EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026

Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)

This document specifies principles and requirements for a body operating certification of persons and includes the development and maintenance of a scheme for certification of persons.
NOTE 1        For the purposes of this document, the term "certification body" is used in place of the full term " body operating certification of persons", and the term "certification scheme" is used in place of the full term “scheme for certification of persons”.
NOTE 2        Annex A contains principles for certification of persons.

Konformitätsbewertung - Allgemeine Anforderungen an Stellen, die Personen zertifizieren (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)

Évaluation de la conformité - Exigences générales pour les organismes de certification procédant à la certification de personnes (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)

Le présent document spécifie des principes et des exigences destinés à un organisme qui procède à la certification de personnes et relatifs à l’élaboration et au maintien d’un système particulier de certification de personnes.
NOTE 1        Pour les besoins du présent document, le terme «organisme de certification» est utilisé à la place du terme complet «organisme procédant à la certification de personnes» et le terme «système particulier de certification» est utilisé à la place du terme complet «système particulier de certification de personnes».
NOTE 2        L’Annexe A contient les principes de certification des personnes.

Ugotavljanje skladnosti - Splošne zahteve za organe na področju certificiranja osebja (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)

Ta dokument določa načela in zahteve za organ, ki izvaja certifikacijo oseb, ter vključuje razvoj in vzdrževanje sheme za certifikacijo oseb.
OPOMBA 1 Za namene tega dokumenta se izraz "certifikacijski organ" uporablja namesto celotnega izraza "organ, ki izvaja certifikacijo oseb", in izraz "certifikacijska shema" namesto celotnega izraza "shema za certifikacijo oseb".
OPOMBA 2 Dodatek A vsebuje načela za certifikacijo oseb.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-Apr-2026
• ICS: 03.120.20 - Product and company certification. Conformity assessment
• Technical Committee: CEN/CLC/TC 1 - Criteria for conformity assessment bodies
• Drafting Committee: CEN/CLC/TC 1 - Criteria for conformity assessment bodies
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 22-Apr-2026
• Completion Date: 22-Apr-2026
• Directive: Harmonized Standard765/2008 - REGULATION (EC) No 765/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93
• Mandate: M/580 - Standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation in the area of accreditation and conformity assessment
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 - Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)

Relations

• Replaces: EN ISO/IEC 17024:2012 - Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2012)
• Effective Date: 22-Jan-2023
• Refers: ISO/IEC 17000:2020 - Conformity assessment — Vocabulary and general principles
• Effective Date: 06-May-2026
• Consolidated By: ISO/IEC 17024:2026 - Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026

Overview

EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026, "Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons," sets out internationally recognized principles and requirements for organizations that certify individuals’ competencies. Developed by CEN in partnership with ISO and IEC, this standard guides certification bodies in designing, implementing, and maintaining credible personnel certification schemes. By ensuring impartiality, fairness, consistency, and reliability, EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 supports effective skills and knowledge validation across industries, facilitating professional mobility and workforce trust at local, regional, and global levels.

Key Topics

• Certification Bodies: Defines criteria for organizations (certification bodies) that assess and certify persons’ competences according to specified schemes.

• Certification Schemes: Covers the development, structure, and maintenance of schemes designed for evaluating and certifying skills or competencies in defined job roles.

• Impartiality and Fairness: Emphasizes management of impartiality, conflict of interest avoidance, and fairness to all applicants and certified persons.

• Legal and Governance Requirements: Specifies the need for legal entity status, top management commitment, and transparent policies.

• Personnel and Resource Management: Outlines resource requirements for examiners, invigilators, and others involved in the certification process.

• Confidentiality and Security: Sets conditions for securely handling examination processes, candidate information, and other sensitive data.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Introduces requirements for the use of AI in assessment, ensuring transparency and mitigation of bias or unfair influence.

• Processes and Records: Details requirements for applications, assessments, recertification, appeals, complaints, and the use of certificates and certification marks.

• Continuous Improvement: Requires management reviews, internal audits, corrective actions, and regular reassessments to assure ongoing compliance and effectiveness.

Applications

EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 is applicable to a wide range of sectors and certification bodies, supporting:

• Professional Certifications: Used by organizations certifying technical professionals (e.g., engineers, auditors, IT specialists) to validate knowledge and practical skills.
• Regulatory Recognition: Supports regulatory bodies and authorities in establishing requirements for licensed professions and mutual recognition agreements.
• HR and Recruitment: Enables employers to verify the competence of certified persons globally, simplifying recruitment and mobility in an international workforce.
• Accreditation and Peer Assessment: Serves as a benchmark for the accreditation of certification bodies by national and international accreditors.
• Scheme Owners and Industry Groups: Assists in developing reliable, market-responsive certification schemes relevant to various trades and professions.
• Education and Training Alignment: Encourages harmonization between education/training outcomes and industry-accepted competency assessments.

