103+ Free Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Practice Questions

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Key Facts: Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Exam

103

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

CHF 2,490

Total Exam Fee (Bewachung)

VSSU Tarifliste, valid from 1 July 2024

450 min

Total Exam Duration (Bewachung)

VSSU Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 5.11

22 years

Minimum Age for Admission

VSSU Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 3.31

3,200 h

Practice Required with an EFZ

VSSU Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 3.31

Grade 4.0 / 6.0

Minimum Overall Grade to Pass

VSSU Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 6.41

The Swiss Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau mit eidgenössischem Fachausweis (FA) is the federal professional qualification for private security specialists, organised by the VSSU under SBFI supervision since 2001. It runs about 450 minutes across four Fächer — Branchenkunde, Recht and Sozialkompetenz plus the chosen Fachrichtung with its practical parcours — in German, French or Italian. Admission needs an EFZ plus 2 years and 3,200 hours of practice (or a longer route), a minimum age of 22 and a clean criminal record extract; the fee is CHF 2,490 (CHF 3,840 for Personenschutz). This bank provides 103 research-based English practice questions with detailed explanations.

Sample Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 103+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under Article 15 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB - Schweizerisches Strafgesetzbuch), when is an act committed in self-defense (Notwehr) justified and not punishable?

A.When someone is attacked without right or directly threatened with an attack, and the defense is carried out in a manner proportionate to the circumstances

B.When a person uses physical force to retaliate against an insult after the aggressor has already left the scene

C.When property damage is inflicted on an innocent third party's vehicle to pursue a fleeing suspect

D.When lethal force is automatically deployed against any trespasser entering private commercial premises after hours

Explanation: Under Article 15 StGB, self-defense (Notwehr) justifies an otherwise unlawful act if a person is attacked without right or directly threatened with an unlawful attack, provided the defensive action is proportionate to the circumstances. The defense must target the attacker and cease immediately once the threat has ended.

2According to Article 16 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB), how does the law treat an individual who exceeds the limits of self-defense (Notwehrexzess)?

A.The court mitigates the sentence, and where the excess arose from excusable agitation or alarm caused by the attack the defender acts without culpability and is therefore not punished, even though the act itself stays unlawful

B.The individual is automatically subjected to mandatory statutory maximum penalties regardless of mental state

C.The individual is completely immune from civil liability but always receives an unsuspended custodial prison sentence

D.The court treats the excess as an administrative misdemeanor punishable only by an on-the-spot municipal fine

Explanation: Art. 16 Abs. 1 StGB: where the defender exceeds the limits of Notwehr under Art. 15, the court mitigates the sentence ('so mildert das Gericht die Strafe'). Abs. 2: where the excess occurred in excusable agitation or alarm at the attack ('in entschuldbarer Aufregung oder Bestürzung über den Angriff'), the defender 'handelt nicht schuldhaft' — acts without culpability. Keep the two levels apart: this is a ground excluding guilt (Schuldausschluss), so the excessive act remains objectively unlawful and only the defender's blame falls away, which is also why a victim of it may still defend themselves. Contrast Art. 17 StGB, which makes the act itself lawful.

3Under Article 17 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB), what is the key legal criterion for a justifying state of necessity (Rechtfertigender Notstand)?

A.The act is committed to avert an imminent, otherwise unavoidable danger to one's own or another person's legal asset, and the actor thereby safeguards higher-value interests (höherwertige Interessen)

B.The act is committed to punish a fleeing suspect who stole an item of negligible financial value

C.The act involves violating another person's bodily integrity to save replaceable corporate machinery from minor water damage

D.The act is executed purely on verbal command of a commercial client without any immediate physical threat

Explanation: Article 17 StGB defines justifying necessity (Rechtfertigender Notstand): whoever commits an offence in order to save their own or another person's legal asset from an imminent, otherwise unavoidable danger acts lawfully (handelt rechtmässig) if they thereby safeguard higher-value interests. The statute's test is 'höherwertige Interessen' — the preserved interest must rank higher than the sacrificed one; it does not require the margin to be overwhelming.

4How does Article 18 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB) distinguish an excusable state of necessity (Entschuldbarer Notstand) from a justifying state of necessity under Article 17 StGB?

