Frequently asked questions

DPCert (DPCert Global Institute) is a professional certification body for responsible AI, AI governance and data protection. We assess knowledge through our own online exams and issue verifiable credentials to those who pass. We are not a school: we do not sell courses, and no course is required to sit an exam. The catalogue runs from an entry-level credential, the RAIF, to certifications for practitioners, leaders, auditors and executives.

No. DPCert is not accredited by any accreditation body, and we prefer to say so plainly. What we do is design the programme with reference to ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for bodies that certify persons: a public syllabus for each certification, published domains and weights, written exam rules, revocation with a recorded reason and public verification of every credential. Anyone can check those rules in the candidate handbook and on the integrity page.

No. DPCert is an independent institution with no link to the European Commission, any data protection authority or ISO. Our certifications cover the content of laws and standards such as the GDPR, the LGPD, the EU AI Act and ISO/IEC 42001, but they are not official certifications of any of those bodies and do not replace official schemes where they exist.

The main difference is upkeep: a DPCert credential never expires, with no renewal fees and no continuing education quotas. Each certification also costs USD 100, including the entry-level RAIF, which has a free open assessment, the exam is online with no scheduling, and the result comes on the spot. IAPP is the established reference in the field, and it is up to you to decide what matters more for your career. AIGP, CIPP and CIPM are trademarks of IAPP; DPCert is not affiliated with it, and IAPP current terms should be checked on its official website.

There are six. RAIF (Responsible AI Foundation), entry level, for any professional. RAIP (Responsible AI Practitioner), for people who apply AI in their daily work. DPAI (Data Protection & AI Professional), for privacy and data protection. RAIL (Responsible AI Leader), for people running an AI governance programme. AUDAI (Responsible AI Auditor), for AI and data audit. RAI-X (Responsible AI for Executives), for executives and board members. The syllabus, domains and format of each are on the certifications page.

Start from what you do today. If you have never studied AI governance or privacy, start with the RAIF, the entry-level certification; its free open assessment helps you prepare. If you work in product, data, engineering or risk and use AI day to day, the RAIP. If you work in legal or compliance, or act as a DPO, the DPAI. If you will own your company AI governance programme, the RAIL, after the RAIP or the DPAI. If you do audit or compliance consulting, the AUDAI, also after the RAIP or the DPAI. If you are an executive or board member, the RAI-X. The selection guide on the site walks you through these questions.

Because experience is what you lived, and certification is what a third party can check without taking your word for it. AI governance and data protection are new areas for many companies, and hiring managers cannot always assess what a résumé claims. The credential settles that with a public verification code, and the per-domain result shows you where your practice left gaps.

No professional certification forces a company to hire anyone, and we will not pretend otherwise. DPCert is new and has no client list to show. What we guarantee is what is under our control: anyone can check your credential in seconds in the public verifier, the register states what was assessed, the badge is digitally signed and the credential does not expire. How much weight each employer gives it is their decision.

Four steps. You choose the certification and buy the exam (or, if it is free under a promotion, click start), receive the voucher, open the exam whenever you want and answer it online, and the result comes on the spot. If you pass, the credential is issued right there, with a public verification code, a signed Open Badge and a PDF certificate with a QR code in your account. The exception is an exam that records exits from its window above the limit: there, the credential is issued within 3 business days.

Each certification starts from a public syllabus, with domains and weights, and the exam always draws questions in that proportion. Questions describe work situations and ask for a decision, rather than testing memorised definitions. Every question goes through human review before it counts towards a score, and each one is monitored after publication. The page on how exams are built and the AI use policy explain the process in detail.

The certification stops being sold, but nothing happens to those who already earned it. Issued credentials remain valid, stay in the public verifier, and the certification page stays online so that anyone checking years later can see what was assessed.