Policies.
Every published PCI policy, in one place.
Overview
PCI publishes its policies openly so candidates, employers and the public can see exactly how it operates. They span certification, examinations, governance, AI, membership and legal matters — and are reviewed as the institute matures.
Common questions
Why so many policies?
A credible certification body operates on transparent, enforced policy.
Are they final?
Founding-stage v1.0; effective dates confirmed.
Who oversees them?
PCI governance and 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.
How the library is organised
The library is large because PCI publishes what many bodies keep internal. It falls into six families:
Certification & eligibility
How candidates qualify, how decisions are made, and the credential lifecycle — start at certification policies.
Examinations
Booking, administration, security, proctoring, misconduct and retakes — everything that governs a sitting.
Integrity & conduct
Ethics, discipline, appeals, complaints and conflicts of interest — the enforcement machinery behind the standard.
AI governance
PCI's position on AI in the discipline and in its own operations, from overarching policy to human oversight.
Membership
Grades, benefits, conduct, termination and fellowship.
Legal, data & operations
Privacy, data protection, records retention, refunds and terms of use.
How policies are maintained
Each policy has an owner within PCI's governance structure and is reviewed as the institute matures. Founding-stage documents are expected to tighten with operational experience, and PCI treats that revision as a feature, not an embarrassment. Material changes are published on the policy page itself, so the version you can read is always the version in force.
Reviews draw on real cases: incidents, appeals, complaints and candidate feedback feed continuous improvement — which is how a policy library stays a working tool rather than a museum.
Using the library
Which policies should a candidate actually read?
Start with the ones that govern your next step: eligibility and examination policies before booking; CPD and recertification after award. The candidate handbook signposts them in order.
How do I question or challenge a policy?
Questions and feedback are welcome through the contact routes. Challenges to a decision made under a policy go through the formal review or appeal route described in that policy — so they are tracked and answered with authority.
Keep going
A map of the policy library
Four shelves organise everything: Certification (eligibility, exam rules and administration, results, appeals), Conduct (ethics, professional and membership conduct, investigations, sanctions), Organisation (impartiality, conflicts, quality, audit, improvement, committees), and Data & legal (privacy, retention, cookies, copyright, terms). Start at the shelf your question lives on.
Two conventions hold everywhere: the published version is the version in force, and the specific policy beats the general one. Lost? Ask — pointing you to the right document takes us minutes.