A.Under Art. 18 StGB the interest weighting does not make the act lawful, so the actor is merely punished more leniently if giving up the endangered asset could reasonably have been expected of them, and acts without culpability if it could not

B.Under Art. 18 StGB, the act is considered fully lawful and grants the actor a statutory right to financial compensation from the state

C.Under Art. 18 StGB, the emergency must be caused by a natural disaster rather than human conduct

D.Under Art. 18 StGB, only sworn police officers may invoke the defense, whereas private security guards are restricted to Art. 17 StGB

Explanation: Art. 17 StGB makes the act lawful when higher-value interests are safeguarded. Art. 18 StGB covers the case where that weighting is not met: someone who offends to save themselves or another person from an imminent, otherwise unavoidable danger to life, limb, liberty, honour, property or other high-value assets is punished more leniently if giving up the endangered asset could reasonably have been expected of them (Abs. 1), and acts without culpability if it could not (Abs. 2). The act stays unlawful; only the actor's guilt is reduced or excused.

5Under Article 218 of the Swiss Criminal Procedure Code (StPO - Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung), under what exact conditions is a private security officer authorized to make a provisional arrest (Vorläufige Festnahme durch Privatpersonen)?

A.If the suspect is caught in the act of committing a felony or misdemeanor (Verbrechen oder Vergehen), or is caught immediately after having committed such an offense, and police assistance is not immediately available

B.Whenever an individual looks suspicious or refuses to present official identification upon entering public streets

C.Whenever a customer commits a minor non-criminal civil contract breach such as a late invoice payment

D.Whenever an employee expresses political opinions that differ from company management policy

Explanation: Article 218 StPO grants private individuals, including security personnel, the power of provisional citizen arrest (Jedermanns-Festnahmerecht) only when a person is caught in the commission of a felony (Verbrechen) or misdemeanor (Vergehen), or intercepted immediately thereafter, provided police assistance cannot be obtained in time to prevent escape.

6Once a private security guard executes a provisional arrest under Article 218 of the Swiss Criminal Procedure Code (StPO), what mandatory statutory obligation must be carried out immediately?

A.The detained individual must be handed over to the police as quickly as possible (so rasch als möglich der Polizei zu übergeben)

B.The guard must interrogate the suspect under oath and prepare formal criminal indictments

C.The guard must hold the suspect in a locked private cell for a mandatory 48-hour cooling-off period

D.The guard must impose an administrative fine and confiscate all personal assets indefinitely

Explanation: Art. 218 Abs. 3 StPO states that arrested persons must be handed over to the police as quickly as possible ('so rasch als möglich der Polizei zu übergeben'). Note the paragraph split: Abs. 1 sets the grounds for arrest, Abs. 2 permits private persons to use force only within the limits of Art. 200 StPO — as a last resort and proportionate — and Abs. 3 imposes the handover duty. Private guards possess no sovereign interrogation or prolonged custody powers.

7What constituent elements define the offense of unlawful entry or trespass (Hausfriedensbruch) under Article 186 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB)?

A.Entering against the will of the entitled person into a house, home, enclosed space, yard or garden, or remaining therein despite being requested to leave

B.Entering premises that are open to the public during their opening hours, since any entry onto private property against the owner's commercial interest is covered

C.Remaining in a publicly accessible shopping centre after being banned in writing, which is prosecuted ex officio rather than on complaint

D.Refusing to give one's name to a security officer while inside a private building, since the refusal removes any right to be present

Explanation: Under Article 186 StGB, Hausfriedensbruch is committed when someone unlawfully enters a house, dwelling, enclosed space of a house, yard, garden, or immediate workplace against the will of the person holding domestic authority (Hausrecht), or remains therein despite an explicit order to leave. It is prosecuted upon complaint (Antragsdelikt).

8Which action by a private security guard constitutes the criminal offense of usurpation of public authority (Amtsanmassung) under Article 287 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB)?

A.Falsely claiming to be a cantonal police officer, displaying forged police insignia, or performing sovereign official acts without authorization

B.Wearing a company uniform clearly labeled with the private security company's registered trademark and name

C.Asking a visitor at a corporate front desk to show personal photo identification before issuing a guest badge

D.Calling the emergency number 117 to report an ongoing burglary at a monitored facility

Explanation: Under Article 287 StGB, anyone who assumes the exercise of an official function or acts as a holder of public authority without authorization (e.g. pretending to be a police officer or executing sovereign police orders) commits Amtsanmassung, which is punishable by a custodial sentence or monetary penalty.

