The certification system
One standard of evidence
Every Council credential is built the same way: a descriptor that says what kind of claim it makes, an anchor that names the framework, regulation or field it examines against, and a grade that says how far the holder has been assessed.
§ 1 — Read a credential name
The name states the claim
A Council credential name is a sentence, not a brand: Certified AI — the Council certifies people, in AI; the descriptor — what kind of claim; the grade — how far assessed; and the anchor — the named framework or regulation the examination is mapped to. The anchor is descriptive text only: it never implies endorsement by any standards body or regulator.
Practice
Anchored to a profession. The holder is certified on using AI competently in their own field, verifying what it produces, and staying accountable for the result. Never an assurance claim about anybody else’s system.
Certified AI in Finance & Accounting — Fundamentals
Curriculum mapping indicates alignment of learning content with published frameworks. It does not constitute endorsement by, or certification under, any standards organisation or regulator.
§ 2 — The grades
Fundamentals and Professional
A credential family runs two published grades, each with its own syllabus and its own examination. The grade is written into every title and struck on the badge, so a holder is never presented as more than the examination assessed.
- 01
Fundamentals
The entry grade. Earned by examination with no prerequisites, it certifies working knowledge of the anchor applied under supervision to work the candidate has not seen before.
- 02
Professional
The working grade. Earned by examination on extended cases, it certifies applying the anchor without supervision, deciding the terms on which others rely on AI, and standing behind the conclusion to an auditor or a committee.
§ 3 — Earning and keeping it
One route in, one term held
Every examined credential is earned the same way. You register, verify your identity once, pay, and take the examination on any day of the90 days that follow, in one sitting once it is begun. Every paper is machine marked against its key, and the result is released by a named person after the recording has been reviewed. No result is released until a person has reviewed the recording and the marked script. Any candidate may also ask for a clerical check of the mark by a named member of staff, which is free and separate from an appeal.
A credential is valid for two years from issue, appears on the public register for its whole life, and is held subject to the Code of Professional Conduct. What happens at the end of the term is set out in the revalidation policy.
§ 4 — Start
Choose a credential
Both grades of the finance and accounting credential are open for enrolment through the candidate portal. The Council’s flagship, the Certified Applied AI Associate, is open now, its fee waived by a coupon code from the AI-Readiness Check, and is the recommended starting point of the pathway.