Complaints.
Tell us when something falls short. Complaints are how a serious institution finds its blind spots and fixes them.
Overview
PCI treats complaints as valuable feedback, not nuisance. Whether the concern is about service, fairness, conduct or process, a clear complaints route helps PCI put things right and improve — and gives stakeholders confidence that the institute is accountable.
At a glance
What you can raise
- Concerns about an examination or certification experience
- Concerns about impartiality or a conflict of interest
- Conduct of a certified professional or member
- Service quality or how a process was handled
How complaints are handled
Complaints are acknowledged, examined fairly and confidentially, and where needed investigated under the investigation procedure. They are reviewed by people not involved in the matter, and outcomes feed corrective action and continuous improvement.
Accountability you can use.
An institute that hides from complaints cannot improve. PCI would rather hear a concern and act on it than let a weakness persist.
Complaints versus appeals
If you want to challenge a specific decision, use the appeals process. If you want to raise a broader concern about service, conduct or fairness, this is the right route.
Common questions
Will my complaint be kept confidential?
Information is shared only as far as necessary to investigate and resolve the matter.
Who reviews my complaint?
People independent of the issue, under PCI governance, to keep the review impartial.
What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?
Escalation routes apply, and decisions about specific outcomes may also be subject to appeal.
Founding-stage document · Version 1.0 — effective date to be confirmed · Reviewed under PCI governance. PCI makes no claims of accreditation or recognition beyond what is true today.
How to make a complaint that can be acted on
A complaint PCI can act on quickly is one that is specific. Vague dissatisfaction is still heard, but precision shortens every step that follows. When you write, aim to cover:
- What happened — the facts as you experienced them, in order.
- When and where — approximate dates and the service, process or interaction involved.
- Who was involved — if known, without speculation.
- What you have already tried — earlier contact or attempts to resolve the matter informally.
- What outcome you seek — an explanation, a correction, an apology, a changed process.
Attach documents rather than describing them. The quickest route is the complaints form; email works equally well if you prefer.
From receipt to resolution
Complaints are acknowledged promptly so you know they have landed. Each one is then assessed for scope: some can be resolved directly with an explanation or correction; others raise questions of conduct or integrity that are escalated into the formal investigation procedure. Either way, you are told the outcome and the reasoning, in as much detail as confidentiality obligations allow. Where a complaint exposes a weakness in PCI's own processes, it feeds corrective action — so a well-made complaint often improves the institute for everyone who follows.
Timescales are deliberately qualitative at this stage of the programme: complaints are acknowledged promptly, resolved as quickly as thoroughness allows, and escalated where seriousness demands it — and you are kept informed if a matter needs longer than expected.
Complaint, appeal or report?
Should this be a complaint or an appeal?
If you are challenging a specific decision made about you — an eligibility outcome, an exam result, a sanction — use the appeals route, which exists precisely for that. Complaints cover everything else: service, fairness, conduct and process.
Will my complaint be kept confidential?
Details are shared only with those who need them to assess and resolve the matter. You will not be disadvantaged in any PCI process for having complained in good faith.
Can I complain anonymously?
You can, and the concern will still be assessed — but anonymity limits what can be investigated and means the outcome cannot be reported back to you. Where possible, a named complaint is more effective.
Keep going
What happens after you complain
Every complaint is acknowledged with a reference, assessed by someone outside the matter complained of, and answered with findings and any action taken. Where we were wrong, you will read that sentence plainly — and the fix enters corrective action so it is not just an apology.
Complaints about certification decisions are redirected to appeals, where independent review authority lies. Anonymous complaints are accepted and acted on where the information permits verification. Begin with the complaints form.