Reaching the finish line at the second attempt
Practice, invest, succeed: If you don’t pass the exam the first time, you always have a second chance. Sales managers share how they succeeded on their second attempt—and what fundamental knowledge is essential to really pull it off after the first try.
It’s almost that time again. At one of Switzerland’s most dazzling hotel gems, the Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken, the successful sales managers—the «Class of 2010»—can rightly treat themselves to a nice drink. The date has long been marked in red on the calendars of many sales professionals across the country: November 27—graduation ceremony! However, not everyone who has endured a tough period of sacrifice—juggling work and personal life while attending school and putting in many hours on case studies, assignments, and group work—will succeed. «On average, 70 to 75 percent of candidates pass on their first attempt,» says Jean-Paul Zürcher, president of the Sales Manager Examination Board. The unfortunate 20 to 25 percent who don’t make it the first time are explicitly encouraged in the letter they receive to take the exam again.
And that’s exactly what a large majority does. The percentage of those who don’t let themselves get discouraged and want to seize their second chance is high: «About 80 percent of those who failed try again,» says Zürcher. Many succeed on their second attempt: «62 percent of those who retook the exam passed in 2007, 58 percent in 2008, and as many as 92 percent in 2009,» reports Zürcher. In theory, retakers would also be entitled to a third attempt, but, says the exam commission president, this is done «extremely rarely.» Zürcher’s advice to all those who didn’t quite make it on their first try: «Definitely try a second time! Depending on the institution, it’s even possible to take the relevant subjects separately again.» Zürcher is backed up by Claude Dubois, Head of Examinations at Swiss Marketing: «These exams require peak performance, which isn’t always possible even with the best possible preparation. It’s definitely worth taking the exam again, because you’ve already mastered the material, invested time and money, and everyone has already gotten a taste of what the exam is like.»
First, press the reset button
Susanna Kupferschmied knows how to succeed on the second try. With a grade point average of 3.9, the native of the Bernese Oberland narrowly missed the mark on her first exam and thus missed the 2008 graduation ceremony. Too many low grades pulled her average just below the magic 4. A heavy professional workload during her studies also contributed to this. Working full-time during her training, plus a new job that demanded her full attention—that likely had a negative impact. Except for one subject in which she earned a 5, she had to retake everything. A daunting task. It was clear to the pharmaceutical specialist that she would have to retake the exams: «After all, I’d set a goal for myself and decided to pursue this degree. It would be a shame to waste all that time and energy if I didn’t give it another try.» And yet: she needed to take a break first. «I hit the reset button, so to speak, and took time for friends and family.» It wasn’t until her batteries were recharged after about three months that she got back to work. From then on, she set aside two hours two evenings a week for studying—a workload that Kupferschmied then intensified in preparation for the oral exams. Together with a colleague, she crammed for accounting, her personal weak subject. Her advice: «You really have to be very disciplined and basically stay in practice. If you don’t work through case studies regularly, you can fall behind.» It worked to her advantage that she could send completed case studies to a lecturer for grading. Her second attempt required a lot of dedication. That said, even here, it’s all a matter of finding the right balance: «Of course, approaching it too doggedly isn’t good either.» The second time around, she struck the right balance, and the trip to the sales manager graduation ceremony at the Victoria Jungfrau took place as planned in November 2009: «I got a 4.1—which, of course, was like Christmas and Easter rolled into one.»
On the seventh day, you shall study hard
Christian Löpfe also had to take a lap of honor. With a grade point average of 3.9, he just missed the mark on his first try. His grades ranged from 3.5 to 4.5, with a weakness in accounting—«which, of course, was a problem for almost everyone,» as the IT specialist from the Zürcher Unterland region smiles today. It wasn’t clear from the start that he would have to retake the course: «After that setback, I naturally wondered whether I wanted to put myself through all that a second time. But then I knew relatively soon that I wanted to give it another shot.» True to the principle: What you start, you finish.
From then on, Löpfe spent every Sunday morning studying, tackling one subject at a time and working through a case study. Even though, as the student now says, a study group would actually have been better. But given his time constraints and organizational situation at that stage, cramming on his own was the better option for him. It was a study marathon that turned into a veritable sprint as the exam date approached: «The key for me was that I took a week off before the exams and went through one subject every day.» In the mornings, he focused on refreshing the basics; in the afternoons, he worked on a case study: «That way, I was able to really recharge my short-term memory, which helped me a lot.» The second time around, things went better; Löpfe finished «right within the target range.» His advice to everyone else retaking the exam: «The final push is important. And it would be even better if you could exchange ideas with a private study group beforehand.»
The best way to go about it probably always depends on individual learning styles. But the fact that you can succeed the second time around after putting in the personal effort is proven not only by Susanna Kupferschmied and Christian Löpfe, but also by all the other students who retook the exam and made it to the finish line on their second try. It’s an effort that’s definitely worth it and also strengthens one’s frustration tolerance, assertiveness, and personal persistence. Claude Dubois, in any case, has great respect for everyone who dares to take a second shot: The head of the Examinations Department at Swiss Marketing puts it this way: «These are strong-willed people who want to achieve something. I have great respect for them and am convinced that they will prove themselves on the job market.»
Review What You Need to Know
Of course it hurts; of course, right after the failure becomes known, morale hits rock bottom. But given all the knowledge you’ve already acquired, and the fact that you meet the strict admission criteria in the first place, failing the first time really leaves only one conclusion: give it another shot. Frequently asked questions on the topic—and what experts have to say.
Did I definitely pass with a grade point average of 4.0?
No. Although the overall grade must be at least 4.0, no more than two individual exam grades may be below 4.0, and none of the individual exam grades may be below 3.0.
I failed. Do I have to retake all my courses?
