These are the rules that govern every AICA examination and credential. They apply equally to every candidate, in every market, whether the exam is taken online or at a center. They are published in full so that candidates, employers, and training partners can read them before they commit.
Every AICA examination is proctored. Proctoring may be conducted online or at a center, and in both cases it is delivered through Authorized Training Partners under consistent conditions. The certification decision itself is made by the AICA Certification and Standards Authority, separate from the partner who delivered the training or hosted the exam.
Proctoring exists to protect the meaning of the credential. It confirms that the person who sits the exam is the person who earns the result, and that the result reflects the candidate's own work under controlled conditions.
A candidate who does not pass may reattempt the examination. The following limits apply to every AICA credential:
The waiting period gives a candidate time to prepare properly rather than resit on recall, and the attempt limit protects the integrity of the assessment. A reattempt is a fresh examination sitting; it is not a review of the previous result. A candidate who believes their result was reached in error should use the appeals route rather than a retake.
A candidate may appeal an assessment or certification decision. Appeals are considered by the AICA Certification and Standards Authority, the independent body that owns the standard and makes certification decisions.
An appeal is decided on the record and the evidence. It reviews whether the decision was reached correctly under these policies and the published standard, not the difficulty of the exam or the candidate's preference for a different outcome. The Authority records the outcome of an appeal with its reasons. Conduct matters, including breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct, follow the same appeals route.
Every AICA credential is valid for 3 years from the date of award. A credential is kept current through Continuing Professional Development (CPD): the holder logs qualifying professional development with AICA across the 3 year cycle. The number of CPD hours required depends on the level of the credential.
| Level | CPD requirement per 3 year cycle |
|---|---|
| Executive (CCAIO, CCAIGO, CCAAO) | 60 CPD hours |
| Professional (CAIGP, CAAP) | 45 CPD hours |
| Foundation (CAIP) | 20 CPD hours |
CPD keeps a credential honest over time. AI practice changes quickly, and a credential that never expired would stop meaning that its holder is current. Renewal confirms continued professional development against the same published standard the credential was earned under.
A credential may be revoked for a serious or repeated breach of the Code of Professional Conduct, for examination fraud, or where it is found to have been issued in error. Revocation is a decision of the Certification and Standards Authority and follows the same right to respond and right of appeal set out above.
When a credential is revoked, its record in the AICA registry is updated so that any verification returns its revoked status. The registry is backed by a hash-chained transparency log, so the change is publicly evident and cannot be quietly undone. A revoked credential fails verification at aicauthority.org/verify. This is what makes an AICA credential checkable rather than merely claimed.
AICA is committed to fair access to assessment. Candidates who need an adjustment to sit the examination, for a disability or another substantiated need, may request reasonable accommodations through their Authorized Training Partner. The partner arranges approved accommodations with AICA ahead of the exam.
An accommodation changes the conditions under which a candidate is assessed. It does not change the standard the candidate is assessed against. The credential means the same thing however it was earned.
AICA publishes its curriculum standard, its assessment weightings, its validity and renewal terms, its retake and appeals rules, and its conduct code. We do not publish the exact number of questions in an examination or its precise duration.
This is deliberate. Question counts and timing are operational details set in the Candidate Handbook and provided to registered candidates through their Authorized Training Partner. Keeping them out of public marketing protects the integrity of the assessment and lets AICA revise the exam without rewriting a public promise. It is the specification that matters, and the specification, the weighting, format, delivery, validity, and terms, is published on every certification page.
This is version 1.0 of the AICA exam policies, effective 10 July 2026, owned by the Certification and Standards Authority and reviewed annually. Where these policies are revised, the version and effective date on this page are updated. The policies that apply to a candidate are those in force at the time they register for the examination.
The rules are published because a credential worth earning is a credential worth trusting.