Quantum Academy certifications are not accredited today. We plan to seek accreditation under ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for organizations that certify people. We start with two certifications: PQCS – Post-Quantum Certified Specialist and PQCM – Post-Quantum Certified Manager.
Status, October 31, 2026: Not accredited. We have started preparing to apply to the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). We update this page at each step.
Our status and timeline
We started preparing for accreditation in October 2026 and plan to apply to ANAB in 2027. ANAB reviews our documents, assesses how we run certification and watches live exams before it decides. ANAB sets its own schedule and makes its own decision, so we publish dates here only once they are confirmed.
What ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation means
ISO/IEC 17024 sets requirements for organizations that certify people. An accreditation body checks how the organization defines what each certification covers, how it writes and scores exams, and how it decides who is certified. It also checks that certification decisions are independent of training sales.
In the United States, ANAB accredits widely held certifications from ISC2, CompTIA and PMI. The US Department of Defense requires ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation for certifications used to qualify its cyber workforce under DoD Manual 8140.03. Accreditation is one of several DoD requirements and does not by itself add a certification to DoD’s approved list.
What we already do
We set our exam and renewal rules in August 2026 with accreditation in mind. Today every exam-bearing certification uses:
- Proctored, scenario-based exams
- Scores on a 100–900 scale, with 700 to pass
- Unscored pilot questions on every form, to test new questions before they count
- Three-year validity, renewed with 60 CPE credits or by re-examination
- A published Candidate Guide and Exam Rules, including how to appeal a result
What we will add before we apply
- A certification function separate from training A certification manager with no sales or teaching duties will run eligibility, exams and decisions to certify.
- An impartiality committee External members will review how we keep certification decisions independent of course sales.
- A job task analysis for each certification Practitioners will define the tasks PQCS and PQCM cover, and a wider survey of the field will confirm them.
- New question banks Independent subject matter experts who do not teach the PQCS or PQCM courses will write and review the questions.
- Published eligibility routes We will publish who can sit each accredited exam before we apply.
Take part
We need practitioners for the job task analysis panels and the beta exams in 2027. If you lead or deliver PQC migration work and want to take part, write to support@quantumacademy.com with “Accreditation panels” in the subject line.
For candidates and credential holders
Certifications we issue now remain valid on their published terms. Before we apply, we will publish how holders certified before accreditation can move to the accredited certification. When ANAB accepts our application, we will link to our entry in ANAB’s public directory.
Until ANAB grants accreditation, no Quantum Academy certification is accredited, and we make no claim that it is.
Quantum Academy certifications are private credentials – not government-issued licenses, accredited degrees, or academic credit, and completion guarantees no employment, promotion, regulatory approval, or specific outcome. Our services are educational and informational only – not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.