FIDE – How to Successfully Pass the Exam
Being able to speak a language of the area you want to live in is often recommended, but sometimes governments make sure all residents are capable of basic communication in their dominant language. You will find this requirement for permanent residence all around the world and Switzerland is no exception. Since January 2019, in order to obtain a residence or settlement permit in Switzerland, non-citizens must prove that they have knowledge of the language spoken in their place of residence:
- Oral A1 – family reunification: for the issuance and renewal of a residence permit (B)
- Oral A2 and written A1 – family reunification: for the issuance of a settlement permit (C)
- Oral A2 and written A1 – for the issuance of a settlement permit (C)
- Oral B1 and written A1 – for the early issuance of a settlement permit (C)
- Oral B1 and written A2 – for naturalization
The FIDE test was developed by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in order to determine whether a person seeking residence or settlement permit in Switzerland is capable of everyday communication with the natives. Since German, Italian and French are dominant languages in Switzerland, these three languages are being tested. The exam itself tests oral and written skills. FIDE’s diploma is valid in Switzerland and is issued on behalf of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). It attests to the candidate’s oral and written abilities in the three national languages.
In order to pass the exam, you need to know what it consists of. There are two parts and you can take them separately in case only one part is necessary for the permit you are trying to obtain. Let’s address them separately with pieces of advice you might find helpful preparing for FIDE.
1. Oral assessment
Regardless of the type of permit you might be required to get in order for you to stay in Switzerland, oral assessment is always going to be mandatory. It lasts 40 minutes and consists of two parts:
- Speaking – It lasts for 20 minutes and it’s an introductory interview where the interviewer asks target questions relative to the selected topic to determine your proficiency level.
- Understanding – It lasts for 20 minutes and in this stage you are going to be asked to listen to a short audio recording followed by comprehension questions.
This is the basic outline of the oral assessment part. When it comes to the topics you are going to be asked about, you can check our previous article about determining your language proficiency. The topics are going to be anything that an A1, A2 or B1 level speaker can discuss about – daily routines, jobs, paying bills, shopping and similar instances you might encounter on daily basis. The test is not about being flawless at something, although it is not a bad thing if you are! It is about being capable of communicating with people in the area to ensure you can cater for your basic needs. The most common methods to study for FIDE include:
- Studying on your own – You can use books, dictionaries and online materials we already wrote about in the article that you can check here.
- Joining a preparation class – Many language schools teach classes specifically designed for students preparing for FIDE and we offer those as well.
We strongly advise you to hire a teacher to help you out in this particular case. Teachers can guide you towards the topics and areas you need to learn and provide you with immediate feedback. While you can potentially achieve similar results studying on your own, the risk of failing isn’t worth the amount of money you might save. Practicing speaking on your own is incredibly case-dependent as some people tend to have a good, self-critical ear while others tend to be like Joey from the sitcom Friends. Having an experienced instructor around makes a huge difference in such cases.
2. Written assessment
This part consists of writing and reading and it lasts for 60 minutes. In fact, there are several writing and reading tasks one after another within the given timeframe. In the reading part, you may get to read a news article about finding an apartment or getting a job and then be asked several questions about the article you just read. These are often multiple-choice questions which makes this part easier for some participants. Once you are done with this part, you have to write a formal letter or an email for a specific occasion such as job inquiry, apartment hunting, school class or anything else a resident may need. There are three reading and three writing sections. It’s important to note that written assessment isn’t necessary for getting the B-permit.
Once you are done with the exam, you will get results within a few days. Trust me on this one, the exam is not difficult. It is there to ensure you can communicate with other people and most foreigners who move to Switzerland with a goal to stay are able to pass the exam with ease!
