Overview
EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026, "Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons," sets out internationally recognized principles and requirements for organizations that certify individuals’ competencies. Developed by CEN in partnership with ISO and IEC, this standard guides certification bodies in designing, implementing, and maintaining credible personnel certification schemes. By ensuring impartiality, fairness, consistency, and reliability, EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 supports effective skills and knowledge validation across industries, facilitating professional mobility and workforce trust at local, regional, and global levels.
Key Topics
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Certification Bodies: Defines criteria for organizations (certification bodies) that assess and certify persons’ competences according to specified schemes.
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Certification Schemes: Covers the development, structure, and maintenance of schemes designed for evaluating and certifying skills or competencies in defined job roles.
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Impartiality and Fairness: Emphasizes management of impartiality, conflict of interest avoidance, and fairness to all applicants and certified persons.
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Legal and Governance Requirements: Specifies the need for legal entity status, top management commitment, and transparent policies.
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Personnel and Resource Management: Outlines resource requirements for examiners, invigilators, and others involved in the certification process.
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Confidentiality and Security: Sets conditions for securely handling examination processes, candidate information, and other sensitive data.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI): Introduces requirements for the use of AI in assessment, ensuring transparency and mitigation of bias or unfair influence.
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Processes and Records: Details requirements for applications, assessments, recertification, appeals, complaints, and the use of certificates and certification marks.
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Continuous Improvement: Requires management reviews, internal audits, corrective actions, and regular reassessments to assure ongoing compliance and effectiveness.
Applications
EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 is applicable to a wide range of sectors and certification bodies, supporting:
- Professional Certifications: Used by organizations certifying technical professionals (e.g., engineers, auditors, IT specialists) to validate knowledge and practical skills.
- Regulatory Recognition: Supports regulatory bodies and authorities in establishing requirements for licensed professions and mutual recognition agreements.
- HR and Recruitment: Enables employers to verify the competence of certified persons globally, simplifying recruitment and mobility in an international workforce.
- Accreditation and Peer Assessment: Serves as a benchmark for the accreditation of certification bodies by national and international accreditors.
- Scheme Owners and Industry Groups: Assists in developing reliable, market-responsive certification schemes relevant to various trades and professions.
- Education and Training Alignment: Encourages harmonization between education/training outcomes and industry-accepted competency assessments.
Related Standards
Organizations and scheme owners referencing EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 may also consider:
- ISO/IEC 17000 - Conformity assessment – Vocabulary and general principles; establishes common terms for all conformity assessment activities.
- ISO/IEC 17065 - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services.
- ISO/IEC 17020 - Requirements for bodies performing inspection.
- ISO/IEC 17021 - Requirements for audit and certification of management systems.
- EU Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 - Relates to requirements for accreditation and market surveillance.
- Other sector-specific certification or accreditation requirements.
EN ISO/IEC 17024:2026 is the leading international standard for developing and operating robust, trustworthy, and recognized personnel certification systems, ensuring competence and confidence in certified professionals worldwide. By implementing its requirements, organizations can demonstrate reliable and impartial certification processes that meet global expectations for transparency, integrity, and technical validity.
