International Education Services Group
Published
A certification statement should let a reader identify the certified holder and activity without having to guess what the claim includes. Accuracy matters in the headline, supporting text, visual marks and the link used for verification.
This guide gives a practical editing method. For ICEQC, the official record and mark-use rules remain the controlling sources.
Begin with the claim the reader will understand
Read the statement as someone unfamiliar with the organisation. Does it imply that the entire group is certified? Every site? All programmes? The service provider preparing an application?
The effect of a claim depends on its context as well as its literal words. A narrow explanation in small print may not correct a prominent headline or a mark placed beside a wider offer.
Before editing, identify the actual record and the reason for making the statement. The objective is to communicate the status accurately, not to maximise the apparent reach of the certificate.
Match the legal holder
The holder should correspond to the organisation making the claim. If a public school name differs from its legal entity, explain that relationship accurately.
A parent, subsidiary, partner or franchise relationship does not automatically transfer the certified status. Avoid using a group-level brand in a way that leaves the reader unable to identify the entity in the record.
The same principle applies when a website provides several services. A certification relating to one named activity should not be placed so that it appears to cover every other service supplied through the site.
Describe the activity and locations
Use the scope actually recorded. Consider whether the statement is about a whole institution, a defined programme or another certification object. Check material sites, delivery methods and exclusions.
An internal plan to add a programme or location is not the same as an effective scope change. Public wording should be reviewed when the operating activity changes, rather than assuming an existing certificate can support any later offer.
If the official record cannot support a proposed statement clearly, seek clarification from the responsible body before publishing it.
Check the current status and relevant period
A saved certificate or image describes a record at a point in time. It should not be treated as independent proof that the status remains current.
Use the official verification route when the claim is made or materially updated. Record the result and date for the institution's own communications review. Where the status changes, identify every channel in which the affected claim appears.
That includes downloadable brochures, presentations, partner packs and material supplied to representatives. Editing the main website alone may leave the old claim in active use elsewhere.
Use marks according to permission
A certification mark has an issuing body and conditions of use. Do not redraw it, combine it with another mark or change its descriptive meaning without permission.
Authorised applicant-support status is different from a certificate for an education activity. A support provider should not create a composite badge that makes it appear to be the certification authority or the issuer of a client's certificate.
Where a name or logo merely identifies an external source, present it in that context rather than as a broad endorsement.
Illustrative editing examples
The examples below are hypothetical and do not describe any institution or certificate.
| Wording problem | Better editing approach |
|---|---|
| A group headline suggests every school is covered | Identify the holder and recorded provision; remove the claim from unrelated offers |
| A new campus is added to a certified-school claim without a matching record | Describe only the effective scope until the appropriate official change is established |
| A training badge is used as evidence of institutional certification | State the learning participation or completion concerned and keep it distinct from institutional status |
| “Official certification partner” leaves the role unclear | Use the specific authorised support role and link to the relevant partner record |
| A certificate image is the only verification route | Add the issuing body's current record and an accurate scope statement |
These are editing principles, not permission to use a mark or prescribe the wording of an official certificate.
A review process for the communications team
Assign an owner for status statements and keep a record of their source. Before release, check the holder, scope, current status, permissions and the overall impression of the page.
Give partners a maintained description where they are entitled to make the statement. Identify who communicates a correction and how obsolete material is withdrawn or replaced.
Where a question remains unresolved, leave the unsupported claim out of the communication. The institutional offer can still be described accurately without relying on a status statement that exceeds its evidence.
Verification checklist
- Is the source the responsible issuing body?
- Does the holder match the organisation in the communication?
- Does the statement remain within the recorded scope?
- Are the status and dates current?
- Is mark use permitted for this purpose and format?
- Do the headline, images and surrounding offers convey the same scope?
- Are partner and downloadable versions included in the review?
Official sources and next steps
For certificate facts, use the ICEQC Public Register. For the meaning and limits of its certification, read ICEQC's mandate and boundaries. Authorised support can be checked separately through partner verification.