Personnel certification is entering a new phase. With the publication of ISO/IEC 17024:2026, bodies operating certification of persons must respond not only to evolving expectations around competence, impartiality and examination integrity, but also to the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies within certification processes.
Published in March 2026 as the third edition of the international standard, ISO/IEC 17024:2026 replaces ISO/IEC 17024:2012 and establishes the updated international framework for bodies operating certification of persons.
For certification bodies, scheme owners, professional associations, regulators and organizations relying on certified personnel, the revision represents an important development in how competence is assessed, demonstrated and internationally recognized.
Personnel Certification Is Becoming More Important
Organizations increasingly depend on individuals whose competence must be demonstrated independently — particularly where technical capability, safety, regulatory compliance or professional judgement can directly affect operational performance.
Personnel certification provides a structured mechanism for demonstrating that an individual meets defined competence requirements within a specific certification scheme.
This is fundamentally different from simply completing a training course.
Training demonstrates participation in a learning process. Personnel certification is intended to provide independent assurance that defined certification requirements have actually been fulfilled.
As industries become more specialized and workforces increasingly operate across borders, internationally recognized personnel-certification schemes can support confidence, professional mobility and recognition of competence across markets.
What Is ISO/IEC 17024:2026?
ISO/IEC 17024:2026 specifies principles and requirements for bodies operating certification of persons and includes requirements relating to certification schemes.
The standard is designed to help ensure that personnel-certification bodies operate in a consistent, comparable and reliable manner.
It can also provide a basis for accreditation, peer assessment or recognition by governmental authorities, scheme owners and other interested parties.
The underlying objective is confidence: employers, regulators, clients and other stakeholders should be able to rely upon a personnel certificate as credible evidence that the certified individual has fulfilled the requirements established by the relevant certification scheme.
What Has Changed in the 2026 Edition?
The third edition technically revises ISO/IEC 17024:2012 and introduces several important changes intended to modernize the standard and improve consistency across conformity assessment.
Specific requirements have been introduced for the use of AI within certification processes.
Terms and definitions have been added or revised to improve clarity and consistency.
The standard has been aligned more closely with common elements used across ISO conformity-assessment standards.
A new Annex B explains how certification activities, processes, assessments, applications, examinations and schemes relate to one another.
Artificial Intelligence Changes the Certification Environment
One of the most important developments in ISO/IEC 17024:2026 is the recognition that artificial intelligence can become part of personnel-certification processes.
Certification bodies may increasingly use technology to support candidate administration, assessment, examination delivery, monitoring, remote invigilation and other certification activities.
Technology can improve accessibility and efficiency — but it can also introduce new risks.
This means certification bodies need to understand not only where AI is being used, but also how AI-supported outcomes are reviewed, controlled and incorporated into certification decisions.
Human Oversight Remains Essential
Artificial intelligence may assist certification processes, but certification bodies remain responsible for the integrity of certification outcomes.
Where AI-supported systems are used, appropriate human oversight becomes an important control.
AI may support assessment, examination administration, monitoring, analysis or other certification activities.
Certification bodies remain responsible for validating outcomes, maintaining competence and ensuring fair, reliable and transparent certification decisions.
Impartiality Remains Fundamental
Personnel certification only creates confidence when certification decisions remain independent and impartial.
Certification bodies therefore need appropriate structures for identifying, evaluating and managing threats to impartiality.
Potential risks can arise from commercial relationships, training activities, organizational structures, personnel relationships or other interests capable of influencing certification activities.
Education or training may support professional development, but certification must remain an independent determination that the candidate fulfils defined competence requirements.
Certification Schemes Remain at the Heart of the System
Certification of persons cannot operate effectively without a clearly defined certification scheme.
The scheme establishes what competence is being certified and the requirements against which candidates will be assessed.
Depending upon the profession or activity concerned, a certification scheme may address:
The credibility of the certificate ultimately depends upon the credibility of this underlying certification framework.
Examinations Must Demonstrate Competence
Examinations are frequently one of the most visible components of personnel certification, but examination integrity involves considerably more than preparing questions and calculating scores.