9What is the legal difference between threatening (Drohung, Art. 180 StGB) and coercion (Nötigung, Art. 181 StGB) under Swiss criminal law?

A.Drohung involves alarming someone with serious detriment, whereas Nötigung involves using violence, threats, or other restrictions to force someone to act, submit, or desist

B.Nötigung requires the threatened harm to be actually carried out, whereas Drohung covers the announcement of it alone

C.Drohung is the more serious offence of the two, since it is the announcement of violence, while Nötigung merely concerns influencing another person's decisions

D.Drohung covers threats against people, whereas Nötigung is limited to threats directed at property

Explanation: Article 180 StGB (Drohung) penalizes placing someone in fear and alarm through serious threats. Article 181 StGB (Nötigung) goes further by penalizing the use of violence, severe threats, or other restriction of freedom of action to compel a person to do, endure, or omit an act against their will.

10When does a private security guard's physical restraint of a person cross the threshold into unlawful deprivation of liberty (Freiheitsberaubung, Art. 183 StGB)?

A.When the guard locks a customer in a back room without any statutory justification (such as StPO Art. 218 or StGB Art. 15) or holds them long after police could have arrived

B.When a guard momentarily stands in front of a restricted door to deny entry to an unbadged visitor

C.When a guard detains a violent shoplifter caught in the act and immediately contacts the police via 117

D.When a security operative requests that attendees queue in an orderly line at an event entrance

Explanation: Under Article 183 StGB, unlawful deprivation of liberty occurs when someone unlawfully arrests, detains, or otherwise deprives a person of their freedom of movement. If a guard detains someone without statutory justification (no in flagrante crime under StPO 218) or detains them arbitrarily/excessively, they commit Freiheitsberaubung.

About the Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Exam

The Sicherheitsfachfrau / Sicherheitsfachmann mit eidgenössischem Fachausweis is the Swiss federal professional qualification (Berufsprüfung) for private security specialists. The VSSU has organised it since 2001 as the Trägerschaft, under the supervision of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI), in four Fachrichtungen: Bewachung, Personenschutz, Zentralendienste and Anlässe. It tests Swiss criminal law (Notwehr Art. 15 StGB, Notstand Art. 17 StGB), criminal procedure (provisional arrest by private persons under Art. 218 StPO), civil law and possession protection (Art. 926 ZGB), employment law and the sector GAV, industry knowledge and reporting, social competence and de-escalation, security technology (EMA, BMA, access control, video surveillance), extinguishing systems and the emergency response plan — and, in the practical parcours, guarding, traffic service, firefighting, first aid with BLS-AED, and event control and evacuation.

Assessment

Administered by the VSSU under SBFI supervision. Three Grundfächer — Branchenkunde (60 min written, 30 min oral), Recht (45 min written, 30 min oral) and Sozialkompetenz (45 min written, 30 min oral) — each weighted 1. The chosen Fachrichtung adds Fachkunde (60 min written, 30 min oral, weighted 1) and Praxis (120 min practical parcours, weighted 3; 240 min for Personenschutz). Written parts run as computer-based testing. In Fach 2 Recht candidates may bring official or commercial editions of the statutes.

Time Limit

450 minutes in total for Bewachung, Zentralendienste and Anlässe; 570 minutes for Personenschutz

Passing Score

Passed when the overall weighted grade is not below 4.0, both Prüfungsteile of the chosen Fachrichtung are not below 4.0, and at most one of the three Grundfächer is below 4.0 with no grade below 3.0 (Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 6.41).

Exam Fee

CHF 2,490 (Bewachung, Zentralendienste, Anlässe) / CHF 3,840 (Personenschutz) (Verband Schweizerischer Sicherheitsdienstleistungs-Unternehmen (VSSU) / SBFI)

Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Exam Content Outline

Gewichtung 1 of 7

Fach 1 — Branchenkunde (industry knowledge)

Services and demarcation from police and military, professional requirements and ethics, duty procedures and reporting (Rapportwesen), assignment comprehension and induction of new staff, work quality, occupational safety and personal equipment including first aid and behaviour towards drug-affected persons, hazard theory (Security vs Safety, security rings, threat analysis), guarded objects and duty areas, person and baggage control including Signalement and identity documents, traffic direction, and communication and IT systems including radio discipline and the NATO alphabet

