CERTIFICATION
A world leading professional certification framework, assuring business, government and consumers that specialist expertise has been independently assessed and validated.
Future Proof Your Career Skills With ACS Professional Certification Assessment
Getting ACS certified gives recognition to your specialist skills by becoming ACS certified. Certified Professionals (CP) members get professional recognition from Australian federal, state and territory governments. Certified members get to use post nominal IP3P and corresponding certification logo, a mark of expertise.
WHY BECOME A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL (CP)?
- Demonstrate that you are a rounded professional with competence in your field, breadth of ICT knowledge and commitment to ethical practice and lifelong learning
- Complement your qualifications, vendor certificates and on-the-job learning with an overarching ACS badge of professionalism
- Be part of a growing group of ICT professionals increasingly recognized by employers, clients and government bodies
- Support professionalism in ICT and help grow public recognition for ICT professionals
- Future-proof yourself for market expectations of ICT credentials
- Be protected by a special ACS member insurance policy and capped liabilities under a Professional Standards Scheme
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
You will be asked to demonstrate competence in your field, breadth of ICT knowledge and professionalism.
- Your qualifications and professional practice history will be reviewed
- You will be assessed to international and Australian standards for skills and knowledge
- You will need to upload a curriculum vitae and documents verifying qualifications and career episodes (scroll down to ‘Supporting Evidence Required’ for details)
- You will need to nominate two referees who are able to verify your capabilities
- You need to be available for phone or video interview
- For details refer to the ACS Certification Guidelines
how do i apply?
Click “Apply Now” below for requirements, noting that:
- We accept high quality colour copies in place of certified copies of qualifications
- Employment Documentation can include a listing of main roles and responsibilities for each role (scroll down to 'Supporting Evidence Required' for details)
- Uploaded evidence must be in pdf format and cannot be omitted; if no supporting documents exist for an experience episode please upload a blank pdf document entitled “No supporting documents”
WHY DO WE NEED CERTIFICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM IN ICT?
- ICT professionals have expert knowledge and skills but do not enjoy the recognition or influence of more established professions
- ICT professionals manage critical functions and major public risks but in the absence of public trust others will make the big decisions
- Professionalism in the ICT sector may avoid future problems and regulatory impositions as in financial planning, banking and construction
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF ACS CERTIFICATION TO EMPLOYERS?
- Develop your people and strengthen your ICT capability through ACS certification
- Take leadership in professionalising the ICT sector
- Future-proof your organisation for client and government expectations of ICT credentials
CAN AN ACADEMIC BECOME A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL (CP)?
- Absolutely; for teaching academics the SFIA Framework includes skills in Learning Design and Development, Learning Delivery and Teaching and Subject Formation
- For research academics the SFIA Framework includes skills in Research, Innovation and Knowledge Management
- ACS membership enables industry linkage and awareness of contemporary practice
- ACS certification is a commitment to connecting academic practice with professional practice
To find out more, read the ACS Certification Guidelines or check the FAQs below.
Enquiries
Contact the ACS Certification Team
Become an ACS Certified Professional or Certified Technologist in 5 easy steps!
Become an ACS Certified Professional or
Certified Technologist in 5 easy steps!
ACS was the first computer society to be accredited under the International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3). Members who attain Certified Professional status can use the post-nominal IP3P and download the applicable logo below for your business stationery.
ACS professional certifications are technology agnostic, recognising transferable skills and competencies. Once certified, members must comply with the Code of Ethics, Code of Professional Practice and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Certified Professionals (CP) must complete 30 CPD hours per year.
Certified Technologists (CT) must complete 20 CPD hours each year.
Certified members may be requested to demonstrate commitment to professional development via written evidence of CPD activities.
Further - qualifying CP members will come under a Professional Standards Scheme. This gives CP members professional recognition from Australian federal, state and territory governments. The scheme distinguishes ACS CP members from others in ICT who have not made the commitment to demonstrate professional competence and ongoing commitment to ethical practice.
The ACS PS Scheme covers ICT professional services performed for clients and customers by practitioners on an independent basis, or on behalf of an employer. For applicable ACS members, liability can be limited to AUD$2.0 million”.
APPLY FOR CERTIFICATION TODAY
To become a CP or CT, a formal certification assessment is required to determine your skills and competencies in light of your education and experience.
To apply for professional certification, you need to be an ACS member. You can apply for both at the same time.
Being competency-based certifications, there are no exams or study required.