Related Standards

Organizations and scheme owners referencing EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 may also consider:

• ISO/IEC 17000 - Conformity assessment – Vocabulary and general principles; establishes common terms for all conformity assessment activities.
• ISO/IEC 17065 - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services.
• ISO/IEC 17020 - Requirements for bodies performing inspection.
• ISO/IEC 17021 - Requirements for audit and certification of management systems.
• EU Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 - Relates to requirements for accreditation and market surveillance.
• Other sector-specific certification or accreditation requirements.

---

EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 is the leading international standard for developing and operating robust, trustworthy, and recognized personnel certification systems, ensuring competence and confidence in certified professionals worldwide. By implementing its requirements, organizations can demonstrate reliable and impartial certification processes that meet global expectations for transparency, integrity, and technical validity.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2026
Ugotavljanje skladnosti - Splošne zahteve za organe na področju certificiranja
osebja (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)
Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of
persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)
Konformitätsbewertung - Allgemeine Anforderungen an Stellen, die Personen
zertifizieren (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)
Évaluation de la conformité - Exigences générales pour les organismes de certification
procédant à la certification de personnes (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026
ICS:
03.100.30 Vodenje ljudi Management of human
resources
03.120.20 Certificiranje proizvodov in Product and company
podjetij. Ugotavljanje certification. Conformity
skladnosti assessment
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO/IEC 17024

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2026
ICS 03.120.20
Supersedes EN ISO/IEC 17024:2012
English version
Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies
operating certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024:2026)
Évaluation de la conformité - Exigences générales pour Konformitätsbewertung - Allgemeine Anforderungen
les organismes de certification procédant à la an Stellen, die Personen zertifizieren (ISO/IEC
certification de personnes (ISO/IEC 17024:2026) 17024:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 24 February 2026.

This European Standard was corrected and reissued by the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre on 29 April 2026.

CEN and CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for
giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical
references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to
any CEN and CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN and CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN and CENELEC members are the national standards bodies and national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and United Kingdom.

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN/CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means Ref. No. EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 E
reserved worldwide for CEN national Members and for
CENELEC Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the
requirements of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and
repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 aimed to be covered . 4

European foreword
This document (EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/CASCO
"Committee on conformity assessment" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN-CENELEC/ JTC
1 “Criteria for conformity assessment bodies” the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2026, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by October 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN-CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO/IEC 17024:2012.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN and CENELEC by
the European Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these
requests for its Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN and CENELEC
websites.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO/IEC 17024:2026 has been approved by CEN-CENELEC as EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026
without any modification.
Annex ZA
(informative)
Relationship between this European Standard and the requirements of
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and
repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 aimed to be covered
This European Standard has been prepared under Commission Implementing Decision C(2021)9277 of
17.12.2021 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation and the
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation as regards accreditation and conformity
assessment in support of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(M/580), to provide one voluntary means of conforming to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation
and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 [OJ L 218].
Once this standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union under that Regulation,
compliance with the normative clauses of this standard given in Table ZA.1 and ZA.2 confers, within the
limits of the scope of this standard, a presumption of conformity with the corresponding requirements
of that Regulation, and associated EFTA regulations.
Table ZA.1 — Correspondence between this European Standard and Regulation (EC) No
765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the
requirements for accreditation and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 [OJ L 218].
Requirement of Regulation Clause(s)/sub-clause(s) Remarks/Notes
(EC) 765/2008 of this EN
Article 5(1) 4.2, 6.1.3, 6.1.4, 6.1.5, 6.1.7,
6.2.2.1a), c), d), 6.3.2b), d),

