A new certification, from rules to badge
Eligibility, application, exam, credential and renewal, built in order.
- Length
- 6 months
- Price, indicative
- From $12,000
A certification is a promise about the people who hold it. Before the first application opens, the rules for who may apply, what they must show and how often they renew are written, approved and loaded, so every candidate meets the same ones.
How the six months run
- Month 1
Set the rules
Eligibility, fees, appeals and conflict-of-interest policies drafted with your board, then approved.
- Month 2
Build the application
Application form, document upload and reviewer workflow configured in the candidate portal.
- Months 2 to 4
Assemble the exam
Your Job Task Analysis blueprint loaded, items banked and two forms built to its weights.
- Month 5
Design the credential
An Open Badges 3.0 credential, a public verification page and the recertification policy.
- Month 6
Open applications
Applications open, the first exam window scheduled, and your lead on the support line.
What you receive
- Who it is for
- Associations and boards starting a new certification
- Format
- Online, with board and committee sessions on video or on site
- Approved eligibility, appeals and recertification policies
- An online application with reviewer workflow and every decision logged
- An exam configured from your blueprint, with two forms
- An Open Badges 3.0 credential with a public verification page
- A plain-language candidate handbook
- A launch plan for the first application period and exam window
Is this the right program?
Right for you if
- Your board has approved a new certification and set a target date
- You have, or will commission, a Job Task Analysis for the role
- You can name five to eight practitioners to a certification committee
Look elsewhere if
- The certification already runs and you only need software; see certification management
- You need accreditation evidence for an existing credential; see Accreditation Readiness
Example: a medical interpreter certification
A state association of medical interpreters plans a certification for about 600 members working in hospitals and clinics. After a Job Task Analysis, the six months produce eligibility rules with a language proficiency requirement, an online application, two exam forms, an Open Badges credential and a three-year renewal cycle built on 30 continuing education hours.
Credential Launch questions, answered
Do we need a Job Task Analysis first?
Yes, for any certification you expect to stand behind. The analysis gives you the blueprint the exam is built from and the record of how it was set. It runs as a separate program from $14,000 and usually starts first, so months two to four of the launch can use its blueprint.
Who writes the exam questions?
Your subject matter experts do, because the content belongs to your field. Our item writing facilitators train them and run the review. If you have no bank yet, an Item Writing Workshop fits inside months two to four; existing items are imported and reviewed against the new blueprint instead.
What runs the certification after launch?
Certification management, from $4,000 a year, tracks credentials, expiry dates, continuing education and renewals once you are live. The $12,000 launch fee is separate and fixed. The pricing page lists both, along with the exam platform subscription and proctoring prices per session.
How long should a credential last before renewal?
Long enough to be practical and short enough to keep pace with your field, and the policy should say why. Fields with frequent rule or technology changes tend toward shorter cycles. The policy we draft with you sets the cycle, the evidence needed, such as continuing education, and what happens to a lapsed credential.
Plan this program with us
A 30-minute call to see whether Credential Launch fits your teams, your calendar and your budget.