When you click on 'Apply Now' above you will be asked to upload the following documentation in PDF format:
1. CV
- Detailed history of your ICT employment: list of qualifications; basic personal details, summary of each role (most recent first) with start and end dates, and a description of your key activities, outcomes and levels of responsibility
2. Qualifications
- Digital copy of qualifications: certificate and transcript
- Digital copy of TAFE qualifications: provide units/subjects and grades
- Vendor certificate with online validation details (not older than five years)
3. Experience - to make your application stronger supply more than one
For each of your relevant experience episodes you will be asked to create an entry, provide dates and upload supporting documents in PDF format; this may include:
- A list of your main roles and responsibilities for the position. This may be taken (or expanded) from your Curriculum Vitae
- Employment performance reviews, project reports or position descriptions
- Copies of presentations, newspaper articles, magazine or newsletter contributions
- Client testimonials, YouTube videos, LinkedIn profile
- Endorsements, evidence of work undertaken or publicised
4. Referees
- Nominate two referees to vouch for your professional experience, ensuring their availability to respond to ACS enquiries in the next month
- For each referee provide name, email address, phone number, company and role
5. English Language Test
If you currently live in a non-English speaking country, you will be asked to upload a certified copy of your English proficiency test. You need the following minimum scores to be eligible:
- IELTS – 6 (Overall Band Score)
- TOEFL – 60 (Total Score)
- PTE Academic – 50 (Overall Score)
- Advanced (CAE) - CEFR Level B2 (for both pre and post 2015 scorecards)
Document Quality
We no longer require certify documents but need high quality scanned images of originals (preferably 600dpi) that can be inspected for originality.
Interview
Our Assessor may contact you via phone or video conference to clarify ICT skills and knowledge.
To find out more, read the ACS Certification Guidelines.
As an
Please find the fee schedule for new and current members as at 1 February 2017:
| Description | Living within Australia ( |
Living outside Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Associate, Member, Senior Member, Fellow | $374.00 | $250.00 |
| Full-time Student Concession | $72.00 | $65.00 |
| 1st Year Graduate Concession | $72.00 | $65.00 |
| 2nd Year Graduate Concession | $187.00 | $170.00 |
| Unemployed Concession | $72.00 | n/a |
| Retiree Concession | $72.00 | $65.00 |
| Certification Application Fee | $346.50 | $315.00 |
What are the CPD obligations for CP and CT members?
As a CP or CT member you will be obliged to maintain online records of technical events, training and other recognised forms of professional development. The minimum per year is 30 hours for CP and 20 hours for CT members.
Why does ACS impose CPD requirements?
CPD is a universal expectation across regulated and recognised professions. ICT professionals manage critical functions and major public risks and need to keep up to date to warrant public trust and recognition. CPD is also a legal requirement of CP members under the ACS Professional Standards Scheme.
What if I don’t keep up my CPD?
If you don’t meet CPD requirements by the anniversary date of your certification, your CP or CT status will automatically lapse and you will not be permitted to use the designation or enjoy the benefits of certification.
If I lose my CP or CT status, can I requalify?
If your certification has lapsed within three months, simply enter your CPD hours for the previous year. If it has been longer, contact member services for instructions about reinstating.
How are CPD hours awarded for ACS events?
CPD hours for ACS events are usually automatically recorded within a week of the event. For information on the hours you can claim visit the ACS Events listing.
How are CPD hours awarded for non ACS events or training?
You can claim CPD hours for non ACS events you attend. To calculate the hours, work out how much time was spent in the sessions, excluding meal breaks. You can enter these hours via the online CPD Log.
If I accumulate 30 CPD hours in a year, do I automatically get CP status?
No. Associate members must first apply for certification. If you are already a CP please record the correct hours in each certification year and your status will be extended by 12 months.
If I accumulate 20 CPD hours in a year, do I automatically get CT status?
No. Associate members must first apply for certification. If you are already a CT please record the correct hours in each certification year and your status will be extended by 12 months.
Over what period of time are CPD hours calculated?
Your CPD hours are calculated 12 months from the date you are certified. The expiry date will be the last day of the month for both CT and CP.
Why did ACS develop a Cyber Security Certification?
With heightened awareness of the need to lift cyber resilience in Australia, an ACS Cyber Taskforce headed by Dr Jill Slay was established to review global cyber security frameworks and identify best practice professional benchmarks.
On September the 6th 2017, the Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security launched an extension to the ACS Certified Professional and Certified Technologist schemes, recognizing the importance of Cyber Security to Australia’s growing digital economy.