No. Retake exams apply only to exam sections in which a grade of at least 5.0 was not achieved.
I failed. How many times can I retake the test? Twice.
Can I retake the exam the very next year? Yes.
What if I fail again?
Then you can try again. In the past, there had to be a one-year gap between the second and third exams, but that's no longer the case.
If I retake the exam, do I have to pay the full exam fee again?
No. For each subject that does not need to be retaken, the exam fee is reduced by 75 francs.
And that’s exactly what a large majority does. The percentage of those who don’t let themselves get discouraged and want to seize their second chance is high: «About 80 percent of those who failed try again,» says Zürcher. Many succeed on their second attempt: «62 percent of those who retook the exam passed in 2007, 58 percent in 2008, and as many as 92 percent in 2009,» reports Zürcher. In theory, retakers would also be entitled to a third attempt, but, says the exam commission president, this is done «extremely rarely.» Zürcher’s advice to all those who didn’t quite make it on their first try: «Definitely try a second time! Depending on the institution, it’s even possible to take the relevant subjects separately again.» Zürcher is backed up by Claude Dubois, Head of Examinations at Swiss Marketing: «These exams require peak performance, which isn’t always possible even with the best possible preparation. It’s definitely worth taking the exam again, because you’ve already mastered the material, invested time and money, and everyone has already gotten a taste of what the exam is like.»
First, press the reset button
Susanna Kupferschmied knows how to succeed on the second try. With a grade point average of 3.9, the native of the Bernese Oberland narrowly missed the mark on her first exam and thus missed the 2008 graduation ceremony. Too many low grades pulled her average just below the magic 4. A heavy professional workload during her studies also contributed to this. Working full-time during her training, plus a new job that demanded her full attention—that likely had a negative impact. Except for one subject in which she earned a 5, she had to retake everything. A daunting task. It was clear to the pharmaceutical specialist that she would have to retake the exams: «After all, I’d set a goal for myself and decided to pursue this degree. It would be a shame to waste all that time and energy if I didn’t give it another try.» And yet: she needed to take a break first. «I hit the reset button, so to speak, and took time for friends and family.» It wasn’t until her batteries were recharged after about three months that she got back to work. From then on, she set aside two hours two evenings a week for studying—a workload that Kupferschmied then intensified in preparation for the oral exams. Together with a colleague, she crammed for accounting, her personal weak subject. Her advice: «You really have to be very disciplined and basically stay in practice. If you don’t work through case studies regularly, you can fall behind.» It worked to her advantage that she could send completed case studies to a lecturer for grading. Her second attempt required a lot of dedication. That said, even here, it’s all a matter of finding the right balance: «Of course, approaching it too doggedly isn’t good either.» The second time around, she struck the right balance, and the trip to the sales manager graduation ceremony at the Victoria Jungfrau took place as planned in November 2009: «I got a 4.1—which, of course, was like Christmas and Easter rolled into one.»
On the seventh day, you shall study hard
Christian Löpfe also had to take a lap of honor. With a grade point average of 3.9, he just missed the mark on his first try. His grades ranged from 3.5 to 4.5, with a weakness in accounting—«which, of course, was a problem for almost everyone,» as the IT specialist from the Zürcher Unterland region smiles today. It wasn’t clear from the start that he would have to retake the course: «After that setback, I naturally wondered whether I wanted to put myself through all that a second time. But then I knew relatively soon that I wanted to give it another shot.» True to the principle: What you start, you finish.
From then on, Löpfe spent every Sunday morning studying, tackling one subject at a time and working through a case study. Even though, as the student now says, a study group would actually have been better. But given his time constraints and organizational situation at that stage, cramming on his own was the better option for him. It was a study marathon that turned into a veritable sprint as the exam date approached: «The key for me was that I took a week off before the exams and went through one subject every day.» In the mornings, he focused on refreshing the basics; in the afternoons, he worked on a case study: «That way, I was able to really recharge my short-term memory, which helped me a lot.» The second time around, things went better; Löpfe finished «right within the target range.» His advice to everyone else retaking the exam: «The final push is important. And it would be even better if you could exchange ideas with a private study group beforehand.»
The best way to go about it probably always depends on individual learning styles. But the fact that you can succeed the second time around after putting in the personal effort is proven not only by Susanna Kupferschmied and Christian Löpfe, but also by all the other students who retook the exam and made it to the finish line on their second try. It’s an effort that’s definitely worth it and also strengthens one’s frustration tolerance, assertiveness, and personal persistence. Claude Dubois, in any case, has great respect for everyone who dares to take a second shot: The head of the Examinations Department at Swiss Marketing puts it this way: «These are strong-willed people who want to achieve something. I have great respect for them and am convinced that they will prove themselves on the job market.»
Review What You Need to Know
Of course it hurts; of course, right after the failure becomes known, morale hits rock bottom. But given all the knowledge you’ve already acquired, and the fact that you meet the strict admission criteria in the first place, failing the first time really leaves only one conclusion: give it another shot. Frequently asked questions on the topic—and what experts have to say.
Did I definitely pass with a grade point average of 4.0?
No. Although the overall grade must be at least 4.0, no more than two individual exam grades may be below 4.0, and none of the individual exam grades may be below 3.0.
I failed. Do I have to retake all my courses?
No. Retake exams apply only to exam sections in which a grade of at least 5.0 was not achieved.
I failed. How many times can I retake the test? Twice.
Can I retake the exam the very next year? Yes.
What if I fail again?
Then you can try again. In the past, there had to be a one-year gap between the second and third exams, but that's no longer the case.
If I retake the exam, do I have to pay the full exam fee again?
No. For each subject that does not need to be retaken, the exam fee is reduced by 75 francs.