Gewichtung 1 of 7

Fach 2 — Recht (law)

Legal order and the structure of norms, federal weapons law; criminal law: types of offence, offences against life and limb, property, honour and the private sphere, liberty, public safety, forgery and public authority, and the grounds of justification and excuse (Notwehr Art. 15/16 StGB, Notstand Art. 17/18 StGB); criminal procedure: provisional arrest by private persons (Art. 218 StPO) and duties to cooperate; civil law: capacity, representation, contract and mandate, tort, ownership, possession and Hausrecht, self-help and possession protection (Art. 926 ZGB); employment law: Arbeitsgesetz and ArGV2, the individual employment contract under the Code of Obligations, and the GAV for private security services

Gewichtung 1 of 7

Fach 3 — Sozialkompetenz (social competence)

Perception and appearance, fundamentals of communication, conduct and role awareness; dealing with clients and third parties, customer benefit, forms of approach and conversation management, and handling confidential information; behaviour in extraordinary situations — controlling one's own stress reactions, reducing tension, conflict and aggression, responding to threats and attacks on oneself or others, de-escalation principles, sensitisation to potential dangers, and mental preparation

Gewichtung 1 of 7

Fach 5 — Fachkunde Bewachung (specialist knowledge, guarding)

Mechanical and electronic security technology: access control installations, fire closures, smoke and heat extraction, fences, doors, turnstiles, airlocks, glazing, secure containers, locking systems and readers, biometric and contactless access, alarm devices and video surveillance; alarm systems: intrusion and hold-up systems (EMA), fire detection systems (BMA), detector types and triggering parameters, procedures on alarm and on technical fault, voice alarm systems; extinguishing systems: fire classes and matching extinguishing agents, extinguisher types, fixed installations and hose stations; building services (lifts, gas, heating, ventilation, electrical, water, emergency power); and the emergency response plan (Notfalldispositiv)

Gewichtung 3 of 7

Fach 6 — Praxis Bewachung (practical parcours)

Assessed as a 120-minute practical parcours of routine tasks and special incidents. Traffic direction: hand signals, measures and securing at accidents, simple preservation of accident traces, self-protection and reporting. Standard round: understanding the task, personal equipment, observation and description of persons, vehicles and objects, person and technical control measures, reporting, information transmission with and without technical aids, conduct in unusual situations, trace protection at the scene, dangerous goods, hazard prevention and damage limitation. Specific tasks may cover radio traffic, fire protection and firefighting, first aid including BLS-AED, technical alarms, searches of persons, vehicles, objects and rooms, document checks, support to evacuation and protective measures, recognising weapons and dangerous objects, IED components, and dealing with unfamiliar cultures

How to Pass the Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Passed when the overall weighted grade is not below 4.0, both Prüfungsteile of the chosen Fachrichtung are not below 4.0, and at most one of the three Grundfächer is below 4.0 with no grade below 3.0 (Prüfungsordnung Ziff. 6.41).
Assessment: Administered by the VSSU under SBFI supervision. Three Grundfächer — Branchenkunde (60 min written, 30 min oral), Recht (45 min written, 30 min oral) and Sozialkompetenz (45 min written, 30 min oral) — each weighted 1. The chosen Fachrichtung adds Fachkunde (60 min written, 30 min oral, weighted 1) and Praxis (120 min practical parcours, weighted 3; 240 min for Personenschutz). Written parts run as computer-based testing. In Fach 2 Recht candidates may bring official or commercial editions of the statutes.
Time limit: 450 minutes in total for Bewachung, Zentralendienste and Anlässe; 570 minutes for Personenschutz
Exam fee: CHF 2,490 (Bewachung, Zentralendienste, Anlässe) / CHF 3,840 (Personenschutz)

Keys to Passing

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Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau FA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the difference between Art. 15 StGB (Notwehr — an unlawful attack, or the immediate threat of one, repelled in a manner appropriate to the circumstances), Art. 16 StGB (exceeding those limits: the court mitigates, and there is no culpability where the excess arose from excusable agitation or alarm), Art. 17 StGB (justifying necessity — lawful where higher-value interests are safeguarded) and Art. 18 StGB (excusable necessity — the act stays unlawful; the actor is punished more leniently, or not at all where giving up the endangered asset could not be expected).