Who can apply for certification?
All members of the ACS who are also working in a cyber Security based role are eligible to apply for certification. Members are assessed based on experience, education and related security based vendor certifications.
How much does it cost to be a CP (Cyber Security) or CT (Cyber Security)?
For non-‐members, a membership application for the ACS is $374 incl. of GST and then a Certification application is $346.50 incl. of GST is charged. For existing members (including current CP’s and CT's) the cost of the certification application is $346.50 incl. of GST.
Who was consulted from industry?
The Cyber Security Certification was developed with input and industry consultation including the Australian Taxation Office, PWC, Austrac, CREST, AISA & RSA.
What is required to become a Cyber Security Specialist?
Cyber Security Certification requires:
- That applicants work in a predominantly IT Security based job role
- Have worked in ICT for a minimum number of years based on Cyber CT/CP pathway
- For CP – an applicant must be able to demonstrate in-‐depth capability in four skills from the following list of level 5 (or higher) of the Skills Framework for the information Age (SFIA).
- IT Governance, Information Management, Information Security, Information Assurance, Business Risk Management, Penetration Testing, Security Administration, Programming/Software Development, Systems Software, Testing and Asset Management.
- For CT - an applicant must be able to demonstrate in-‐depth capability in four skills from the following list of level 3 (or higher) of the Skills Framework for the information Age (SFIA).
- Information Management, Information Security, Information Assurance, Business Risk Management, Systems Development Management, Asset Management, Change Management, Security Administration, Incident Management, Conformance Management.
- Demonstrates a breadth of ICT knowledge.
- Has an understanding of and commitment to the ACS Code of Professional Conduct.
How important are Certified Professionals?
Professional certification is the best risk mitigation strategy for business and it allows Australia’s ICT industry to maintain a high standard of professionalism.
Unlike vendor certifications ACS Certified Professionals are certified using the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) comprised of 97 key skills, within 6 key categories and 7 levels of competency.
This means that ACS certification uses specific core ICT functionalities, is vendor agnostic and utilises a range of validation techniques.
How does the ACS assess Certified Professionals?
Our certifications (CT and CP) are undertaken by assessors who chart degree claims of applicants against a list of accredited universities. This is ranked on an international scale according to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in a database hosted by Department of Education Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
In addition to university degrees or other recognized vendor qualifications, our Cyber CT and CP designations cannot be obtained by the applicant without also providing evidence of work experience at an appropriate skilled level with varying duration requirements, and demonstration of having met professional development criteria (according to the ACS points allocation scheme).
CP Cyber Security and alignment to our industry partners ISACA & ISC2
Vendor certifications from associations such as ISACA, organizations like (ISC)² as well as bodies like SANS, EC Council and CREST all offer Security Certifications.
One of the most well-known is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from (ISC)² where candidates must possess a minimum of five years of direct full-‐time security work experience in two or more of the (ISC)² information security domains in order to be certified.
The Cyber Security Taskforce, along with other broader industry consultations, undertook an environmental scan on global security certifications.
The resulting security certifications environmental scan showed that certifications from ISACA and ISC2 shows equivalence for skills, qualifications and experience in the ACS Cyber Security Specialisms.
For Certified Technologist (Cyber Security) assessments -‐ the following two certifications are considered equivalence for skills, qualifications and experience:
- Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) from ISC²
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) from ISACA
For Certified Professional (Cyber Security) assessments - the following two certifications are considered equivalence for skills, qualifications and experience:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from ISC²
- Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP) from ISC²
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) from ISACA
ISACA and ISC2 certifications need to be current certifications, demonstrating their ongoing CPD at the time of submitting for ACS.
While obtaining any vendor certification is an accomplishment. A CISSP, CISA etc does not show or validate how you apply the knowledge that is related to the certification. You could have a CISSP but work in a purely technical role and a relatively low level of responsibility.
ACS certification supports these industry certifications by encompassing the knowledge, skills and attributes of an individual, assessing certifications and qualifications alongside work experience and communications skills benchmarked against 7 levels of responsibility.
How does a member apply for ACS Cyber Security?
If a member is not ACS Certified, members can apply at the ACS Certification landing page
The assessment portal is in the process of being updated to allow those members who are already CT/CP to be able to apply for a Cyber Security specialism. In the interim, any ACS Certified members who wish to apply for Cyber Security Certification should send an email to member.services@acs.org.au to have their assessment initiated manually.