6.5a)-d), 8.4a), 8.6, 9.4.5, 10.3.3,
10.4.4a), A.3
Table ZA.2 — Correspondence between this European Standard and Decision No 768/2008/EC
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the
marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC [OJ L 218].
Requirement of Decision No Clause(s)/sub-clause(s) Remarks/Notes
768/2008/EC of this EN
Article R17(2) 4.1
Article R17(3) 4.2, 4.3, 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.2, 6.1.2,
6.2.1, 6.2.2.1, 6.2.2.4, 6.2.3, 6.3.1,
6.5e), 9.3.1, 9.4.2, 9.4.4, 9.6.5,
9.8.2, 9.8.6, 9.8.7, 9.9.1, 9.9.2,
9.9.8, 9.9.9, 10.1.1, 10.1.3, 10.2.2,
10.3.1, 10.3.2 c), 10.4.4 b), A.1.4,
A.1.5, A.3
Article R17(4) 5.2.3, 6.3, 9.4.4 EN ISO/IEC 17024 applies to
persons not products, the
referenced clauses therefore
correspond to the third
paragraph of Article R17(4).
Article R17(5) 4.2, 4.3, 5.1.1, 5.2, 6.1.2, 6.1.3,
6.1.4, 6.1.5, 6.1.7, 6.1.9, 6.2.2.1,
6.2.2.4, 6.2.3, 6.3.2, 6.4, 6.5a)-d),
8.4a), 8.6, 9.4.5, 9.8.2, 9.9.2, 9.9.8,
10.3.2c), 10.3.3, 10.4.4, A.2, A.3
Article R17(6) 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 8, 9.2.1, 9.3.2,
9.3.4, 9.3.5, 9.4.2, 9.4.4, 9.4.5,
9.5.1, 9.6.1, 9.8.1, 9.9.1, 10.2
Article R17(7) 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.5, 9.4.8
Article R17(8) 4.3, 4.4, 5.1.1, 5.2, 6.1.2, 6.1.9,
6.2.2.1e), 6.2.2.4, 6.2.3, 9.8.2, 9.9.2,
9.9.8, 10.3.2c), A.2
Article R17(9) 4.4
Article R17(10) 5.2.3b), e), 6.1.9, 6.2.2.4, 6.2.3,
6.3.1, 7.1.2, 7.3, 7.4, 9.9.7, 10.7.4,
A.4
Article R17(11) 6.1.4
Article R20(1) 6.3.1, 6.3.2b), d)
Article R20(2) 6.3.2
Article R20(4) 6.3.2d)
Article R27(1) 9.2, 8
Article R27(2) 8.1, 8.4, 8.5
Article R27(3) 9.4.6, 9.5, 9.6.2 Based on definition 8 and 12
in article R1, Annex I of the
Decision
Article R27(4) 9.5
Article R27(5) 9.5, 9.6.2
WARNING 1 — Presumption of conformity stays valid only as long as a reference to this European
Standard is maintained in the list published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Users of this
standard should consult frequently the latest list published in the Official Journal of the European
Union.
WARNING 2 — Other Union legislation may be applicable to the product(s) falling within the scope of
this standard.
International
Standard
ISO/IEC 17024
Third edition
Conformity assessment — General
2026-03
requirements for bodies operating
certification of persons
Évaluation de la conformité — Exigences générales pour les
organismes de certification procédant à la certification de
personnes
Reference number
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en) © ISO/IEC 2026

ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
© ISO/IEC 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ii
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 General requirements . 4
4.1 Legal matters .4
4.2 Responsibility for decision on certification .4
4.3 Management of impartiality .5
4.4 Finance and liability .5
5 Structural requirements . 6
5.1 Management and organizational structure .6
5.2 Structure of the certification body in relation to education or training .6
6 Resource requirements . 7
6.1 General requirements for personnel . .7
6.2 Personnel involved in assessment activities .7
6.2.1 General .7
6.2.2 Requirements for examiners .7
6.2.3 Requirements for other personnel involved in the assessment .8
6.3 Outsourcing .8
6.4 Other resources .8
6.5 Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the certification process . .9
7 Records and information requirements . 9
7.1 Records of applicants, candidates and certified persons .9
7.2 Public information . .9
7.3 Confidentiality .10
7.4 Security .10
8 Certification schemes .11
9 Certification process requirements .12
9.1 Assessment process . 12
9.2 Application process . 12
9.3 Examination process . 13
9.4 Decision on certification . 13
9.5 Suspending, withdrawing or reducing the scope of certification .14
9.6 Recertification process . 15
9.7 Use of certificates and marks . 15
9.8 Appeals against decisions on certification .16
9.9 Complaints.17
10 Management system requirements . 17
10.1 General .17
10.2 Policies and responsibilities .18
10.3 Management review .18
10.3.1 General .18
10.3.2 Review input .18
10.3.3 Review output .19
10.4 Internal audits.19
10.5 Corrective actions .19
10.6 Actions to address risks and opportunities . 20
10.7 Documented information . 20
Annex A (informative) Principles for certification of persons .22

