Certification Exam and CRA Policy

Around the world, partners and customers look to EC-Council to deliver the highest quality exams and certifications. EC-Council has developed a number of policies to support the goals of EC-Council certification program, including:

Non-Disclosure agreement (NDA).
EC-Council Certification Agreement.
Security and Integrity Policy.

NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA)

EC-Council certification program requires candidates to accept the terms of a NDA before taking an exam. The NDA legally requires candidates to keep information related to exam content confidential. Requiring the acceptance of the NDA helps protect the security of EC-Council certification exams and the integrity of the EC-Council certification program by legally discouraging piracy and/or unauthorized use of exam content.

All EC-Council exams, including the content and wording of exam questions, constitute confidential EC-Council information and/or EC-Council copyrights that are protected by intellectual property laws. All candidates must agree to the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), which obligates them to maintain the confidentiality of EC-Council exams before they can access an exam. If an individual is caught violating the NDA, the candidate will be subject to action.

The full content of EC-Council NDA can be viewed at https://cert.eccouncil.org/images/doc/NDA-Non-Disclosure-Agreement-v3.0.pdf

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AGREEMENT

Before accessing or using an EC-Council certification program benefit, name, or logo, a candidate is required to accept the terms and conditions of EC-Council Candidate Certification Agreement that is applicable to all EC-Council examinations that a candidate is looking to attempt.

A candidate is also required to agree and adhere to EC-Council Candidate Certification Agreement that is applicable to all EC-Council certifications that a candidate have attained, and his/her participation in the EC-Council certification program, including access and use of any EC-Council certification program benefit, EC-Council certification credential, or any EC-Council certification logo that EC-Council makes available to candidate as part of the certification program.

The full content of EC-Council Certification Agreement could be found in https://cert.eccouncil.org/images/doc/EC-Council-Certification-Agreement-6.1.pdf

SECURITY AND INTEGRITY

EC-Council is devoted in helping candidates succeed in their exams and certification. By communicating policies and providing a clear understanding of what constitutes fraudulent behavior and cheating, EC-Council strives to help candidates avoid negative consequences.

SECURITY POLICIES

EC-Council has specific policies in place that address the areas of security pertinent to EC-Council exams. These policies have been implemented to help maintain and protect the value of EC-Council certification, the investment that EC-Councils make to achieve certification, and the integrity of confidential EC-Council information and EC-Council intellectual property.

Candidate Retesting Audit (CRA)

Overview

The Candidate Retesting Audit (CRA) is a certification quality assurance measure that forms part of EC-Council’s certification governance and certification decision-making framework.

As part of EC-Council’s commitment to maintaining the integrity, validity, and credibility of its certifications, certain certification cases may be subject to additional review procedures prior to the release of a final certification decision. One such procedure is the Candidate Retesting Audit (CRA).

The CRA process provides an additional validation mechanism within the certification lifecycle and is conducted in accordance with EC-Council’s certification policies and applicable accreditation requirements, including ISO/IEC 17024.

Participation in a CRA should not be interpreted as a finding, determination, or conclusion regarding a candidate’s original examination attempt.

What is a Candidate Retesting Audit?

A Candidate Retesting Audit requires a candidate to complete an additional certification examination before a final certification decision can be rendered.

The CRA examination:

Is a full certification examination aligned with the same examination blueprint as the original examination.
Follows the same examination standards, format, and duration applicable to the certification.
Is administered through an approved EC-Council examination delivery method.
Is provided at no additional cost to the candidate when initiated as part of the CRA process.
Must be completed within the timeframe communicated by EC-Council.

Why is a CRA Conducted?

EC-Council employs a variety of quality assurance, examination security, certification governance, and certification review mechanisms to protect the value of its certifications and ensure fair and consistent certification decisions.

As part of these processes, certain certification cases may be referred for additional review and validation through the CRA process before a certification decision is finalized.

EC-Council does not disclose the specific review criteria, methodologies, thresholds, or internal controls used in determining whether a certification case is subject to a CRA.

Certification Decision

A certification decision will not be finalized until the CRA process has been completed.

The outcome of the CRA examination will be evaluated in accordance with EC-Council’s certification policies and applicable certification requirements.

Candidate Rights

Candidates retain all rights available under EC-Council’s published certification policies.

Candidates who are dissatisfied with a certification decision may submit an appeal in accordance with the EC-Council Appeals Procedure.

For additional information regarding the appeals process, please visit: https://cert.eccouncil.org/appeal-procedure.html

Additional Information

For information regarding examination security, certification integrity, and candidate conduct requirements, please visit: Certification Examination Security & Integrity Framework.