Certification bodies need assessment processes capable of providing appropriate and reliable evidence that candidates fulfil the requirements established by the certification scheme.
Assess knowledge through structured written or computer-based examination methods.
Evaluate professional understanding, reasoning and judgement where appropriate.
Assess the candidate’s ability to perform defined technical or professional activities.
Evaluate competence through direct observation of activities or performance.
Use computer-based or remote testing systems where suitable controls are maintained.
Use multiple assessment methods where no single method adequately demonstrates competence.
Digital and Remote Assessment Require Strong Controls
The expansion of remote examinations and digitally administered certification creates significant opportunities for certification bodies.
Candidates can potentially access certification processes across geographical boundaries, while certification bodies can operate international schemes more efficiently.
At the same time, digital assessment introduces additional considerations around:
What Certification Bodies Should Review Now
Organizations currently operating personnel-certification schemes should evaluate how their existing systems align with ISO/IEC 17024:2026.
A structured review should consider both the revised requirements and the operational changes that may have occurred since certification processes were originally designed.
Review organizational structures, certification decisions and controls for identifying and managing threats to impartiality.
Confirm that schemes remain appropriate to current competence requirements, market needs and professional expectations.
Review examination development, delivery, scoring, invigilation, security and competence-assessment methods.
Identify where AI is used and establish appropriate validation, monitoring, competence and human oversight.
Review candidate records, confidentiality, public information, certificates and examination-security controls.
Review internal audit, management review, corrective action and controls supporting consistent certification activities.
What This Means for Accredited Certification Bodies
For certification bodies previously accredited against ISO/IEC 17024:2012, publication of the new edition creates a transition requirement as accreditation bodies establish and implement their respective transition arrangements.
Organizations should therefore monitor formal requirements communicated by their accreditation body and determine what changes are needed within their certification schemes, procedures, assessment systems, competence arrangements and management processes.
- AI-supported certification activities;
- remote assessment and examination systems;
- updated terminology and procedures;
- scheme documentation;
- competence of certification personnel;
- examination integrity and security;
- impartiality controls; and
- internal audit and transition readiness.
Why ISO/IEC 17024 Matters Beyond Certification Bodies
The impact of personnel certification extends well beyond the organization issuing the certificate.
Employers use professional certifications when recruiting or assigning personnel. Regulators may reference certification schemes when establishing competence expectations. Asset owners and contractors may require certified specialists within procurement specifications, tenders and project requirements.
Personnel certification is particularly relevant in technical and professional fields where competence can influence safety, quality, compliance or operational reliability.
From Certificates to Demonstrable Competence
The evolution of ISO/IEC 17024 reflects a wider shift occurring throughout conformity assessment.
Markets increasingly expect more than documentation.
They expect evidence that certification processes are impartial, technically competent, secure and capable of adapting to new technologies without compromising confidence.
The certificate itself may be treated as the primary evidence of professional competence.
Confidence depends on the scheme, assessment, examination, impartiality and certification process behind the certificate.
Preparing for the New Era of Personnel Certification
ISO/IEC 17024:2026 provides certification bodies with an updated framework for operating credible and internationally recognized personnel-certification systems in an increasingly digital environment.
Organizations should use the revision as an opportunity to examine not only individual procedures but the effectiveness of the entire certification system — from scheme development and candidate assessment to examination integrity, impartiality, certification decisions, recertification and emerging AI-enabled processes.
Those that approach the transition strategically can strengthen the credibility of their schemes while improving their ability to respond to changing technologies, professions and international workforce requirements.
Is Your Personnel Certification System Ready for ISO/IEC 17024:2026?
Certification bodies do not need to wait until their accreditation transition deadline to begin reviewing the revised standard.
An early assessment can identify gaps in certification schemes, AI controls, digital examinations, assessment processes, impartiality arrangements and management-system documentation before they become transition issues.
The future of personnel certification will not be defined simply by issuing more certificates. It will be defined by the ability to demonstrate that certified professionals genuinely possess the competence those certificates represent.