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
iii
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
Annex B (informative) Relationship between certification activities .24
Bibliography .25

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
iv
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/
IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any
claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not
received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch. ISO and IEC shall not be held
responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by the ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO), in collaboration
with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/CLC/JTC 1, Criteria for
conformity assessment bodies, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and
CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO/IEC 17024:2012), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— addition or revision of terms and definitions;
— additional requirements for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) added in 6.5;
— alignment with the PROC/33 text that establishes common elements for standards developed by CASCO.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
v
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
Introduction
This document has been developed with the objective of achieving and promoting a globally accepted set
of requirements and principles for bodies operating certification of persons. Certification of persons is one
means of providing assurance that the certified person meets the requirements identified in the certification
scheme. Confidence in the respective schemes for certification of persons is achieved by means of a globally
accepted process of assessment and periodic re-assessments of the competence of certified persons.
However, it is necessary to distinguish between situations where schemes for certification of persons
are justified and situations where other forms of qualification are more appropriate. The development of
schemes for certification of persons, in response to the ever-increasing velocity of technological innovation
and growing specialization of personnel, can compensate for variations in education and training and thus
facilitate the global job market. Alternatives to certification can still be necessary for job positions where
public services, official or governmental operations are concerned.
This document can serve as the basis for the recognition of the bodies operating certification of persons, in
order to facilitate their acceptance at the national, regional and international levels. Only the harmonization
of the methodologies for developing and maintaining schemes for certification of persons can establish the
environment for mutual recognition and the global exchange of persons.
This document specifies requirements which ensure that bodies operating certification of persons operate
in a consistent, comparable and reliable manner. The requirements in this document are considered to be
general requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. Certification of persons can only occur
when there is a certification scheme. Schemes for certification of persons are based on market needs or
demand or can be required by governments.
This document can be used for accreditation or peer assessment or designation by governmental authorities,
scheme owners and others.
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
vi
International Standard ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies
operating certification of persons
1 Scope
This document specifies principles and requirements for a body operating certification of persons and
includes the development and maintenance of a scheme for certification of persons.
NOTE 1 For the purposes of this document, the term "certification body" is used in place of the full term " body
operating certification of persons", and the term "certification scheme" is used in place of the full term “scheme for
certification of persons”.
NOTE 2 Annex A contains principles for certification of persons.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 17000, Conformity assessment — Vocabulary and general principles
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 17000 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
certification process
activities by which a certification body (3.7) determines that a person fulfils certification requirements (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: Certification process includes application, assessment (3.12), decision on certification, recertification
(3.30), and issuance of certificates (3.6). It can include surveillance (3.29). Annex B can assist in the understanding of
these terms.
3.2
certification scheme
scheme for certification of persons
set of rules and procedures that specifies the competence (3.9) criteria and other requirements related
to specific categories of skills or occupations of persons and specifies the methodology for performing
certification of persons
3.3
scheme owner
organization responsible for developing and maintaining a certification scheme (3.2)
Note 1 to entry: The organization can be the certification body (3.7) itself, a governmental authority, or other bodies.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
3.4
certification requirements
set of specified requirements including requirements of the certification scheme (3.2) to be fulfilled in order
to establish or maintain certification
3.5
scope of certification
specific job(s), role(s) or function(s) that a certified person (3.20) can perform competently
3.6
certificate
attestation by a certification body (3.7) indicating that the certified person (3.20) has fulfilled the certification
requirements (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: The certificate can take the form of a document, card or other medium.
3.7
certification body
body operating certification of persons
conformity assessment body performing certification of persons in accordance with certification schemes
(3.2)
3.8
certification mark
mark issued by a certification body (3.7), indicating that a person has fulfilled certification requirements (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: The mark can be a logo or a symbol.
3.9
competence
ability (3.10) to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results
3.10
ability
person’s capacity to perform a task
3.11
qualification
demonstrated education, training or work experience
3.12
assessment
evaluation of a person's fulfilment of the certification requirements (3.4) specified in the certification scheme
(3.2)
3.13
examination
part of the assessment (3.12) which measures a candidate's (3.19) competence (3.9) by one or more means,
such as written, oral, practical and observational, as defined in the certification scheme (3.2)
3.14
examiner
person competent to conduct and score an examination (3.13), where the examination requires judgement
on the competence (3.9) of persons