Questions regarding the CRA process may be directed to EC-Council Certification Services.

Candidate bans (read more)

If a candidate violates any testing rule, exam policy, or term within the exam agreement (NDA), or engages in any misconduct that diminishes the security and integrity of the EC-Council certification program in any way, the candidate may be permanently prohibited from taking any future EC-Council certification exams. In addition, the candidate may be decertified from the EC-Council certification program, and test scores and certifications may be revoked.

Examples of such misconduct, misuse, and fraud include, but are not limited to, the following:

Falsifying score reports, by modifying and/or altering the original results/score reports for any exam record
Cheating during the exam (such as looking at the monitors of other exam takers)
Providing or accepting improper assistance
Bringing non-authorized items into the testing center during an exam session (such as notes or unauthorized materials and electronic devices, such as cell phones)
Using unauthorized material in attempting to satisfy certification requirements (this includes using “brain-dump” material and/or unauthorized publication of exam questions with or without answers)
Falsifying identity or impersonating another individual to gain access to an exam
Copying, publishing, disclosing, transmitting, selling, offering to sell, posting, downloading, distributing in any way, or otherwise transferring, modifying, making derivative works of, reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling, or translating any exam in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose
Disclosing EC-Council intellectual property (IP)
Disseminating actual exam content
Using the exam content in any manner that violates applicable law
Violating the current exam retake policy
Violating the EC-Council Non-Disclosure agreement (NDA) in any way
Violating the EC-Council exam agreement in any way.

Candidate Appeal Process (read more)

Exam Retake Policy (read more)

General EC-Council Exam Retake Policy
- If a candidate does not achieve a passing score on an exam the first time, there is no waiting period before retaking the exam the second time.
- If a candidate does not achieve a passing score the second time, the candidate must wait at least a 14-day period before retaking the exam a third time.
- A 14-day waiting period will also be imposed for the fourth and fifth subsequent exam retakes. A candidate may not take a given exam any more than five times per year (12 months). This 12-month period would start the day of the fifth unsuccessful exam retake. The candidate would then be eligible to retake the exam 12 months from that date.
- If a candidate achieves a passing score on an exam, the candidate cannot take it again.
EC-Council is implementing this new policy to uphold the validity of our credential and to ensure candidates are adequately prepared for subsequent certification attempts. As we strive to uphold our mission to validate the hands-on skills of today’s security professionals, we feel that after three attempts at a certification exam, additional training related to the exam’s certification objectives is needed
EC-Council reserves the right to revoke the certification status of candidates who attempt the exam without abiding to EC-Council Retake Policy as stated above.
Should you require the exam voucher validity to be extended, kindly contact [email protected] before the voucher expires. Only valid vouchers can be extended.

Testing center closures due to security reasons (read more)

Candidate Retesting at request of EC-Council (read more)

Revoking certifications (read more)

If a candidate violates any testing rule, exam policy, or term within the exam agreement (NDA), or engages in any misconduct that diminishes the security and integrity of the EC-Council certification program in any way, the candidate may be permanently prohibited from taking any future EC-Council certification exams. In addition, the candidate may be decertified from any current certification program, and test scores and certifications may be revoked, , but are not limited to, the following:

Making public the questions, answers, or any of the content of an exam with any person, without prior written approval from EC-Council.
Reproducing (by any means including reconstruction through memorization), advertising, selling and/or distributing actual exam content by any means including web postings, discussion forums, chat rooms, study guides, etc.
Using any aids, notes, equipment, or other materials not authorized by Test Centre or EC-Council during the exam.
Removing or attempting to remove exam materials including questions, responses, graphics or notes (in any format), dry erase boards, or scratch paper from the testing room.
Providing falsified documentation as means of false identity or false address when registering or taking an exam including impersonating another candidate or soliciting someone to take an exam on your behalf.
Using falsified or altered certificates, score reports or other documents or electronic media to misrepresent certification status.
Altering or tampering with the testing facility equipment or attempt to use the equipment for any function other than taking a EC-Council certification exam.
Giving, receiving or obtaining assistance of any kind for any EC-Council examination.
Causing a disturbance or behaving unprofessionally at any testing facility.
Talking or communicating with other exam-takers while in the testing room.
Tampering or unauthorized use of testing facility equipment, including the testing computer.
Breaching the terms of the EC-Council Exam Retake Policy and Candidate Agreements.
Breaching EC-Council Code of Ethics
Convicted of a felony.

Beta Exam (read more)

Right of Exclusion (read more)