Diversity & Inclusion.
Fair access to the profession, by design — not as an afterthought.
Overview
PCI is building a credential meant to be accessible to capable people everywhere. From a single experience-based entry route to bias-reviewed exams and a fully online pathway, fairness is engineered into how certification works.
At a glance
Our commitments
- A single, experience-based entry route open to any field — no degree barrier
- Fair, bias-reviewed examinations and consistent decisions
- Reasonable adjustments through the accommodations process
- A fully online pathway that widens geographic access
- Respectful, discrimination-free conduct across the community
Fairness in assessment
PCI applies this consistently and documents what it does, so the approach can be checked and improved. Final detail is published as the institute matures, and is governed by the related policies below.
Fair access, by design
PCI is building a credential meant to be accessible to capable people everywhere — fairness is designed in, not bolted on.
Open access
Built for capable professionals wherever they are.
Experience-based entry
Judged on relevant competence, not a specific degree.
Fairness in assessment
Designed to assess ability without bias.
A global profession
Reflecting the worldwide nature of project controls.
Common questions
Do I need a degree?
No — a specific degree is not required. The entry requirement for certification is based on relevant professional experience, around three years in any field, rather than a particular academic qualification. This is deliberate: it keeps the credential open to capable people who came into project controls through many different routes, while the independent assessment ensures everyone meets the same standard.
How is bias addressed in exams?
Items are reviewed for fairness and bias during examination development.
Are adjustments available?
Yes — through the accommodations process.
Why this matters
This matters because a credential earns its value from substance, not marketing — clear standards, fair process, transparent governance and honesty about status. Everything here is written to that test: useful to professionals and employers, and never claiming more than is true today.
PCI builds in the open. That means being candid about what is in place and what is still developing, designing around the ISO/IEC 17024 personnel-certification principles, and never implying recognition it does not yet hold. That honesty is part of how trust is earned.
- Substance over marketing
- Fair, transparent process
- Honesty about our status
- Responsible, governed use of AI
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.
Where fairness is engineered in
Inclusion statements are easy to write; the test is where fairness is built into the machinery. These are the design choices that carry the commitment:
One standard, any background
Eligibility recognises project-controls experience from any sector or country — see the eligibility requirements. There is no degree gate.
Plain-language assessment
Items are written and reviewed to test the competency — not a candidate's fluency with idiom or regionally specific phrasing.
Bias review in development
Item development includes review for content that would advantage or disadvantage groups of candidates for reasons unrelated to competence.
Adjustments, not exceptions
Candidates with disabilities or specific needs can request accommodations that remove barriers without altering the standard.
Access without travel
Remote proctoring means capability — not geography or visa status — determines who can sit.
Transparent costs
Fees are published and shown at enrolment, so nobody discovers the real cost of entry after committing.
Holding ourselves to it
A statement only matters if someone can be held to it. Fairness concerns — about an exam item, an eligibility decision, an interaction — can be raised through the complaints process, where they are tracked and answered rather than absorbed.
This page is reviewed as the institute matures. Where practice falls short of the statement, the practice changes — that is the direction of correction, not the other way round.
Access in practice
Do I need an engineering or construction background?
No. The experience route recognises project-controls work from any field — energy, IT, healthcare, government, manufacturing. The competency is what is assessed, not the industry it was learned in.
What if I need adjustments to sit the exam?
Request accommodations when you book. Approved adjustments remove barriers without changing the assessment standard — so a pass means exactly the same for every candidate.