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
3.15
invigilation
process of administering an examination (3.13) or supervising candidates (3.19) during an examination
to prevent fraudulent examination behaviour, unauthorized disclosure of examination material or other
misconduct
Note 1 to entry: Invigilation can include the following: an invigilator (3.16) physically or remotely present viewing
an examination in real time, or an examiner (3.14) or invigilator physically or remotely present viewing a practical
examination which may be recorded and reviewed later.
Note 2 to entry: Invigilation by artificial intelligence (3.31) may also be used provided it meets the requirements of this
document.
3.16
invigilator
person authorized by the certification body (3.7) to perform the invigilation (3.15), but does not evaluate the
competence (3.9) of the candidate (3.19)
Note 1 to entry: Other terms used in practice are, for example, proctor, test administrator, supervisor.
3.17
personnel
individuals, internal or external, of the certification body (3.7) carrying out activities for the certification
body
Note 1 to entry: These include committee members, volunteers, contractors, personnel of external bodies or persons
acting on the certification body’s behalf.
3.18
applicant
person who has submitted an application for certification
3.19
candidate
person who has fulfilled application requirements
Note 1 to entry: The application requirements can include prerequisites.
3.20
certified person
person who has fulfilled and continues to fulfil the certification requirements (3.4) after the decision to
certify has been taken by the certification body (3.7)
3.21
impartiality
objectivity with regard to the activities of the certification body (3.7), its certification process (3.1) and its
outcome
Note 1 to entry: Other terms that are useful in conveying the element of impartiality are freedom from undue influence,
freedom from conflicts of interest, absence of bias (3.23), neutrality and lack of prejudice.
3.22
fairness
equal opportunity for success provided to each applicant (3.18), candidate (3.19) and certified person (3.20)
in the certification process (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: Fairness can be described as acting free from bias (3.23) towards any gender, age, race, ethnicity,
specific groups of people (including individuals with disabilities) or any other identified characteristic.
3.23
bias
presence of any factors that can unfairly influence certification outcomes