2Know the exact criteria for provisional arrest by private persons under Art. 218 StPO: police help cannot be obtained in time, and the person was either caught in the act of a Verbrechen or Vergehen or found immediately afterwards, or the competent authority has publicly called on the population to help trace them. Abs. 2 allows private persons to use force only within the limits of Art. 200 StPO — as a last resort and proportionate — and Abs. 3 requires the arrested person to be handed to the police as quickly as possible. Petty property offences privileged under Art. 172ter StGB are Übertretungen and give no arrest right.

3Understand possession protection under Art. 926 ZGB, and note that it was amended with effect from 1 July 2026 (AS 2026 16). Abs. 1 is unchanged: Besitzwehr allows the possessor to repel unlawful interference by force. Besitzkehr is now split — movable property may be retaken from an offender caught in the act and immediately pursued (Abs. 3), while land may be recovered by expelling the intruder within a reasonable period after the possessor learns of the dispossession (Abs. 2), a deliberate relaxation of the old 'immediately'. New Abs. 4 makes self-help subsidiary: it is available only where official help cannot be obtained in time, and force not justified by the circumstances must still be avoided. Older course notes cite the movable-property rule as Abs. 2.

4Learn the fire classes and their extinguishing agents, and note the wording trap: current EN 2 practice uses A (solids forming embers), B (liquids and liquefiable solids), C (gases), D (metals) and F (cooking fats and oils), while the VSSU Wegleitung still lists them as 'A, B, C, E' with the legacy Class E for electrical installations. Never use water on Class F or on live electrical equipment.

5Memorise the Swiss emergency numbers: 117 (police), 118 (fire service), 144 (ambulance), 1414 (Rega air rescue), 145 (Tox Info Suisse) and 112 (European emergency number).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Swiss Sicherheitsfachmann/-frau mit eidgenössischem Fachausweis?

It is the federally recognised professional qualification (Berufsprüfung) for private security specialists in Switzerland, organised by the VSSU as Trägerschaft since 2001 and supervised by the SBFI. It is offered in four Fachrichtungen — Bewachung, Personenschutz, Zentralendienste and Anlässe — and certifies competence in Swiss law, industry knowledge, social competence, security technology and practical guarding duty.

What sovereign powers do private security guards hold in Switzerland?

None. Private security personnel have no sovereign police powers (keine hoheitlichen Befugnisse). Their interventions rest on general rights available to anyone: self-defence (Art. 15 StGB), necessity (Art. 17 StGB), possession protection (Art. 926 ZGB), the site owner's Hausrecht, and provisional arrest under Art. 218 StPO — which reaches only a Verbrechen or Vergehen, so it does not cover petty theft privileged as an Übertretung under Art. 172ter StGB. Anyone detained must be handed to the police as quickly as possible.

How much does the Swiss Berufsprüfung for security specialists cost?

The VSSU fee list valid from 1 July 2024 sets a total of CHF 2,490 for Bewachung, Zentralendienste and Anlässe — CHF 2,100 examination fee, CHF 350 material costs for the practical exam, and CHF 40 for issuing the Fachausweis and the SBFI register entry. Personenschutz totals CHF 3,840. Candidates who sit a federal examination can claim the SBFI Subjektfinanzierung, a federal contribution of 50% of eligible preparatory course fees.

How long is the exam and what does it consist of?

The examination runs about 450 minutes in total for Bewachung, Zentralendienste and Anlässe, and 570 minutes for Personenschutz. It covers three Grundfächer — Branchenkunde, Recht and Sozialkompetenz, each with a written and an oral part and each weighted 1 — plus the chosen Fachrichtung, which adds a Fachkunde part (written and oral, weighted 1) and a practical parcours (weighted 3). The written parts are delivered as computer-based testing.

How is the official Swiss Berufsprüfung adapted in this practice bank?

The official exam is sat in German, French or Italian and combines computer-based written papers, oral examinations before two experts, and a practical parcours. This bank is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of the published syllabus in the VSSU Wegleitung — 103 questions with detailed explanations of the statutes, technical standards and operational procedures being tested. It is not an official translation, not a simulation of the exam format, and no substitute for the oral and practical components. Question drill does mirror how the VSSU itself expects candidates to revise: registered candidates receive a login for the official VSSU-Campus e-training platform three months before the exam, and the Merkblatt advises working through its practice questions first and only then attempting the exam simulation.