Apply for a conformance tier
Read the tier definitions first. This page is the procedure: who is eligible, what to submit, how long it takes, what we publish when we decide, and what it costs.
Applications are handled in the order received. There is no expedited route, no premium queue and no way to pay for a faster decision.
Self-declared alignment
No feeAnyone publishing a course, module or credential with a coverage map at a public address. No organisational form, no size, no prior relationship required.
The short form below.
A public URL for your coverage map.
The framework version and any extension versions mapped.
A named contact who can answer questions about the map.
Day 0 — form submitted, reference issued automatically
≤ 2 days — completeness check: form fields present, map URL resolves
≤ 2 days — listing published as a self-declaration
Your organisation and credential name.
The declaration, dated, marked self-declared and unreviewed.
A link to your coverage map as you published it.
Verified mapping
Cost-recovery, published rateHolders of a Tier 0 listing whose course or credential has run at least once, with material a reviewer can read.
Completed coverage map on the current template.
Course or credential material: syllabus, learning materials index, assessment brief.
A statement of which assessment instruments exist and which are still in draft.
Signed declaration from the named signatory on the map.
Week 0 — pack received, completeness check, fee invoiced
Weeks 1–2 — reviewer allocated; conflicts checked before allocation
Weeks 3–6 — desk review; one round of questions, 10 working days to answer
Weeks 6–8 — decision issued in writing with reasons; seal artwork issued if verified
The verified coverage map in full, as verified.
The decision, its date, and the reviewer's role.
Any conditions attached, and the expiry date.
Verified credential
Cost-recovery, published rateAwarding bodies and providers issuing a credential with live assessment, at least one completed cohort, and documented standard-setting for the pass mark.
Everything required at Tier I.
Credential specification against the published specification standard.
Live assessment instruments, under confidentiality, for sampling.
Standard-setting record for the pass mark: method, panel, date.
Appeals and reassessment policy as issued to learners.
Week 0 — pack received, completeness check, fee invoiced
Weeks 1–2 — reviewer and second reviewer allocated; conflicts checked
Weeks 3–8 — document review plus sampling of assessment material
Weeks 9–12 — findings issued; you respond, 15 working days
Weeks 12–14 — decision issued with reasons; seal artwork issued if listed
The coverage map and the credential specification.
The assessed proportion per domain, as reviewed.
The decision, conditions, expiry date, and any finding you were asked to correct.
Accredited awarding body
Cost-recovery, published rateAwarding bodies holding at least one credential listed at Tier II, with a governing body, named examiners, a documented standard-setting practice and a published appeals process.
Everything required at Tier II, for every credential in the portfolio.
Governance documents: constitution, board composition.
Examiner competence records.
Standard-setting practice across the portfolio.
Appeals and complaints records for the last two years.
Conflict of interest register.
Week 0 — pack received, completeness check, fee invoiced, queue position confirmed
Weeks 1–3 — panel of three allocated; conflicts checked and recorded
Weeks 4–12 — document review, portfolio sampling, interviews with governing body and lead examiners
Weeks 13–16 — findings issued; you respond, 20 working days
Weeks 17–20 — panel decision issued with reasons; seal artwork issued if listed
The decision, its reasons, its scope and its expiry date.
The portfolio covered, credential by credential.
The panel that decided it, and any recusal.
List a self-declared alignment
Ten minutes, no fee, no review. This form composes an email to the Office of the Registrar with your declaration — this site has no live submission backend, so submitting opens your mail client with these details pre-filled rather than sending them directly.
Reviewed tiers do not use this form. Tier I and Tier II applications are submitted as a document pack; the submission address and pack contents are in each tier block above.
The four things that delay applications
The most common single reason a pack is returned before review begins.
Every statement in a referenced set that is not covered needs a reason. “Out of scope” is not a reason.
Pin a released version. A map against “latest” cannot be verified, because the target moves.
At Tier II this is a finding, not a query. Bring the standard-setting record: method, panel composition, date.
If you are connected to us, say so on the form
Declaring a connection does not disadvantage an application. Failing to declare one, and having it found later, invalidates the listing. Related-party applications are reviewed externally and the recusal is published whatever the outcome.