— Accreditation —

AI professional accreditation,
across four levels.

The Institute of AI is the UK's professional body for AI. Its accreditation is a single ladder with four grades, Student, Associate, Professional and Fellow, each assessed against one published competency framework. This is the definitive guide to where you fit and what each stage asks of you.

Apply for accreditation Find your level, free

— The shape of it —

One framework, four rungs to climb.

Accreditation is a career spine, not a single exam. The four levels form a ladder: you join at the grade that matches your practice today and progress upward as it deepens. Each rung is assessed against the same standard, so the level speaks for itself.

Four: levels, one framework
£29.99: one-off assessment fee
Upward: progression only
Public: verification badge

— The ladder —

Every level, and who each one is for.

Read from the bottom up. Fees rise with the grade because so does what it demonstrates, from foundational understanding at Student to recognised leadership at Fellow.

Student
For those still learning the field.
A grounded understanding of how AI works and where it is applied, evidenced rather than assumed. The affordable first credential for undergraduates and career switchers.
Annual
£49.99
10 hours CPD a year
Associate
For the early-career practitioner.
Applied competence delivering AI work under guidance, with sound judgement about what a model can and cannot be trusted to do. Proof you contribute, not just attend.
Annual
£99.99
15 hours CPD a year
Professional
Independent practice
For the independent practitioner.
Ownership of delivery end to end: framing the problem, handling the data, deploying responsibly, and standing behind the outcome under real constraints. The grade for practitioners accountable for what ships.
Annual
£199.99
25 hours CPD a year
Fellow
For senior leadership in the field.
Leadership, breadth, and a contribution to the practice of AI that peers recognise. The senior grade, held by people who shape how the work is done, not only who do it.
Annual
£299.99
25 hours CPD a year

A one-off assessment fee of £29.99 applies each time you sit for a grade. You apply at the level your current practice supports, and progression from there is upward only. Annual membership keeps your accreditation live and your badge verifiable.

— The rule —

You climb the ladder, you never skip it.

Accreditation recognises earned progress, so it works one rung at a time. Three steps take you from a free account to an accredited grade.

01
Join free
Create a free membership, browse Learn, and read the competency framework before you commit to a grade.
02
Sit the assessment
Pay the one-off £29.99 fee and sit the assessment for the level your practice supports today.
03
Progress a level
Pass, take your accredited grade and public badge, then climb again as your practice grows.

— How a level is decided —

The grade is judged, not awarded.

A credential is only worth the rigour behind it. Passing a level means something specific, because the same published standard sits behind every grade on the ladder.

A published standard

Each level is judged against the Institute of AI competency framework. You can read exactly what a grade expects before you apply.

Evidence, not cramming

The assessment probes how you frame problems, handle data, and account for decisions, reviewed against the published criteria for the grade.

A badge anyone can verify

Every accredited grade carries a public verification badge, so an employer or client can confirm your level in seconds.

Read the competency framework

— Why the grade holds —

One standard, applied the same way.

Every grade on the ladder is judged against the same published competency framework, set by the UK's professional body for AI and applied independently of any tool vendor, so no grade is worth more to it than an honest one.

That is the point of an assessed ladder. The grade is earned against a public standard, held live by an annual CPD target, and verifiable by anyone. It says how you practise now.

Four: grades on one published competency framework, Student to Fellow.
Zero: platforms, licences or clouds sold, so no grade is shaped by a sale.
Annual: CPD targets by grade, logged and evidenced in your account.
Public: verification for every grade, checkable by any employer or client.

— Common questions —

Progression, fees and the fine print.

Do I have to start at Student?+

No. You apply for the level that matches your current practice, then progress upward from there. What you cannot do is skip a grade at renewal: accreditation is progression only, so you sit for the level directly above the one you hold.

What is the difference between the assessment fee and membership?+

The £29.99 assessment fee is a one-off, paid each time you sit for a level. Annual membership (from £49.99) keeps your accredited grade live and your public badge verifiable for the year.

What does each level actually cost per year?+

Annual membership is £49.99 at Student, £99.99 at Associate, £199.99 at Professional, and £299.99 at Fellow. The one-off £29.99 assessment fee applies whenever you sit for a new grade.

Is this tied to a particular tool or vendor?+

No. IoAI has no cloud platform or model to sell, so the credential recognises judgement and practice across the AI lifecycle rather than fluency with one supplier stack.