Can a member have two CP Certifications or two CT Certifications?
No. If a member upgrades their certification to the new ACS Cyber Security Certification their previously awarded CP or CT will be replaced by the new certification.
ACS Cyber Security Certification shows you have met the requirements of the CP or CT as well as the validation of 4 SFIA Skills related to Cyber Security in order to be awarded the new specialism.
In future, as ACS releases new specialisms (i.e Safety Critical Systems) members will be able to hold multiple specialisms but not a CP and a specialism(s).
Can an applicant nominate which skills they wish to be assessed against?
No. The assessor identifies the 3 or 4 listed skills as opposed to the applicant nominating them because many applicants will have a strong enough knowledge of SFIA to accurately nominate their skills. With years of experience in certification assessment, the assessors are best placed to identify the applicant’s skills.
Why did ACS develop a Safety Critical System Certification?
The Australian Computer Society has recognized the need to introduce “specialisms” – certifications are based on the successful Certified Professional (CP) certification, but which attest to an applicant’s expertise in certain identified areas. One of areas chosen as most urgently in need of introduction, and most important for developing the profession, is the specialism of Safety Critical Systems. Under the auspices of the ACS Safety Critical Systems Specialism working group. The Safety Critical Specialism was developed.
Who can apply for certification?
All members of the ACS who are also working in a safety-critical or life-critical system role are eligible to apply for certification. Members are assessed based on their experience and education and professional certification (CP).
Nonmembers will need to join the ACS and be an ACS Certified Professional (CP)
How much does it cost to be a CP (Safety Critical System)?
For non-members, a membership application for the ACS is $374 incl. of GST and then a Certification application of $346.50 incl. of GST is charged which covers assessment for Certified Professional (CP) and Safety Critical Systems (SCS). This is an introductory price and is valid only to the 24/8/2018.
For existing Certified Professionals (CP), the cost of the certification application is $346.50 inclusive of GST
Who was consulted from industry?
The Safety Critical Systems specialism was developed with input from the Australian Safety Critical Systems Association (aSCSa) and it’s member organization representing the Aviation, Government, Transport and other related sectors.
What is required to become a Safety Critical Systems Specialist?
Minimum Requirement
- Must be a CP
- Have a relevant ICT or Engineering degree
- Have Practitioner level proficiency in four ACS Safety Critical Units1 (one from each group)
Mandatory Safety Analysis
- Safety Hazards & risk analysis (HRA)
Safety Management
- Corporate functional safety management (CFM)
- Project safety assurance management (PSM)
Safe Systems Realisation
- Safety-related system architectural design (SAD)
- Safety-related system hardware realisation (SHR)
- Safety-related system software realisation (SSR)
- Human factors safety engineering (HF)
Supplementary Experience
- Corporate functional safety management (CFM)
- Project safety assurance management (PSM)
- Safety-related system maintenance and modification (SRM)
- Safety-related system or services procurement (SRP)
- Independent safety assessment (ISA)
- Safety requirements specification (SRS)
- Safety validation (SV)
- Safety-related system architectural design (SAD)
- Safety-related system hardware realisation (SHR)
- Safety-related system software realisation (SSR)
- Human factors safety engineering (HF)
How important are Certified Professionals?
Professional certification is the best risk mitigation strategy for business and it allows Australia’s ICT industry to maintain a high standard of professionalism.
Unlike vendor certifications ACS Certified Professionals are certified using the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) comprised of 97 key skills, within 6 key categories and 7 levels of competency.
This means that ACS certification uses specific core ICT functionalities, is vendor agnostic and utilizes a range of validation techniques.
Specialisms go a step further and validate specific skills and competency’s related to that specialism.
The ACS Safety Critical System Units are available to download.
How does the ACS assess Certified Professionals?
Our certifications (CT and CP) are undertaken by assessors who chart degree claims of applicants against a list of accredited universities. This is ranked on an international scale according to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in a database hosted by Department of Education Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
In addition to a relevant university degree (ICT or Engineering), our CP (Safety Critical Systems) designation cannot be obtained by the applicant without also providing evidence of work experience at practitioner level in a number of ACS Safety Critical Units.
How is the Safety Critical Systems Specialism Assessed?
A key aspect is for an applicant to be recognized as a specialist by their peers.
Assessment is by a panel interview with a lead assessor and 2 Peer Assessors (SMES) who are experts in Safety Critical Systems.
Presently, only ACS members holding CP status are eligible for Safety Critical Systems specialism certification.