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
3.24
validity
evidence that an assessment (3.12) measures what it is intended to measure, as defined by the certification
scheme (3.2)
Note 1 to entry: In this document, validity is also used in its adjective form "valid".
3.25
reliability
extent to which examination (3.13) scores are consistent across different examination times and locations,
different examination forms and different examiners (3.14)
3.26
appeal
request by applicant (3.18), candidate (3.19) or certified person (3.20) for reconsideration of any decision
made by the certification body (3.7) related to their desired certification status
3.27
complaint
expression of dissatisfaction, other than appeal (3.26), by any individual or organization to a certification
body (3.7), relating to the activities of that body or a certified person (3.20), where a response is expected
3.28
interested party
person or organization with a direct or indirect interest in the performance of a certification body (3.7) or a
certified person (3.20), or in the certification scheme (3.2)
Note 1 to entry: Interested parties can include the certified persons, conformity assessment bodies, associations
and clients, industry and trade associations, scheme owners (3.3), employers of the certified persons, regulatory
authorities, non-governmental organizations, consumers, or consumer organizations.
3.29
surveillance
periodic monitoring, during the validity period of certification, of a certified person's (3.20) performance to
ensure continued compliance with the certification scheme (3.2)
3.30
recertification
process for certification renewal to confirm continued competence (3.9) of a certified person (3.20)
3.31
artificial intelligence
AI
autonomous system that performs functions normally associated with human intelligence, such as
reasoning, learning and self-improvement
4 General requirements
4.1 Legal matters
The certification body shall be a legal entity, or a defined part of a legal entity, such that it can be held legally
responsible for its certification activities. A governmental certification body is deemed to be a legal entity
on the basis of its governmental status.
4.2 Responsibility for decision on certification
The certification body shall be responsible for, shall retain authority for, and shall not delegate, its decisions
relating to certification, including the granting, maintaining, recertifying, expanding and reducing the scope
of the certification, and suspending, reinstating or withdrawing the certification.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
4.3 Management of impartiality
4.3.1 Certification activities shall be undertaken impartially. The certification body shall document its
structure, policies and procedures to manage impartiality and to ensure that the certification activities are
undertaken impartially.
4.3.2 The certification body shall have top management commitment to impartiality. The certification body
shall have a statement publicly available without request that it understands the importance of impartiality
in carrying out its certification activities, manages conflicts of interest and ensures the objectivity of its
certification activities.
4.3.3 The certification body shall act impartially in relation to its applicants, candidates and certified
persons.
4.3.4 Policies and procedures for certification of persons shall be fair for all applicants, candidates and
certified persons.
4.3.5 When a certification body uses artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out any certification activity, it
shall document and demonstrate how it eliminates, minimizes or manages any risks to impartiality (e.g.
bias).
4.3.6 The certification body shall not unfairly impede or inhibit access by applicants and candidates.
Certification shall not be restricted on the grounds of undue financial or other limiting conditions, such as
membership of an association or group.
4.3.7 The certification body shall be responsible for the impartiality of its certification activities and shall
not allow commercial, financial or other pressures to compromise its impartiality.
4.3.8 The certification body shall monitor its activities and its relationships to identify threats to its
impartiality on an ongoing basis. The monitoring shall include the relationships of its personnel and its
related bodies.
NOTE 1 A relationship can be based on ownership, governance, management, personnel, shared resources, finances,
contracts or marketing (including branding), and payment of a sales commission or other inducement for the referral
of new applicants, etc. Such relationships do not necessarily present a body with a threat to impartiality.
NOTE 2 A related body is one which is linked to the certification body by common ownership, in whole or part, or
has common members of the board of directors, contractual arrangements, common names, common staff, informal
understanding or other means, such that the related body has a vested interest in any certification decision or has a
potential ability to influence the certification process.
NOTE 3 Threats to impartiality can be either actual or perceived.
4.3.9 If a threat to impartiality is identified, its effect shall be eliminated or minimized so that the
impartiality is not compromised.
4.3.10 The certification body shall identify, analyse, monitor, document and eliminate or minimize potential
conflicts of interest arising from its certification activities. The certification body shall document and be
able to demonstrate how it eliminates, minimizes or manages such conflicts of interest. All potential sources
of conflicts of interest that are identified, whether they arise from within the certification body, such as
assigning responsibilities to personnel, or from the activities of other persons, bodies or organizations, shall
be covered.
4.4 Finance and liability
The certification body shall have the financial resources necessary for the operation of certification activities
and have adequate arrangements (e.g. insurance or reserves) to cover associated liabilities.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
5 Structural requirements
5.1 Management and organizational structure
5.1.1 The certification body shall be structured and managed so as to safeguard impartiality.
5.1.2 The certification body shall document its organizational structure, describing the duties,
responsibilities and authorities of management, its personnel and any committees. When the certification
body is a defined part of a legal entity, documentation of the organizational structure shall include the line of
authority and the relationship to other parts within the same legal entity.
The certification body shall determine responsibility for the following:
a) policies and procedures relating to the operation of the certification body;
b) finances of the certification body;
c) resources for certification activities;
d) development and maintenance of the certification schemes;
e) assessment activities;
f) decisions on certification, including the granting, maintaining, recertifying, expanding, reducing,
suspending, reinstating or withdrawing of the certification;
g) contractual arrangements.
5.2 Structure of the certification body in relation to education or training
5.2.1 Completion of education or training may be a prerequisite for certification, however education or
training prerequisites shall not compromise impartiality or reduce the certification requirements.
5.2.2 A certification body shall not state or imply that certification would be simpler, easier or less
expensive if any specific education or training services are used.
5.2.3 Offering education or training and certification of persons within the same legal entity or a related
body constitutes a threat to impartiality. In such a case the certification body shall:
a) identify and document the associated threats to its impartiality on an ongoing basis: the certification
body shall have a documented process to demonstrate how it eliminates or minimizes those threats;
b) demonstrate that all processes performed by the certification body are independent of education or
training to ensure that confidentiality, information security and impartiality are not compromised;
c) not give the impression that the use of both services would provide any advantage to the applicant;
d) not require the applicant to complete education or training offered within the same legal entity or
related body as an exclusive prerequisite when alternative education or training with an equivalent
outcome exists;
e) ensure that personnel do not serve as an examiner or invigilator of a specific candidate they have trained
unless the certification body can demonstrate how it controls for conflicts of interest and impartiality.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC 17024:2026(en)
6 Resource requirements
6.1 General requirements for personnel
6.1.1 The certification body shall manage and be responsible for the performance of all personnel involved
in certification activities.
6.1.2 All personnel of the certification body that could influence the certification activities shall act
impartially.
6.1.3 The certification body shall have access to a sufficient number of competent persons to perform its
certification activities.
6.1.4 The certification body shall have a process for managing competence of its personnel.
6.1.5 The certification body shall specify the competence requirements for personnel involved in the
certification process and shall have up to date documented information demonstrating competence of its
personnel.
NOTE Documented information can include qualifications, certifications, training, education, skills, professional
affiliations, professional status, competence and known conflicts of interest.
6.1.
...