Overview
ISO/IEC TS 17027:2014 - Conformity assessment - Vocabulary related to competence of persons used for certification of persons - is a Technical Specification from ISO/IEC CASCO that establishes a common vocabulary for terms and definitions concerning the competence of persons in the context of certification of persons. The document standardizes language used across certification schemes, regulations, training, licensing and registration to improve consistency, clarity and alignment among stakeholders.
Key topics
The Technical Specification focuses on clear, practical definitions that support conformity assessment and credentialing processes. Major topics include:
- Fundamental definitions: competence, ability, knowledge, skills, attribute.
- Certification concepts: certification, certificate, certification body, certification scheme, certification process, certification requirements.
- Assessment and examinations: assessment, examination (including CBT and criterion‑referenced tests), examination blueprint, item analysis, exam security, equating.
- Quality and fairness: fairness, bias, impartiality, accommodation of special needs, examination modification and adaptation.
- Governance and oversight: accreditation, designation, approval of persons, credentialing, credential.
- Operational terms: candidate, applicant, invigilator/proctor, examiner, diagnostic score report, continuing professional development.
- Analysis methods: job analysis (job‑task analysis/practice analysis) as the basis for valid assessments.
- E‑assessment: use of information technology for assessment activities (computerized adaptive testing, computerized classification testing).
These terms are defined to support consistent interpretation across standards, schemes and national regulations without prescribing specific technical methods.
Applications
ISO/IEC TS 17027:2014 is useful wherever clear, consistent terminology about person‑based competency and certification is required:
- Certification bodies and scheme developers: to write and harmonize scheme documentation, assessment blueprints and exam policies.
- Accreditation bodies and regulators: to interpret and apply accreditation criteria and oversight consistently.
- Test developers and psychometricians: to align item analysis, scoring, equating and validity concepts.
- Employers, HR and professional associations: to specify job analyses, competency frameworks and credential requirements.
- Training providers and education institutions: to link curricula to assessment and certification vocabulary.
- Researchers and policymakers: to ensure consistent terminology in studies, policy and legislation.
Related standards
ISO/IEC TS 17027:2014 is intended to complement and align with other conformity assessment and quality standards such as ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17024 (certification of persons) and ISO/IEC 17021 (certification of management systems). Use it as a vocabulary reference when developing schemes, policies or cross‑referencing multiple standards.