What type of evidence is required to support the claims for ACS Safety Critical Units?
In every case the assessors are judging demonstrated competence which is evidenced by workplace experience, carefully described. As well as any written reports, presentations etc.
Assessors will investigate a sample of claims by asking more questions in interview, or by enquiring through referees or other sources
Education and training in the relevant ACS Safety Critical Units areas may also support a case but would not be sufficient without relevant workplace experience.
[1] ACS Safety Critical Units adapted here with permission from IET Competence Criteria for Safety-related Systems Practitioners.
As a certifiied professional, you can use the CP post-nominal if you have completed the minimum yearly requirement of 30 CPD hours. Depending on your ACS membership, use one of the below:
- Member - MACS CP
- Senior member - MACS Snr CP
- Fellow - FACS CP
ACS CTs can use the MACS CT post-nominal if the minimum yearly requirement of 20 CPD hours is completed.
Rights and Responsibilities
ACS requires approval of any advertisement incorporating the ACS logo. If using CP or CT logos for business cards, approval is not required providing ACS Brand Guidelines are followed. Our guidelines do not permit using the ACS shield logo by individuals for individual or business promotional use.
For information about ACS brand use, please contact memberservices@acs.org.au
TESTIMONIAL
Dinkar Sharma, MACS Snr CP (Cyber Security), Bach.IT, Dip. Operational Leadership
ICT Assistant Director, National Archives of Australia
"I believe, when it comes to nation’s safety, cyber security should be everyone’s business.
This new certification program will increase the awareness of cyber security issues, and lead to improvements in the associated professional standards of all involved."
— Dinkar Sharma
TESTIMONIAL
Raymond Frangie, MACS CP (Cyber Security)
Senior Cyber Security Consultant, Norman Disney & Young, A Tetra Tech Company
"The first thing clients and recruiters ask for, are industry certifications to demonstrate competency for the job. As with ICT in general, when it comes to Cyber Security certifications, the choices are vast, but most fail to address the “business" aspect of being certified. The Cyber Security specialism from ACS is the only certification that can address this, by targeting the business skills required, in accordance with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA).
As an ACS member and the first ACS Certified Professional (Cyber Security) in New South Wales, I can confidently demonstrate that I have both the technical skills and business skills to perform successfully in any project or organisation. A combination that keeps me in demand, and an essential differentiator in today’s competitive landscape."
— Raymond Frangie
TESTIMONIAL
Steve Godbee
Chief Information Officer – Australia and New Zealand, IBM Australia
"ICT practitioners can be recognised both nationally and internationally as true professionals, through meeting and maintaining a global standard of ICT professionalism. This is a major step forward for the ICT profession and something we should all capitalise on."
— Steve Godbee
PROFILE: CP (Cyber Security)
Dr Roland Padilla, FACS CP (Cyber Security)
Team Leader - Compliance Management ICT Security Management ICT Security Branch | CTO Division | CIOG | Department of Defence
Process of acquiring my CP status?
Acquiring my CP status has been a relatively long journey. While the process for the Cyber Security CP specialism, including paperwork submission to successful outcome, has been less than a month, my professional journey from an associate member to an ACS Fellow CP (Cyber Security) has been nearly a decade. Thus far, this achievement has been a rewarding experience.
How you feel it will benefit your career?
As an Australian Public Servant, I am accountable under broad direction to undertake complex information security activities. I work within a framework of legislation, policy, established principles, work practices and procedures in accordance with the agency’s mission and business objectives. As a Team Leader, I exercise initiative and experience to monitor the application and compliance of security operations for actual or potential security breaches. This certification will demonstrate to the broader community a level of experience, knowledge and trustworthiness.
Need for this type of certification in the current IT industry?
This professional certification is indeed a benchmark not only in Australia but also in the world, and demonstrates that respective holders of this CP specialism have undergone a rigorous ‘peer-reviewed’ process.
— Dr Roland Padilla
Dr Roland Padilla has made a distinguished contribution to the ICT community over the last decade through his passionate and knowledgeable advocacy for cloud computing. Dr Padilla established a cloud computing community of practice in Victoria promoting the disciplined adoption of this technology as it emerged. He has translated that passion and foresight into leading academic publications in the area and in developing significant strategies for cloud computing in highly-sensitive environments. These contributions and his leadership in the cloud computing community in Australia have been supplementary to his career in ICT security in Australia, and eventually receiving a Fellows Award from the Australian Computer Society.