How employers verify a certification, and why a public registry matters

What a good verification looks like

• The issuer runs a public lookup that anyone can reach without an account.
• The lookup confirms the holder, the credential, the issue date and the current status.
• The status can change: a credential can lapse, be suspended or be withdrawn, and the lookup shows it.
• The record tells you what the issuer stands behind, and what it does not.

How to check someone’s credential

1. Ask for the credential ID and the holder’s name as it appears on the record.
2. Go to the issuer’s own website, typed in yourself, not through a link in the CV.
3. Compare the record with what the candidate said: credential, date and status.
4. If the issuer has no public lookup, treat the claim as unverified.

Spotting a fake

Be wary of a certificate that cannot be looked up, a “registry” run by someone other than the issuer, an ID format that does not match the issuer’s, or a credential name that is a near-copy of a well-known one.

IICTP’s approach

IICTP publishes a public registry so a credential can be checked directly. Its registry policy explains what a record contains and how status changes. Sample records on the site are illustrative only.

IICTP is a new independent credential and is not ISO/IEC 17024 accredited.