FAQ's

A: To book on to a course please contact an IWCF accredited training centre. To find a centre in your area which offers your preferred course, please visit our locations map. 

Your chosen centre will be able to confirm the next available course dates and the fees involved. 

All candidates also have to register as a candidate before being able to attend a training course. You can register by following this link: https://www.iwcf.org/candidates/candidate-registration/.  This will then give you a Candidate Registration (CR) number which you can give to your chosen training centre to book onto a course.  

You only have to register as a candidate once and can re-use the same CR number for all future course bookings. 

See the complete procedure by viewing our Candidate Guide.  

A: If a candidate has an eCert which is currently valid and wishes to renew their qualification, they can visit an accredited training centre during the 90-day period before their eCert expires. If the candidate is successful in their re-qualification anniversary dating will be applied. This is providing that the re-qualification is in the same programme and at the same level as the current eCert. 

For example: A candidate currently holds a Level 4 Subsea eCert which expires on 1st September 2019. They complete their Level 4 Subsea course on the 3rd June 2019 and successfully pass their assessment. Their new eCert will be dated from the 1st September 2019 to ensure the full validity is granted.  

A: Candidates who pass their assessment are granted a temporary eCert which lasts for 90 days. Full eCerts will then be issued during the 90 day period and will be available to view in the candidates FORUM account.

A: Please contact certification@iwcf.org and a member of the certification team will be able to assist you.

A: There is no grace period for IWCF eCerts.

A: You can login to your candidate account by following this link: https://www.iwcf-forum.org/Login 

You will need the email address and password you entered during registration to login.  

If you have forgotten your password, please follow the ‘Forgotten my Password’ link on the FORUM homepage.  

A: If you can access your FORUM account, please login and update the email address in the ‘My Details’ section.  

If you cannot access your FORUM account, please contact forum.help@iwcf.org with the following information and a member of our team can assist you:  

• Full name  
• Date of Birth  
• CR Number  
• New email address to be linked to your account.  

A: To access our awareness courses please register here.

For more information on how to register, how to access the course and your certificate, view our user guide here.

A: IWCF follow IOGP recommendations as to what levels candidates should sit. This depends on your level of experience and employer requirements. For a general overview visit our course levels page. 

Download a copy of the latest IOGP 476 Levels Guidance Chart (November 2019 edition) here.

A: To complete a Level 2 you should contact one of our accredited training centres.   To find a centre in your area which offers your preferred course, please visit our locations map. 

Your chosen centre will be able to confirm the next available course dates and the fees involved. 

All candidates also have to register as a candidate before being able to attend a training course. You can register by following this link: https://www.iwcf.org/candidates/candidate-registration/.  This will then give you a Candidate Registration (CR) number which you can give to your chosen training centre to book onto a course.  

You only have to register as a candidate once and can re-use the same CR number for all future course bookings. 

A: IWCF certifications are valid for the following durations:  

• Level 1 and WOCRM certificates do not have an expiry date however can be revisited at any time.  
• Level 2 eCerts are valid for 5 years.  
• Level 3 and 4 eCerts are valid for 2 years.  
• Level 5 eCerts are valid for 5 years.

A: If a candidate sits a digital assessment and scores between 66% and 69% in their assessment, they will qualify for an instant resit which can be completed on the day or within 90 days of the initial test date.  

If a candidate scores 65% or below in their assessment, they will need to attend further training with an instructor and return within 90 days of the initial test date to re–sit their assessment.  

Resits for paper assessments are subject to availability.  

A: The first step to becoming an accredited training centre is to become a member of IWCF.  You can find out more about IWCF Membership here.  

Once your membership has been approved you can download the accreditation application pack from the Members Login Area. The application will require supplementary evidence to be submitted for physical resources, management resources, staff resources and course materials.  

You can contact the Accreditation Team on accreditation@iwcf.org to arrange a call to discuss your application further. 

A: The primary centre is the main centre for any organisation, usually but not necessarily the business address. This will be a permanent facility with secure storage for records. The instructors, assessors and course materials will be registered to the primary centre. 

The associate centre is a subsidiary of the primary centre. It should be a permanent facility and can use the instructors, assessors and course materials registered to the primary centre. Associate centres are subject to audit by IWCF. 

As the primary centre manages the associate centre, the primary centre accreditation may be at risk if the associate centre is non-compliant. 

A: Primary centres are audited on the first course.

A: The process for accrediting an associate centre is the same as for a primary centre. Assessor, instructors and course materials are inherited from the primary centre.

A: From January 2020 all primary and associate centres renew their accreditation annually. A grace period has been applied to centres who have been accredited in the last 4 years. To confirm your first renewal date, please contact accreditation@iwcf.org

The centre accreditation renewal fees are as follows:

• Primary centre: £995/€1,194/$3,750
• Associate centre: £495/€594/$742.50

Please note only one associate centre renewal fee will be charged regardless of the number of associate centres which are renewed.

A: The cost for primary centre accreditation is: £2,500 / €3,000 / $3,750.  Fifty percent of the primary centre accreditation fee is payable on application and is non-refundable. 

The cost for associate centre accreditation is:  £1,500 / €1,800 / $2,250.  

These costs include all administration fees. 

The associate centre accreditation fee assumes that the associate centre has a management system in common with the primary centre and uses the same instructors, assessors and materials.  

The cost for adding additional associate centres from then on is £200 / €240 / $300 per associate centre.  This administration fee will be charged when a centre makes a change to their accreditation.  This will also include, but is not limited to, change of location and change of name.  

The cost of upgrading an associate centre to a primary centre is: £1,000 / €1,200 / $1,500. 

Audit fees can also apply as a centre must be audited before full accreditation can be applied. 

Please contact accreditation@iwcf.org for more information or view our Schedule of Fees. 

A: The accreditation team require 20 working days to review applications. Please note processing times may vary depending on the volume of the applications submit.

A: Please visit our Instructor and Assessor pages for further information and course calendar dates. Alternatively, you can email accreditation@iwcf.org for assistance.