Candidate handbook
RAIL candidate handbook
Responsible AI Leader
Everything that applies to the RAIL certification exam: what it covers, how the exam works, how it is scored and where to study.
Blueprint version 1, published on November 2, 2026.
What the certification attests
For those who will own the AI governance program: committee and policies, ISO/IEC 42001, enterprise risk, regulatory strategy, incidents and culture.
You will own the AI governance program
You have been asked to set up or run AI governance across the organization and need a structure that works beyond a policy document.
You lead privacy or compliance and AI is now part of your remit
You already run a privacy program or hold the DPAI, and need to extend it to AI with ISO/IEC 42001 and enterprise risk in view.
You advise organizations on AI governance
As a consultant or in-house advisor, you design programs and prepare teams for ISO/IEC 42001 audits, and need leadership-level command of the topic.
Prerequisite
You need the RAIP or DPAI credential to buy and take this certification exam.
Certification exam format
- Questions
- 50
- Duration
- 150 min
- Pass mark
- 72%
- Languages
- English, Portuguese, Spanish
The pass mark is fixed: you pass with 72% correct answers, with no curve and no comparison with other candidates.
Domains and weights
Questions are drawn for every certification exam, always in this proportion. The weights are the same the exam engine uses.
| Domain | Questions | Weight | Where to study |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Building the AI governance program Writing a governance charter, setting up an AI committee with real decision rights, defining policies and a RACI, and using a maturity model to decide what to build next. | 10 | 20% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 1, Building the AI governance program |
2. ISO/IEC 42001 AI management system Reading ISO/IEC 42001 clause by clause, selecting and justifying Annex A controls, and judging whether an AI management system is ready for a certification audit. | 10 | 20% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 2, ISO/IEC 42001 AI management system |
3. Enterprise risk integration Bringing AI risk into ERM and the three lines model, stating a risk appetite for AI, choosing key risk indicators and reporting to the board in a form it can use. | 8 | 16% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 3, Enterprise risk integration |
4. Regulatory strategy Building a compliance approach across several jurisdictions, planning conformity assessment where it applies, and deciding when and how to engage a regulator. | 7 | 14% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 4, Regulatory strategy |
5. Incident management and crisis Leading the response to an AI incident, handling the overlap with a personal data breach, and coordinating internal and external communication under time pressure. | 5 | 10% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 5, Incident management and crisis |
6. Culture, training and change Designing role-based awareness and training, creating ethics escalation channels people trust, and protecting those who raise concerns through whistleblowing routes. | 5 | 10% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 6, Culture, training and change |
7. Case analysis Scenario questions that cut across every domain: weighing competing obligations, choosing the next step for the program and defending that decision to leadership. | 5 | 10% | RAIL Syllabus, domain 7, Case analysis |
Certification exam rules
- Format
- Online certification exam, in your browser, with no scheduling and no exam centre. You can take the exam in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Questions describe work situations and ask for a decision. Every question has four options and exactly one correct answer.
- Time
- The clock runs on the server and starts when you open the certification exam. It does not pause: reloading the page, switching devices or closing the browser does not give time back. When time runs out, the exam is submitted with what you have answered.
- Navigation
- You can go back, change answers and flag questions for review. Before you finish, a screen shows what is answered, flagged and blank.
- Scoring
- Your score is compared with the pass mark, with no curve. A blank question counts as wrong, and there is no partial credit.
- Result
- Immediate, with your score for each domain. It is kept in your account and does not appear on the certificate or the public profile.
- Voucher
- Each voucher is worth one attempt and is used when the certification exam is opened. A voucher bought on the site never expires. Whoever types the code takes the exam, so treat the code like a ticket.
- New attempt
- There is no waiting period and no limit. Each attempt uses a voucher, and questions are drawn again, giving priority to ones you have not seen yet. If you do not pass, you get a 50% coupon for the same certification, valid for 90 days.
- Refund
- Within 14 days of purchase, if the voucher has not been used, through the same payment method.
- Technical problem
- Come back through the same address: the certification exam resumes with the same questions and the answers already saved. If a platform failure compromises your exam, a new attempt is released at no cost.
- Credential
- Issued when you pass, with a public verification code. It never expires: it is valid until revoked. There is no renewal, no continuing education (CPD) requirement and no annual fee.
- Revocation
- A credential can be revoked for fraud, disclosure of questions, false identity, misleading use or administrative error. The code remains searchable and shows the revocation.
- Integrity
- The certification exam is individual and closed book, including artificial intelligence assistants. There is no camera, microphone or screen recording. During the exam, copying, cutting and selecting the text of the questions are disabled, and leaving the exam window is not allowed. Each exit is recorded and flagged on screen; exits shorter than 3 seconds do not count. From the 9th exit, the credential, if you pass, may be reviewed and is issued within 3 business days, not immediately. On the 10th, the exam is ended and scored with the answers given so far. None of this appears on the certificate.
- Accessibility
- The certification exam screen works with keyboard and screen reader. Anyone with a disability or health condition that affects their reading or response time requests 25% extended time in the account, in Certification exams, before using the voucher, with a self-declaration. For another adjustment, write to [email protected].
Where to study
Study by domain, using the weights above and the frameworks listed on the certification page.
Short on time? Study by weight: the domains below are in the order of how much they count in the certification exam.
- Building the AI governance program (20%)
- ISO/IEC 42001 AI management system (20%)
- Enterprise risk integration (16%)
- Regulatory strategy (14%)
- Incident management and crisis (10%)
- Culture, training and change (10%)
- Case analysis (10%)