Who It Is For
The CCAIGO is the executive credential for leaders who own AI risk, compliance and ethics at the highest level. It is designed for Chief AI Governance Officers and heads of responsible AI, chief risk, compliance and audit executives extending into AI, general counsel and senior legal leaders owning AI regulatory exposure, and senior leaders building an enterprise AI governance function.
Exam Specification
| Credential | Certified Chief AI Governance Officer (CCAIGO) |
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| Track | Executive Leadership Track |
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| Assessment format | Case-based examination (60%) and a governance framework submission (40%) |
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| Contact hours | 24 contact hours across three consecutive or split days |
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| Certification fee | USD 2,400 |
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| Validity | 3 years from award date |
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| Renewal | 60 CPD hours per 3-year cycle, logged with AICA |
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| Retake policy | Reattempt after a 14 day waiting period, up to 3 attempts in any 12 months |
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| Delivery | Through Authorized Training Partners, online or center-based |
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| Verification | Cryptographic registry entry, QR-verifiable digital badge, Open Badges 3.0 |
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Exam duration and question counts are set in the Candidate Handbook and are not published here. The full proctoring, retake, appeals, renewal and revocation terms are on the exam policies page.
Course Learning Objectives
- Design an enterprise AI governance framework, including committee structures, decision rights, controls and reporting lines, proportionate to the organization's scale and risk profile.
- Evaluate the organization's obligations under the EU AI Act's risk-based classification and direct a compliance response appropriate to each tier.
- Operationalize the NIST AI Risk Management Framework functions of Govern, Map, Measure and Manage as a working risk practice across the AI estate.
- Direct the establishment of an AI management system consistent with the logic of ISO/IEC 42001, connecting policy, operation, performance evaluation and improvement.
- Evaluate AI risk assessments and assurance findings, and decide on the acceptance of residual risk with a defensible record.
- Design responsible AI policy and enforce it consistently, including the handling of exceptions and escalations.
- Direct an audit-readiness discipline in which model documentation, decision records and evidence trails are maintained as a permanent operating state.
- Defend the organization's AI governance posture before boards and regulators, including the early and honest reporting of adverse findings.
Learning Units
LU1: AI Governance Frameworks & Operating Models
4 hours
- LO 1.1Design an enterprise AI governance operating model, including committee structures, decision rights, escalation paths and reporting lines.
- LO 1.2Evaluate an existing governance arrangement against the organization's scale and AI risk profile, and recommend proportionate change.
- LO 1.3Plan the sustained operation of the framework, including meeting cadence, resourcing and management review, beyond its initial launch.
LU2: Global AI Regulation & Standards: EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001
5 hours
- LO 2.1Evaluate which EU AI Act obligations apply to the organization, based on its role in the AI value chain and the risk classification of each system.
- LO 2.2Operationalize the NIST AI RMF and ISO/IEC 42001 alongside binding regulation as a single, coherent compliance position.
- LO 2.3Translate regulatory and standards requirements into concrete controls, documentation and delivery timelines.
LU3: AI Risk Management & Assurance
5 hours
- LO 3.1Design an AI risk taxonomy and assessment methodology covering model, data, deployment and third-party risk across the estate.
- LO 3.2Evaluate assurance findings, challenge their scope and rigor, and decide when residual risk is acceptable.
- LO 3.3Direct risk treatment and continuous monitoring so that risk decisions remain current as systems and usage change.
LU4: Responsible AI Policy Design & Enforcement
3 hours
- LO 4.1Design responsible AI policy that practitioners can follow and the organization can enforce.
- LO 4.2Operationalize policy through delivery, procurement and vendor gates, including a defensible exception and escalation process.
LU5: AI Audit Readiness & Documentation
4 hours
- LO 5.1Design a documentation and evidence architecture that keeps the organization permanently audit-ready.
- LO 5.2Evaluate the current evidence trail as an auditor would, identify gaps and direct remediation to closure.
LU6: Board & Regulator Engagement
3 hours
- LO 6.1Design board reporting on AI governance that is decision-useful, honest and stable in format over time.
- LO 6.2Defend governance judgments, including adverse findings, before boards and regulators under questioning.
Assessment Blueprint
| Learning Unit | Weighting |
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| LU1: Governance frameworks & operating models | Exam 10% + framework 10% (20%) |
| LU2: Global AI regulation & standards | Exam 14% + framework 6% (20%) |
| LU3: AI risk management & assurance | Exam 12% + framework 8% (20%) |
| LU4: Responsible AI policy design & enforcement | Exam 8% + framework 6% (14%) |
| LU5: AI audit readiness & documentation | Exam 8% + framework 6% (14%) |
| LU6: Board & regulator engagement | Exam 8% + framework 4% (12%) |
| All units, both components | Exam 60% + framework 40% (100%) |
The 40% component is a governance framework submission: a working AI governance framework artifact prepared for the candidate's own organization or a simulated one. Certification decisions are made by the AICA Certification and Standards Authority, separate from training delivery.
Credential Terms
| Credential validity | 3 years from award date. |
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| Renewal | Via Continuing Professional Development: 60 CPD hours per 3 year cycle, logged with AICA. |
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| Retake policy | Reattempt after a 14 day waiting period, with a maximum of 3 attempts in any 12 months. |
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| Appeals | Assessment decisions may be appealed to AICA's Certification and Standards Authority. |
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| Proctoring | Examinations are proctored, delivered online or center based through Authorized Training Partners. |
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| Conduct | Certification requires agreement to the AICA Code of Professional Conduct. |
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Verification
Every CCAIGO credential is issued with a unique credential identifier recorded in the AICA verification registry, a QR-verifiable digital badge, and an Open Badges 3.0 export. Each credential is signed with the AICA registry key and recorded in a public transparency log, so any employer can check it against its live registry record. Verify any credential at aicauthority.org/verify.
