GRI Professional Certification Program
Exam Policy
ContentsEligibility ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Registration and system requirements ......................................................................................................... 2
Exam Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Availability ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Breaks ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Exam Scoring ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Exam Materials ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Certificates and recognition........................................................................................................................... 3Pricing ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Purchasing the Exam .................................................................................................................................... 4
Retake ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Refund ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Faulty internet connection ............................................................................................................................. 4
Proctoring ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Personal Data & Privacy Policy .................................................................................................................... 5

Page 1 of 5

Eligibility
The 2021 Certification Exam has a defined learning path consisting of four courses that make up the GRI
Professional Certification Program 2021. These courses cover the fundamentals of GRI reporting. Each isworth one point. After attaining the four points, individuals will be eligible to take the Certification Exam.
The certification learning path can be taken on the GRI Academy or through GRI’s Certified Training
Partners. The training partners offer the GRI Standards Certified Training Course which provides theindividual with two out of four points covering the following GRI reporting fundamentals: Introduction tosustainability reporting and GRI Standards 2021 Update, and Reporting with GRI Standards 2021Update.
Some Certified Training Partners also provide instructor-led training on the remaining two courses of theCertification Program i.e. Reporting on Human Rights with GRI Standards 2021 Update and Integrating
the SDGs into sustainability reporting. Please get in touch with your local Certified Training Partner for
more information.
Passing the exam will grant individuals the status of ‘GRI Certified Sustainability Professional’, which will
stay valid for two years from the date of certificate issue. Before the validity of the Certification Exam hasexpired, individuals can maintain their certified status by taking the minimum learning hours throughContinuing Education Units (CEUs). All these courses can be accessed through the GRI Academy.
Check this FAQ document for more information.

Registration and system requirements
As part of the registration process, the candidate will be required to provide the details of one type ofgovernment-issued photo ID such as passport, driver’s license or national ID card. To accessthe exam, the candidate will need a computer with a stable internet connection, a webcam or in-built
camera and a microphone. We recommend using a local area network cable to ensure stable connection,
ensuring your browser is up to date, and restarting your computer after the installation of the proctoring
software.

Exam Questions
Each candidate will have to answer 40 questions in one hour. They are a combination of multiple choice
and true/false questions. The exam is currently only available in English.

Availability
Once purchased, candidates can either start immediately, or take the exam at any other convenient timewithin one year; the exam therefore remains available on the GRI Academy account for one year. Oncethe candidate starts the exam, it is not possible to cancel.

Page 2 of 5Breaks
Candidates are not able to take breaks once the exam has started. It is not possible to pause the exam
timer and it is not permitted to leave the computer (out of sight of the computer's camera/webcam) oncethe exam has started. If the exam is disrupted by any other means, (for example by someone interrupting
you while you are taking the exam), you will not be able to recover any lost time.
Please note that you only have 1 attempt to take the exam. In case you click on ‘Leave Test’ before
submitting your answers, they will not be recorded, and your exam attempt will be inadmissible, subject toretake policy (please see the retake clause for more information).

Exam Scoring
The passing score for the exam is 75%. The duration of the exam is 60 minutes. The exam score will beshown immediately after the exam submission in the “My Activities” tab. This is accessed via the User
Menu in the top left corner of your User Dashboard. Please note that the score will only be consideredvalid if the accompanying proctoring video is marked clean (i.e. without rule violations).
The candidate will receive the final results within 10 working days after submitting the exam. However,
the timeline may vary in case there are any suspicious activities signaled by the proctoring partner, forwhich GRI will contact the candidate via email.

Exam Materials
No resources are allowed to be consulted during the exam.

Certificates and recognition
After passing the exam, the candidate will receive a certificate of achievement from GRI. This certificate
will award the candidates the status of ‘GRI Certified Sustainability Professional’. The certificate is valid
for two years from the date of issue. Before the validity of the Certification Exam has expired, individuals
can maintain their certified status by taking the minimum learning hours through Continuing Education
Units (CEUs). All these courses can be accessed through the GRI Academy.
The names of the GRI Certified Sustainability Professionals will be displayed on the GRI Exam Candidate
Directory on the GRI website.

Pricing
The full price of the exam is €250. GRI provides a 25% discount to GRI Community Members. To request
your discount please email us at griacademy@globalreporting.org and provide your full name andorganization details.

Page 3 of 5Purchasing the Exam
After completing the 4 courses of the Professional Certification program, the Exam will become available
to be purchased from your user dashboard. To purchase the Exam, open the ‘GRI Professional
Certification Exam (based on the GRI Universal Standards 2021)’ tile and click on the ‘Add to Cart’
button. You can then continue the payment process via the PayPalor Stripe gateways. In case you do nothave a PayPal account,you can choose to buy a course via credit card. Once the payment is finalized,
you will be redirected to the Exam page in GRI Academy.

Please note:
CANDIDATES THAT START THE EXAM WITHOUT THE PROCTORING WILL HAVE THEIR RESULTS
MARKED AS INADMISSIBLE, STANDARD RETAKE TERMS APPLY, please see the retake clause below.

RetakeIndividuals who do not pass the exam or whose exam attempt is marked inadmissible can retake it but
will have to purchase the exam again. Participants are eligible for a 50% discount in the case of a retake
which can be claimed by emailing the team at griacademy@globalreporting.org. This discount does not
apply to GRI Trainers, or individuals who have had their proctoring video rejected on account of a ruleviolation.
There is a cooling off period of 7 days between attempts, and a maximum of three attempts are allowed
within a six-month period.

RefundWithin 14 days candidates that have not yet accessed their purchased exam can receive a full refund. If
the exam has been accessed, or if more than 14 days have passed since the purchase of the exam,
candidates are no longer entitled to receive a refund.

Faulty internet connection
If your exam is disrupted due to a failed internet connection, it will remain active. This means that theanswered questions will remain answered, and the timer continues. When the internet connection isrestored, the candidate can continue with the exam. If the internet connection is not restored, and thetimer runs out, the exam is submitted automatically. The unanswered questions are then marked asincorrect. Should the issue persist and prevents you from finishing the exam, please contact the GRI
Academy team at griacademy@globalreporting.org and report the incident. We will then provide you withinstructions on how to proceed.

Page 4 of 5

Proctoring
GRI is using an online proctoring solution, meaning that the candidate will be recorded by the computer’s
webcam and microphone throughout the exam. The candidate will also be required to download aproctoring software prior to taking the exam. The proctoring software uses a lock-down browser which will
prevent the candidate from accessing other applications during the exam.

The Exam must only be taken after the proctoring software has been downloaded,
started, and configured! Candidates who take the Exam without the Proctoring software
running will have their Exam marked as inadmissible and will have to retake the Exam,subject to the Retake terms (see the retake clause for more information).
The recording of the exam will be reviewed to ensure that no prohibited activity occurred during the exam.
Prohibited behavior includes, but is not limited to:• Consulting your own resources/documents.
• Using smartphones or other electronic devices that could be used for accessing information.
• Using other programs or applications on your computer.
• Leaving your seat.
• Regularly looking away from your screen.
• Talking aloud.
• Covering the computer's camera/webcam.
• Receiving help/support from other people during the exam.
• Other people entering the room.
• Using earphones or a headset.
The decision whether the integrity of the exam has been compromised rests solely with GRI and cannot
be contested. In such case, the candidate would not pass the exam as GRI will deem the exam attempt
as inadmissible. Standard retake terms and conditions apply.

Personal Data & Privacy Policy
Please refer to GRI’s Privacy Policy The platform developer’s privacy policy can be found here and theproctoring partner’s terms and conditions here.

Page 5 of 5