fide test for businesses
Make it easier for your employees to take the fide test with our dedicated training solutions!
A trusted language centre
All our language courses follow the fide principles. Your nonEU/EFTA employees will be able to prepare for their fide test in the best conditions possible. They will also be able to take their fide test at our exam centre.
Adapting to your needs and goals
Our language courses are tailored to your goals, as well as to your employee's learning preferences and the useful level required to pass their test.
What does fide mean?
fide, which means “French, Italian and Deutsch” (German), is the official program promoting language integration in Switzerland. It focuses on Swiss culture and everyday life. It is a federal undertaking, which helps people who don’t speak French, Italian or German:
Develop the necessary language skills. Ensure sufficient proficiency in one of these languages. Settle in their new country quicker.
Each expat/newcomer can take the fide test, which assesses their languages skills, to obtain their B/C permit or start their naturalisation process. A network of professional experts, instructors, schools, training centres, local authorities and specialised companies help deliver the fide program across Switzerland. Following the fide council’s directives, they train non-EU-EFTA nationals and assess their skills to ensure they can integrate well in the Swiss Confederation.
Our bespoke solutions
Individual Swiss language courses
Whether your employees choose in-person or remote classes, they will enjoy French, German or Italian classes designed specifically for them. These courses are 100% tailord to their goals, their current language levels as well as their learning preferences. They will quickly gain the linguistic skills they need to take the fide test.
Duo Swiss language courses
Whether in-person or remotely, your employees will enjoy the same experience as our individual courses but will also benefit for the positive dynamic created.
Welcome to Switzerland
Have your employees just arrived in Switzerland? Our Welcome to Switzerland program includes French language classes and cultural courses to help them settle in quicker in Switzerland. This program is tailored to their linguistic level. They will also be able to prepare for their fide test through this program, as well as take their test at our exam centre.
Swiss Integration Journey
Support your employees’ integration with our 360 service. They will benefit from:
- Our language courses and taking the fide test
- Our Swiss cultural programme.
- Personalised support during their installation.
- Support for their partner, to help them settle in Switzerland.
Taking the fide test
Our fide exam centre is accredited. This means your employees will be able to take their test at our accredited fide exam centre in Nyon.
Total linguistic immersion with our innovative digital learning platform
Alongside their language and culture classes, your employees can have access to our engaging Digital Learning platform. They will benefit from an immersive learning experience thanks to:
- Our interactive French or German video classes and engaging podcasts, customised to their personal interests, their jobs and missions.
- Hot-of-the-presses news videos. You will be able to learn the most up-to-date vocabulary thanks to the news content added weekly to your platform.
- Personalised vocabulary and grammar content library. You will build your understanding of French or German thanks to our wealth of resources.
Good to know: You will have access to reports to assess their progress on the platform.
Our engaging process
1
Identifying common goals
between the HR manager, the manager and the employee in order to facilitate their integration in Switzerland and get their language passport.
2
Analysing learning preferences and language level
to define your employees' learning preferences and their starting language level. We will then adapt our learning programme to their specific needs and expectations.
3
Language courses
to your goals, your employees current level and their learning preferences.
4
Reporting
throughout the programme thanks to our audits and satisfaction surveys which will be sent to you to easily assess ROI.
Level A1
Elementary use of language A1
Your employees can communicate in a simple way, in their personal living context (e.g. at home, at work or at their children’s school), as long as their instructor speaks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help them when necessary.
Your employees can introduce themselves or introduce someone else using simple words.
Your employees can give short and simple answers to easy, personal questions (e.g. where do you live ? Where do you work ? Where do your children go to school ?)
Your employees can express their needs or concerns (e.g. at home or in a shop), by using prepared and practiced sentences.
Level A2
Elementary use of language A2
Your employees can understand simple questions and sentences relating to important areas of their life. For example, questions on their children’s school, their education/training, their work, their health or their living situation.
Your employees can communicate in routine situations in a government office or any other public institution, which only require a direct exchange of information on familiar topics.
Your employees can describe where they come from, talk about their education, their work or their personal experiences, using simple words.
Level B1
Independent use of language B1
Your employees can understand important information from a teacher, their employer, their landlord or public authorities, as long as they use clear, standard sentences and they talk about familiar topics.
Your employees can manage in most day-to-day situations at home, at work or in a public space.
Your employees can express themselves easily and clearly on familiar topics, personal interests and experiences.
Your employees can express their opinions, their goals, their hopes and their wishes, as well as explain or justify them briefly.
Language levels
Permits & naturalisation
B Permit (Residence Permit)
To join a partner who holds a B Permit (Art. 73a OASA), also known as family reunification.
To renew workers’ B Permits.
Early C Permit (Early Settlement Permit)
To apply for an early settlement permit (Early C Permit) after living in Switzerland for 5 continuous years.
C Permit (Settlement Permit)
To apply for a settlement permit (C Permit) after living in Switzerland for 10 continuous years.
Naturalisation
To become a Swiss citizen and apply for ordinary naturalisation (after living in Switzerland for 10 continuous years) or simplified naturalisation for spouses of Swiss citizens (after living in Switzerland for 5 continuous years).
Your trusted language courses partner
A bespoke programme:
We adapt our courses to your goals, your employees' availability, their current linguistic level and their learning preferences.
Flexibility:
We schedule our courses when convenient for your employees.
Our professional language instructors:
All our language trainers hold a professional diploma, are under eduQua certification and have at least three years' experience in a business setting.
Proven client satisfaction:
We are proud of our 98.7% satisfaction rate (average from our customer satisfaction surveys between 2019 and 2021).
Our B2B services
B2B language courses
We offer private or group language courses, in-person or remote. These courses are adapted to your HR goals, your industry and your team’s linguistic levels.
Linguistic coaching
Our bespoke language learning service. We base our curriculum on your colleague’s work documents to build a 100 % personalized to their job, their missions, their linguistic level, and their goals.
Welcome to Switzerland
Are you hiring from non-EU/EFTA countries? Our Welcome to Switzerland service offers dedicated support service, with language and cultural courses to help them settle in well.