Questions people ask before they buy

Is the course recognised by swissethics, and at what level?

Yes. Research Ethics and GCP — Investigator Level is recognised by swissethics at Investigator level, granted on 19 August 2026. It is listed on the swissethics list of recognised GCP courses as self-study eLearning, and the recognition is not time-limited.

What can I show my ethics committee?

swissethics recognises this course at Investigator level and lists it on its list of recognised GCP courses. Your certificate states the course name and the line “Course recognised by swissethics — Investigator Level”, and it carries a public verification link, so a committee or a sponsor can check it rather than take it on trust.

How long does it take?

12 hours 25 minutes in total: 15 modules plus an 80-minute final assessment. The time is derived module by module from the word count and the assessed items, and each module page shows its own.

Can I split it across several sittings?

Yes. Read on your phone on the train, finish on a laptop at your desk. Progress saves as you go and the course picks up where you left off. There is no deadline, no cohort and no expiry on your access.

Is there a certificate, and can my sponsor or ethics committee verify it?

Yes and yes. The certificate is issued the moment you pass the final assessment, as a PDF. It carries a unique verification URL that anyone can open without an account.

The verification page shows the holder's name, the course, the date issued, the certificate ID and the guideline versions the course was reviewed against, and it confirms the record against our register when the page is served. The same URL also returns a machine-readable Open Badges 3.0 credential, for badge platforms and automated checks.

What does the certificate show?

The holder's name, the course title, the guideline versions it was reviewed against, the line “Course recognised by swissethics — Investigator Level”, the date issued, a certificate ID and the verification URL.

Is it available in German or French?

No. The course is in English, and there are no translations at present. In many sponsor-initiated Swiss trials the protocol, the case report forms and the monitoring correspondence are already in English; the course meets you in that language.

Does it cover medical device trials as well as drug trials?

Both. Module 10, Study Medication and Medical Devices, and Module 13, Adverse Events, carry the device track: ClinO-MD, ISO 14155, device deficiencies, and where device reporting differs from drug reporting.

Is it based on ICH E6(R3)?

Yes. The course is written to ICH E6(R3), together with the Swiss Human Research Act, the KlinV and the Declaration of Helsinki (2024). Every quiz question carries a reasoned explanation and a cited source.

What is assessed, and what is the pass mark?

There are 41 knowledge checks inside the reading and 108 quiz items across the 15 module quizzes. The final assessment has 40 scenario-based items drawn from across the course.

The certificate requires all 15 module quizzes completed and 80% or more on the final. Option order is shuffled on each attempt, and if you do not pass you can sit the final again.

What does it cost?

CHF 499, paid once. Lifetime access, no subscription, no renewal. Module 1 is free to read in full without an account, so you can judge the course before you pay for it.

What if it is not for me?

You may request a full refund within 14 days of purchase, for any reason. Write to [email protected] from the email address on your account; you do not need to give a reason. The refund goes back to your original payment method, and your access ends when it is issued.

There is one exception: the 14-day right does not apply once your certificate has been issued — that is, once you have completed all fifteen modules and passed the final assessment. After 14 days we are not obliged to refund, though if something has gone wrong, write to us anyway.

Can my employer pay, and can we train several people?

Purchase is by card at checkout. Many site staff buy the course personally and claim it back from their employer.

For several people at one site, write to [email protected].

Does it cover the Sponsor-Investigator level?

No. This course is at Investigator level only, and that is the level swissethics recognises it at. It does not cover the Sponsor-Investigator level.

Do you offer a refresher course?

Not yet. This is a full Investigator-level course.

Who is it for?

Clinical trial site staff in Switzerland — investigators, sub-investigators, study nurses and study coordinators — and any researcher who needs Investigator-level GCP training.