ISO IEC 17024-2012 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 17024:2012 — Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. The standard defines principles and requirements for organisations that certify individuals against defined competence and other requirements, including the development, maintenance and operation of a certification scheme for persons.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 17024:2012 sets out requirements that certification bodies must meet to assure impartial, consistent and reliable certification of persons. It covers scheme development, resource and structural requirements, certification processes (application, assessment, decision, surveillance), records and management system considerations.

General information

• Status: Published (current edition from 2012; under revision at international level).
• Publication date: July 2012 (Edition 2, 2012-07).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO), published jointly with IEC where applicable.
• ICS / categories: 03.120.20 — Product and company certification / Conformity assessment.
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (ISO/IEC 17024:2012).
• Number of pages: 21 pages (official ISO bibliographic entry).

Scope

This standard specifies requirements for bodies certifying persons against specific requirements, including the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for persons. It is intended to provide a globally accepted benchmark to promote consistent, comparable and reliable person‑certification activities across industries and professions.

Key topics and requirements

• Principles of impartiality and confidentiality for certification bodies.
• Structural and management requirements (governance, responsibility for certification decisions).
• Resource requirements (personnel competence, equipment, outsourcing controls).
• Records, public information, security and data confidentiality.
• Development, documentation and maintenance of certification schemes (role profiles, competence criteria, assessment methods).
• Certification process requirements: application, assessment, decision, surveillance, recertification, appeals and complaints.
• Requirement for a management system that supports consistent operation of the certification body.

Typical use and users

Certification bodies seeking international recognition for personnel certification schemes, accreditation bodies that assess and accredit personnel certification schemes, professional and trade associations, regulators who reference competence standards, employers and HR departments that rely on certified competence, and consultants who design or implement certification schemes.

Related standards

Part of the ISO/IEC conformity assessment family. Commonly referenced alongside standards such as ISO/IEC 17021 (certification of management systems), ISO/IEC 17065 (product, process and service certification) and ISO/IEC 17025 (testing and calibration laboratories), and other ISO/IEC CASCO guidance documents.

Keywords

personnel certification, certification body, certification scheme, conformity assessment, impartiality, competence, accreditation, certification process, recertification, assessment methods.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 17024:2012 is an international standard that specifies general requirements for bodies operating certification of persons, establishing criteria to ensure consistent, comparable and reliable certification of individual competencies.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers scheme development and maintenance, structural and resource requirements for certification bodies, certification processes (application, assessment, decision, surveillance, recertification), records and information, impartiality, confidentiality and management system requirements.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Certification bodies, accreditation bodies, professional associations, regulators, employers and consultants involved in personnel certification and competence assurance.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2012 edition is the current published edition but the standard has been subject to periodic review; an international revision process was active and national bodies were voting on a revised text in early 2026, with publication of a revised version expected in 2026 if the vote accepted the revision. Organisations should track the ISO/IEC and national accreditation announcements for the formal publication and transition dates.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It belongs to the ISO/IEC conformity assessment collection (CASCO-related standards) and is commonly used alongside other conformity assessment standards such as ISO/IEC 17021, ISO/IEC 17065 and ISO/IEC 17025.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Personnel certification, certification scheme, competence, impartiality, accreditation, conformity assessment, assessment methods, recertification.