing basis in your everyday working life. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up work, self-study time and project work. How much time is "enough" depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. To be on the safe side, allow at least 4-6 hours per week.

Degree, diploma and title

How does the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) to become a site manager (structural or civil engineering) work?

The AFPE Construction Manager specializing in structural engineering takes place every year in German-speaking Switzerland; the AFPE Construction Manager specializing in civil engineering takes place every two years.

The examination for the federal diploma as a site manager consists of four parts:

1st part / diploma thesis (weighting 25%)

Candidates complete a diploma thesis in advance (in approx. 100 working hours). The subject matter includes all general and construction-specific fields of activity in construction management and at least two on management processes in the chosen specialist area of building construction or civil engineering. They give a 15-minute oral presentation of their thesis at the examination and then have a 45-minute technical discussion with the examination experts.

2nd part / project management (weighting 25%)

Project management (leadership and communication, site preparation), written exam, 6.5 hours (double weighting)
Project management, oral examination, 30 minutes (single weighting)
Law and security, written exam, 1 hour (single weighting)

3rd part / project management (weighting 25%)

Financial management, written exam, 6.5 hours (double weighting)
Financial management, oral examination, 30 minutes (single weighting)
Quality and defects (with preparation of the utilization phase), written exam, 1 hour (single weighting)

4th part / construction (weighting 25%)

Construction (structural or civil engineering), written exam, 6.5 hours.
Construction (building construction/civil engineering), oral examination, 30 min (single weighting)
Topics in the field of structural engineering:Preparing a construction site, structures and elements
Topics in the field of civil engineering:Preparation of a building site, civil engineering work and constructions, elements

Diploma and title

Those who pass the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) receive a federal diploma and may use the following recognized and protected title:

Site manager with a federal diploma specializing in structural engineering
Site manager with a federal diploma specializing in civil engineering

Directrice des travaux/Directeur des travaux avec diplôme fédéral orientation bâtiment
Directrice des travaux/Directeur des travaux avec diplôme fédéral orientation génie civil

Direttrice dei lavori/Direttore dei lavori con diploma federale specializzazione edilizia
Direttrice dei lavori/Direttore dei lavori con diploma federale specializzazione genio civile

The English translation is:

Construction Manager, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education option Building Construction
Construction Manager, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education option Civil Engineering

The names of diploma holders are entered in a register kept by SERI.