Degree, diploma and title
The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for Head of Logistics is held annually if at least ten candidates meet the admission requirements after the invitation to tender, otherwise at least every two years. Candidates can take the examination in German, French or Italian.
Candidates are notified at least four weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the detailed examination program (location, time, examination schedule, examination procedure, permitted aids) and the list of experts.
The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) consists of the following four parts:
1) Diploma thesis
1.1) Writing the diploma thesis (written, prepared in advance)
In the diploma thesis (as a practical project), candidates demonstrate their ability to work independently on a problem from corporate logistics (flow of goods, information and values), taking into account the practical relevance, and to develop and plan solutions and concepts.
The actual thesis must be preceded by a so-called "disposition", in which they briefly explain the problem, the objective and the procedure. Once the disposition has been approved by an expert, you can start writing your thesis. The formal and content-related requirements, such as scope, citation style, references, etc., can be found in the guidelines.
1.2) Oral examination of the diploma thesis (60 minutes)
The oral examination part of the diploma thesis consists of a 20-minute presentation of the diploma thesis (preparation time 20 minutes) and a subsequent round of questions by the two experts, which will last 30 minutes. This oral part of the examination concludes with a 10-minute reflection.
2) Case studies (logistics process 1 and 2, written, 4 hours each)
Here, candidates demonstrate that they are able to analyze logistics processes in terms of their economic efficiency, quality, safety and environmental compatibility and derive appropriate measures to optimize them. Candidates are given two case studies, i.e. descriptions of situations and suitable questions and tasks, which they have to solve.
3) Questionnaire (written, 4 hours)
In this part of the examination, candidates are asked to call on their specialist knowledge by answering relevant questions from a questionnaire in a situation-specific and practical manner.
4) Group assessment (groups of 4, oral, 4 hours)
Candidates demonstrate their leadership qualities and specialist skills in teamwork. The procedure is as follows: Within the four hours, one candidate is tested in a leadership task in each of four sequences, while the other three candidates are tested in their technical skills.
Diploma and title
Successful graduates of the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Logistics Manager".
In French: "Chef de logistique diplomée / Chef de logistique diplomé"
In Italian: "Capo della logistica diplomata / Capo della logistica diplomato"
In English: "Senior Logistician with Advanced Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)
Note: Graduates can also apply for the European recognized title "European Senior Logistician".