Standards
How we assess a course in five days
Published 18 June 2026 · 5 min read
A common reaction to our five-working-day commitment is that it sounds too fast to be rigorous. It's a fair challenge. The honest answer is that speed and rigour aren't opposites — slowness is usually a symptom of process, not depth. A clear framework, a complete submission, and a named assessor who owns the review can produce a thorough decision in a week.
The decision is against six published domains
We don't assess on instinct. Every course is reviewed against the six domains of our published Standards Framework:
- Course design & rationale — is it coherently structured with a clear purpose?
- Learning outcomes — are they specific and measurable, not vague aspirations?
- Content accuracy & currency — is the material correct and up to date?
- Assessment & evidence of learning — how do you know a learner actually learned?
- Trainer / author competence — is the person behind it qualified to deliver it?
- Accessibility & learner support — can a range of learners actually engage with it?
Because the criteria are fixed and public, the assessment is consistent and the provider knows exactly what is being judged before they apply.
Why a week is enough
Five working days works because the process is designed around it, not in spite of it:
- A complete submission up front. We ask for the right evidence at the start — outline, materials with notes, assessment with answers — so the assessor isn't chasing basics.
- One named assessor owns it. The review isn't passed between desks or stuck in a committee queue. Accountability sits with a person.
- The clock is honest. The five-day commitment covers turnaround on a complete, routine submission. If we need something further, we ask — and the clock pauses while the ball is in your court, so a slow reply on your side never counts against us.
- Three clear outcomes. Accredited, conditional (small fixes needed), or declined with reasons. No limbo.
Fast, but not automatic
To be clear about what five days is not: it isn't a button that stamps a logo on your course in minutes. A real person reads your materials against the framework and can decline or ask for changes. The speed comes from removing friction — not from removing the review. And because we back the turnaround with a money-back guarantee, the commitment costs us if we miss it.
That's the trade we think the market has had backwards: providers shouldn't have to choose between a credible assessment and a sensible timeline. Done properly, you get both.