Master Craftsman's Certificate
Last update
If you would like to establish yourself as an artisan, you must earn the Master Craftsman's Certificate.
Once you earn the Master Craftsman's Certificate, you will receive the title of Master Craftsman in your trade.
The Master Craftsman's Certificate exists for most of the 121 trades that make up the craft industry, in the following sectors:
- food;
- fashion;
- health and hygiene;
- mechanics;
- construction and housing.
The preparatory courses for the Master Craftsman's Certificate:
- typically last 3 years;
- are organised into modules by the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts (Chambre des métiers – CDM); and
- are held on weekday evenings and on weekends.
You have up to 6 years to successfully complete all of the modules.
The courses are part of the lifelong learning approach.
Who is concerned
Parties involved
The preparatory training for the Master Craftsman's Certificate is intended for:
- future entrepreneurs; and
- people who wish to take on a managerial position in a craft, industrial or commercial business.
Holders of a Master Craftsman's Certificate may go into business for themselves and may train apprentices.
Excluded parties
The Master Craftsman's Certificate does not exist for professions that fall within the Chamber of Commerce's purview.
Prerequisites
To be able to register for the training courses that lead to the Master Craftsman's Certificate, you must hold a diploma that is equivalent to or higher than:
- a vocational diploma (diplôme d'aptitude professionnelle – DAP), or the former certificate of technical and vocational aptitude (certificat d’aptitude technique et professionnelle – CATP) in the selected craft trade;
- a technician's diploma (diplôme de technicien – DT), subject to the specialisation;
- a classic secondary school-leaving diploma (diplôme de fin d’études secondaires classiques – DFESC);
- a general secondary school-leaving diploma (diplôme de fin d’études secondaires générales – DFESG);
- any post-secondary diploma (BTS– advanced technician's certificate, bachelor's, master's, etc.).
Any other higher education diploma or certificate will be subject to the minister's approval.
Please note: if you have earned a foreign diploma or certificate, it must be recognised as equivalent by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale, de l’Enfance et de la Jeunesse – MENEJ).
To request this equivalence from the MENEJ, you must:
- forward certified copies of your diplomas; and
- attach an explanatory letter.
If you completed your education abroad or in private institutions in Luxembourg, you must submit a certificate that confirms that you have achieved level B2 or higher (under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) in the language of the training course you have chosen.
Deadlines
You may register for the preparatory courses each year from 15 June until 15 August.
No further registrations will be accepted after this deadline.
You must renew your registration:
- every year for the preparatory courses; and
- every session for the exams.
Costs
When you register for your training course, you must pay the registration fees to the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts (CDM). The amount of these fees may not exceed EUR 3,000 per year of study.
The registration fees are:
- EUR 600 per year for the preparatory courses for the exam;
- EUR 300 per exam session.
The CDM will reimburse the registration fees to candidates who:
- register for the training leading to the Master Craftsman's Certificate from 15 September 2025; and
- successfully complete the training within six consecutive years.
How to proceed
Eligibility and registration for courses
To register for courses, go to the website of the Master Craftsman's Certificate and follow the instructions.
If you are not yet a candidate and would like to register for the first time, please follow these 2 steps:
- apply for eligibility for the Master Craftsman's Certificate.
To do this, you must submit the following documents:- a copy of your qualification, or your diploma that meets the prerequisites listed above; and
- a copy of your birth certificate or your identity document.
- Register for the preparatory courses for the Master Craftsman's Certificate.
After your documents are checked, you will receive an email containing login credentials for your eSpace, which will allow you to register for the preparatory courses.
You can register for the course modules from your eSpace. Registrations are considered based on the date on which your application is received.
After you select your modules, you will be able to finalise your registration and confirm it by making an online payment.
Your registration will not be confirmed if you have not paid the course registration fees.
In subsequent years, you will be able to register directly for the course modules without having to re-register.
Registration for the courses must be renewed each academic year.
Exemption from registering for courses
You may request an exemption from taking one or more courses if:
- you hold a higher qualification that meets the prerequisites listed above; and
- you have completed a training programme that is identical to the one for the Master Craftsman's Certificate.
The professional development training director will grant or deny this exemption based on the expert committee's recommendation.
This means that any application for exemption must be:
- submitted to the professional development training director between 1 January and 15 August of the relevant year;
- submitted through a form provided by the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts.
Your application for exemption must include:
- a copy of your qualification, or your diploma that meets the prerequisites listed above; and
- details of the syllabus of the training programme that led to your diploma or qualification; and
- your transcript; and
- a cover letter; and
- a CV.
If your application is incomplete, the professional development training director will reject your application for exemption.
If an exemption from completing one or more modules is granted, you will also be exempt from taking the exams for those modules.
Registration for exams
After you complete the courses as scheduled, you will be permitted to take the exams to demonstrate proficiency in the modules.
You will be notified in December when registration for exams opens.
You can register for exams from your eSpace.
You will be able to finalise your registration and confirm it by making an online payment.
Your registration will not be confirmed if you have not paid the exam registration fees.
Organisation and content of the training
Preparatory courses
To help you prepare effectively for the Master Craftsman's Certificate exam, the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts (CDM) runs a modular preparatory course in the following 2 areas:
- business management and applied pedagogy;
- technology and professional practice.
Classes are typically held:
- on weekday evenings and on weekends;
- between mid-September and late March of the following year.
