Certification Policies.
The published rules that make PCI certification fair, consistent and credible.
Overview
Trust in a credential comes from transparent, enforced policy. This is the home of PCI’s certification policies — from eligibility and examinations to decisions, conduct and sanctions — all designed around fairness, impartiality and integrity.
Common questions
Why publish all this?
Because transparency and enforced policy are what make a credential trustworthy.
Are policies final?
They are an initial v1.0; effective dates are confirmed.
Who governs them?
PCI governance, including independent committees.
Why this matters
Clear policies matter because they are how fairness is made real. A certification body that treats everyone consistently — on eligibility, conduct, security, impartiality and appeals — is one whose decisions can be trusted, and whose credential therefore means the same thing for everyone who holds it. These pages set out those commitments plainly.
PCI states its position honestly, including where processes are still being established. The aim is not legal cover for its own sake but genuine, transparent governance — the substance that lets a credential, and the body behind it, earn and keep professional trust.
- Substance over marketing
- Fair, transparent process
- Honesty about our status
- Responsible, governed use of AI
How to read this policy
Scope. Unless a section says otherwise, PCI policies apply to candidates, members, credential-holders and, where stated, to staff, volunteers and committee members. Where a specific policy and a general one overlap, the specific policy prevails.
Review. Policies carry a review cycle and are amended through the governance framework; the version published on this site is the version in force. Material changes are announced before they take effect.
Questions and concerns. If anything here is unclear, ask us — we would rather answer a question than process a dispute. Formal routes exist too: appeals, complaints and the ethics code.
Related. See all policies & documents for the complete set, including examination rules, certification policy and the candidate handbook.
Which policies apply when
Before you apply
Eligibility defines who can enter and how experience is evidenced; special accommodations ensure the route is genuinely open to candidates with disabilities or specific needs.
Sitting the examination
Examination rules, candidate identification and examination security govern the day itself — what is expected of you, and what protects the integrity of every result.
Decisions and challenges
The certification decision policy explains how results are reached; decision review and appeals give you independent routes to challenge a decision on valid grounds.
Holding the credential
CPD, recertification, professional conduct and sanctions keep the credential meaningful over time — for you and for everyone else who holds it.
Finding the right policy fast
Most questions map to a policy quickly once you know the shape of the set. A few frequent cases:
- You need adjustments for the exam — start with special accommodations, then the request form
- You believe a decision was reached incorrectly — decision review first, then a formal appeal
- You have a concern about service or conduct — the complaints policy, or an ethics report where a member's integrity is in question
- Your credential is approaching expiry — recertification and the CPD framework set out the route
- You are unsure how a policy applies to your situation — ask before acting; a question costs nothing
If you are new to the whole framework, the candidate journey walks the same ground in narrative order, from first enquiry to certified professional.
Policy is only as strong as its enforcement
A published rule that is not applied is decoration. PCI's policies are wired into practice in three ways: decisions taken under them are documented and attributable; internal audit checks, on evidence, that what is written is what happens; and breaches carry consequences under the sanctions policy, applied proportionately and with a right of appeal. That loop — rule, record, audit, consequence — is what makes it rational for candidates, employers and the public to rely on the credential rather than take it on faith.
Keep going
Reading the certification policy set
The set divides cleanly: getting in (eligibility policy and requirements), the assessment (exam rules, administration, security, misconduct), the decision (results verification, decision review, appeals), and holding the credential (CPD, recertification, conduct, sanctions). Read the layer you are at; the rest can wait.
Every policy states its scope and review cycle, and the specific always beats the general. Unsure which applies to your situation? Ask — a two-line question beats a misfiled form.