The examination regulations for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for foreign trade managers do not stipulate that it is mandatory to attend a school to learn the material relevant to the examination. You can therefore also register directly for the examination and try your luck. However, you should bear in mind that such an examination and the title to be acquired with it place high demands on the candidates, which are difficult to fulfill without intensive preparation. It is therefore strongly recommended that you attend an appropriate preparatory course, even if you may already have several years of practical experience in foreign trade. In addition to specialist topics such as order processing, filing, customs, IT, VAT, logistics services, export controls and sanctions, legal issues in foreign trade, international framework conditions, foreign exchange transactions and payment security, legal framework conditions and many more, there are also questions on management and organization to be answered in the examination, which makes attending the course extremely useful.

For admission to the Advanced Federal Diploma in Foreign Trade, it is essential that you have professional experience in foreign trade, but not necessarily professional training in this field. You do not necessarily need a certificate as a foreign trade specialist to be admitted to the "Dipl. Aussenhandelsleiter/in" examination; a federal certificate of proficiency, a commercial secondary school diploma or a high school diploma, as well as all higher qualifications (university, HF, HF, HFP in the commercial field) can also be sufficient for admission with appropriate professional experience.

The Foreign Trade Manager course is a preparatory course that prepares you for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE). If you pass this examination, you will receive a federal diploma, which used to be known as the "master craftsman's examination".

Prior to the final examination to obtain the title of "Certified Foreign Trade Manager", you must complete a diploma thesis in which you will be examined orally. You will also sit two written examinations with an "integrated case study" and in "Management". This tests your knowledge and understanding as well as your ability to apply, analyze and synthesize problems and proposed solutions. Finally, you will also complete a "technical discussion" with at least two experts.

In the Advanced Federal Diploma in Foreign Trade Management examination, candidates solve a cross-thematic case study in the "integrated case study" section.

In the "Management" part of the examination, various professional business administration topics are tested, for example

• Guidance
• Organization
• Marketing, finance and accounting.