This page tells you, in plain English, what each of our six standards cares about. Behind them sit 74 specific checks and the scoring rules our assessors work to — and every applicant receives all of it, in full, before assessment begins. You are never judged against anything you haven’t seen, and anything that doesn’t apply to your kind of course simply doesn’t count against you.
Does the course teach something real? We look for promises a learner can actually check — what you’ll be able to do by the end — content a genuine expert has put their name to, and a real plan for keeping it up to date. And we work out for ourselves how long the learning honestly takes, because CPD hours should mean something.
Is it taught, or just presented? We look at whether the way a course is delivered actually suits what it promises, whether learners do things rather than just read or watch, and whether the people behind it both know their subject and know how to teach it. If learners can ask for help, we ask for help — and see what happens.
Is it professionally made? Writing a learner can follow first time, checked by more than one pair of eyes before release. Materials that work for people who rely on captions, a screen reader or a keyboard. And every image, font and clip used with permission.
If it tests and certifies, can the result be trusted? Tests should measure what the course promises to teach, pass marks should have a reason behind them, and certificates should say only what actually happened — and be checkable by anyone, in seconds, on our public register.
Does the provider listen? We expect feedback to be gathered from learners on every run of the course — and visibly acted on. And when something goes wrong, a clear way to complain and a fair approach to refunds.
Is this a real, honest organisation? Properly registered and insured, careful with learners’ data, marketing that promises only what the course delivers — and a sensible answer to what happens to learners if the business ever stops trading.