You are free to put together your training plan based on your learning pace, which means that, upon registration, you can choose which modules you would like to take during the academic year. As the maximum amount of time allowed to complete the training programme is six years, the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts suggests a standard programme, which allows for steady progress, while at the same time including a time buffer.
You are required to attend the courses for each module you have registered for.
If you cannot demonstrate that you have attended at least 80 % of these modules, you will not be permitted to take the exam.
The only legitimate reasons for absence are:
- illness, which must be justified by a medical certificate;
- the death of a direct relative, or relative by marriage up to the second degree of kinship, which must be justified by a death certificate;
- a force majeure event, which must be justified by any other document that proves that it had occurred.
The business management courses, and the applied pedagogy courses, are common to all the trades. These courses are broken down into 5 modules.
| Modules | Subjects | Number of hours |
|---|---|---|
| A: law |
|
40 |
| B: quantitative management techniques |
|
80 |
| C: management techniques |
|
80 |
| D: business formation |
|
24 |
| E: applied pedagogy |
|
24 |
The technology and professional practice courses are specific to each sector of activity. These courses are broken down into 3 to 5 modules, including the 'career plan' module.
To be accepted into the 'career plan' module, you must have successfully completed all of the other modules in the 'technology and professional practice' learning area.
This career plan is organised in the form of:
- a plan that simulates an actual job situation; or
- a master craftsman's piece (a work to demonstrate your expertise and help you achieve the status of master craftsman in your trade), chosen by the commissioner of the relevant exam board.
Exemption
From the date on which you take your first exam, you have up to 6 consecutive years to successfully complete all of your modules, including the 'career plan' module.
The professional development training director may grant you an exemption to this time frame and grant you an additional year, provided that:
- the reason for your application for exemption is:
- a long-term illness lasting more than 6 months;
- maternity leave;
- parental leave;
- work-related travel lasting more than 6 months.
- your application for exemption is submitted no more than 3 times.
Exams
The CDM organises:
- two sessions of theoretical exams per year:
- one in the spring (during the Easter and Whitsun school holidays);
- and the other in autumn (between early and mid-October); and
- one session of practical exams per year in the spring (between mid-May and 31 July).
The exams, whether in a particular subject or as part of a module, may take the form of:
- written questions;
- an oral presentation;
- a portfolio submission; or
- a combination of these formats.
If you are unable to attend an exam, you must send substantiating documents with explanations to the CDM within 10 working days of your absence.
The only legitimate reasons for absence are:
- illness, which must be justified by a medical certificate;
- the death of a direct relative, or relative by marriage up to the second degree of kinship, which must be justified by a death certificate; or
- a force majeure event, which must be justified by any other document that proves that it had occurred.
If you do not provide proof of your absence, you will have to wait for the same session the following year to take the exam.
If the professional development training director notifies you of their decision not to allow you to postpone to the next exam session, you will have 8 days, as of the notification, to file an appeal against the decision with the minister.
The minister will rule on the matter within 15 days.
Eligibility requirements for exams
For each session, you have the option of taking the exams for each module:
- in the business management and applied pedagogy courses (modules A, B, C, D, E);
- in the technology and professional practice courses (modules F, G, H).
You will be permitted to take the theoretical exams, provided that you have:
- attended 80 % of the courses that you registered for; and
- paid your registration fees within the required time frame.
You will be permitted to take the practical exams, provided that you:
- have passed all of the professional theory exams (modules F, G and H); and
- can demonstrate that you have earned at least one year of work experience in the trade for which you registered (learning time is not counted, where applicable); and
- have paid your registration fees within the required time frame.
If you do not meet these conditions, you may apply to the professional development training director for permission to register for the work experience exams. Your application must be:
- duly substantiated; and
- accompanied by the required supporting documents.
If the professional development training director notifies you of their decision not to allow you to take the exam, you will have 8 days, as of the notification, to file an appeal against the decision with the minister.
The minister will rule on the matter within 15 days.
Criteria for passing exams
The assessment is made at several levels:
- at the subject level, with the assignment of a score out of 60 points;
- at the module level, with the assignment of a score out of 60 points, which is calculated by adding up the scores in the different subjects and dividing that figure by the number of subjects.
For each subject and module, the assessment is made by at least 2 members of the exam board.
You will be deemed to have passed a subject or module if your score is 30 points or higher.
Right to access your results
Within 3 months of receiving your results, you may send the CDM a request to view:
- the exam documents; and
- the assessment scale.
The procedures for accessing this information are set by Grand Ducal regulation.
Good to know
If you had already registered for courses or exams before the new law on the Master Craftsman's Certificate enters into force on 15 September 2025, you will be covered by the provisions of the former law until 15 September 2027, if these provisions are more favourable to you than the new law.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts Master Craftsman's Certificate
- Address:
- Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 42 67 67 540
- Fax:
- (+352) 43 60 67
- Email address:
- brevet@cdm.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
Brevet de maîtrise
sur le site de la Chambre des métiers
-
Métiers et professions
sur le site de la Maison de l'orientation
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 11 juillet 1996
portant organisation d'une formation menant au brevet de maîtrise et fixation des conditions d'obtention du titre et du brevet de maîtrise
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 1er juillet 1997
fixant le programme et les modalités d'organisation des cours et des examens menant au brevet de maîtrise dans le secteur de l'artisanat
-
Règlement ministériel du 7 août 2017
portant approbation de la liste des métiers dans lesquels des cours sont organisés
