Certification Manual

Reference: MN-CAL-01 V.00 Approval date: 2024-04-15 Published: 2026-02-25 Applicable standard: ISO/IEC 17024:2012

1. Objective and scope

Objective

Define the bases by which ISCB® operates independently of interested parties to grant the certification of competencies to those who require it, under the standards established by the certification scheme. Reduce the risk of conflicts of interest, guaranteeing the impartiality, independence and integrity of its policies and procedures, and ensuring that the principles of objectivity, respect, confidentiality and justice are applied in all its operations.

Scope

This Manual applies to all actors within ISCB® — applicants, candidates and certified persons — and is an integral part of the contractual requirements governing the certification of competencies. It covers the stages of application, evaluation and certification decision, and includes guidelines on the extension, reduction, suspension and withdrawal of certificates.

2. Responsibilities

2.1 The certification body

Promote and maintain the Personnel Certification Scheme in accordance with applicable standards.
Manage the documented information of each certification scheme.
Establish the corresponding sanctions for ISCB® staff as well as candidates and certified persons.
Delegate, under its responsibility, the administration and scoring of evaluation instruments to duly authorised examiners.
Establish controls to prevent fraud attempts in evaluation processes.
Manage all activities or relationships that could generate a risk to the impartiality of the organisation.
Issue, maintain, extend, reduce, suspend or withdraw certificates and keep the records of certified persons up to date.
Notify the Scheme Committee of any change in certification requirements and inform interested parties and certified persons once approved.

2.2 The Scheme Committee

Review, validate and update certification schemes.
Approve evaluation instruments and support renewal activities.
Review the relevance of evaluation instruments following changes to the scheme.
Review that managed risks are adequate to guarantee regulatory compliance.
Propose new scopes and sectors for certification processes.

2.3 Examiners

Carry out their work in compliance with ISCB® requirements.
Ensure impartiality with respect to each candidate and report any potential threat to impartiality.
Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of evaluation instruments and the evidence portfolio.
Sign the confidentiality clause regarding internal ISCB® documents and processes.

2.4 The applicant / candidate

Not have or have had litigation with ISCB® for breach of contract or service provision.
Submit all required documentation evidencing work experience and specific scheme requirements.
Assume all costs related to the certification process.
Not use the certificate in a deceptive manner or in a way that discredits ISCB®.
Return the original card or certificate in the event of suspension or cancellation.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Manual, the terms and definitions of the following standards apply:

ISO/IEC 17000:2020 — Conformity assessment. Vocabulary and general principles.
ISO 9000:2015 — Quality management systems. Fundamentals and vocabulary.
ISO/IEC 17024:2012 — Conformity assessment. General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.

4. General conditions

ISCB® provides personnel certification services and may deliver them at its discretion, through its own staff or by delegating to other persons or organisations. When part of the work is delegated, ISCB® retains responsibility for granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending or withdrawing certification. ISCB® does not outsource the certification decision.

The Technical Director receives and evaluates the information provided by the candidate. The examiner issues a judgment based on the results of the evaluation instruments and the evidence portfolio. The Technical Director makes the final certification decision.

5. Certification process — application

5.1 Submitting the application

The application is the voluntary presentation of a person to be admitted to the certification process. The applicant may be sponsored by third parties (individuals or companies), but such sponsorship is limited to providing the name and, where applicable, paying for services. Sponsors may not interfere in the certification process. Payment by sponsors creates no obligations between ISCB® and the sponsor, nor does it constitute a commitment to certify.

To apply, the applicant must: meet all prerequisites of the corresponding certification scheme, complete form F-CER-02 (Certification Application) via the website, and pay the applicable fees according to the requested scope.

By submitting the application, the applicant declares knowledge of the certification process and their rights and obligations, and commits to complying with them and with the requirements of this Manual.

5.2 Special and incomplete applications

The applicant may declare special needs. An analysis is conducted with the Technical Director to ensure the special need does not compromise the veracity of the process or facilitate fraud.

If the application is incomplete, ISCB® will grant ten (10) business days to remedy it. If not remedied, the process will be cancelled due to withdrawal. ISCB® reserves the right to request additional information at any stage.

5.3 Review and acceptance

The Administrative Assistant reviews the application using F-CER-09 (Document Review), verifying compliance with scheme prerequisites, the CAB's and assigned examiner's capacity, and the absence of conflicts of interest for the assigned examiner.

If the application meets all prerequisites, it will be accepted and the applicant will be notified by email within five (5) business days, together with Moodle platform credentials and the ZOOM induction link.

If the applicant withdraws after formalisation and before the evaluation begins, ISCB® will retain 50% of the amount paid as a penalty for non-compliance.

6. Evaluation

6.1 Scheduling

The Administrative Assistant schedules the theoretical and practical evaluation and informs the applicant by email. If evaluation personnel declare a potential conflict of interest, they must complete F-RH-14 (Conflict of Interest Declaration) and an additional Supervisor will be appointed.

6.2 Execution and examination rules

At the start of the evaluation, the proctoring tool confirms the candidate's identity via camera, cross-referencing against the identity document submitted with the application. During the evaluation:

The use of cameras, mobile phones or other recording or photography devices is prohibited.
Reference documentation is not permitted.
Candidates have the right to know the duration, structure and scoring criteria of the evaluations.
For EPP-01 and EPP-02 practical evaluations, candidates may request a change of examiner from the Technical Director with documented justification.
Using unauthorised material or communicating with third parties during the evaluation results in cancellation and a two (2)-year bar from new applications.

6.3 Evaluation procedure and passing criterion

To obtain the Certificate (Polygraph Examiner, Professional Polygraph Examiner, Polygraph Auditor or Compliance Officer), candidates must pass with a score of ≥ 80 / 100 the theoretical and practical evaluations, comprising:

A standardised test with multiple-choice, true/false and matching questions.
A performance examination guided by F-CER-06 (Practical Evaluation Matrix) for EPP-01 and EPP-02 schemes.

The interpretation of results is carried out in accordance with the certification scheme corresponding to the evaluated scope.

7. Certification decision and certificate

The Technical Director makes the certification decision after collecting and analysing the evidence (documentation, written and practical results). ISCB® will communicate the decision to the candidate within eight (8) days of receiving the examiner's report.

The certificate is valid for two (2) years from issuance. Once requirements are met, the candidate must sign the Certification Contract.

Issued certificates shall include at least:

Name of the certified person and unique certificate identifier.
Name of the certification body.
Reference to the certification scheme and applicable standard, with publication date.
Scope of certification, conditions and limits of validity.
QR code directing to the certificate verification page.
Effective date and expiry date.

8. Renewal, suspension and withdrawal

8.1 Renewal

To renew certification the following is required:

Employment certificate demonstrating at least six (6) months of practice during the last year.
Refresher course of at least 20 hours in the last twelve (12) months on related topics.
Participation in a skills evaluation witnessed by the examiner.

These requirements apply only to certifications whose expiry date is not more than 12 months away.

8.2 Extension of scope

A certified person wishing to extend scope before expiry must submit a written request with performance evidence in the extension area. If the renewal period has not been reached, only the practical evaluation is required.

8.3 Reduction of scope

ISCB® may reduce the certification scope during the initial evaluation process or as a result of surveillance activities, through a reasoned decision, when a competency deficit is detected at the initially requested level.

8.4 Suspension

ISCB® may provisionally suspend certification when:

The certified person fails to comply with the Certification Regulations or Functions Manual, or loses competencies due to temporary physical problems.
The duties and responsibilities notified to the candidate are not fulfilled.

8.5 Withdrawal or cancellation

Certifications will be withdrawn or cancelled due to:

Sanctions for non-compliance with the Regulations or Functions Manual.
Certificate expiry without recertification.
Direct request by the holder.
Death of the holder, upon verification.

Withdrawal, suspension, reduction or cancellation will be communicated to the certified person in writing, stating the reasons for the decision.

9. Sanctions and right of defence

9.1 Sanctions

Sanctions are the consequence of non-compliance with the Functions Manual, Certification Regulations and certificate use agreement. They are recommended by the Technical Director and ratified by the Manager, following documented analysis of the facts.

Written warning.
Suspension of up to one (1) month for failing to attend surveillance without justified cause.
Cancellation and withdrawal if the person fails to appear for surveillance after the temporary suspension period.
Definitive cancellation and permanent exclusion from the registry for serious misconduct under the Functions Manual.
In any type of withdrawal, the certificate must be returned immediately to ISCB®.

9.2 Right of defence

All proceedings related to sanctions must be communicated in writing to the candidate or certified person. The applicable deadlines are:

The candidate has five (5) business days to submit a defence from the notification.
ISCB® will communicate the final decision to the interested party within twenty (20) business days.
In the event of a definitive sanction, the certificate must be returned within five (5) business days of notification.

10. Confidentiality and public information

10.1 Confidentiality

ISCB® will not publish evaluation instruments or disclose results to third parties not authorised by the candidate or certified person.
All documentation containing candidate information will be filed in restricted-access locations.
The Manager, Technical Director, Committee members, examiners and all ISCB® staff undertake to maintain confidentiality during and after the process.
Confidential information will be disclosed when required by law, notifying the person concerned, unless the law prohibits such notification.

10.2 Public information

Once certification is granted, ISCB® will make the following information publicly available (searchable by identification number), unless the law provides otherwise:

Name and ID of the certified person.
Scope, code and validity of the certification.
Status: suspension or withdrawal of certification if applicable.
Conclusion of appeals resulting in withdrawal, suspension or similar.

11. Complaints and appeals

Certificates issued by ISCB® do not imply liability for claims for loss, expense or damage, including costs arising from misuse of the certificate or from breach of the commitments accepted by the certified person.

If a candidate, certified person or interested party considers themselves harmed by the results or decisions of the application, evaluation or certification decision process, they may:

File a complaint in accordance with the user service guidelines (Complaints and Appeals Procedure P-CAL-04).
Lodge an appeal in accordance with the appeals procedure. ISCB® will respond within fifteen (15) business days.

Appeals must be substantiated and refer exclusively to decisions of the application, evaluation or certification decision process. All persons involved in the appeals process must comply with ISCB® confidentiality requirements. The final decision is made by personnel not involved in the cause of the appeal.