Formal Appeals Policy

Certification holders may request reconsiderations of any decisions made by the certification body related to the status of their individual certification for action take due to ethical violations. In order to protect the integrity of the systems we have put in place to ensure a fair experience for all our customers, GIAC does not disclose details of the investigative findings. Evidence from an investigation will not be shared regardless of submitting an appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing through the GIAC Appeals Form below and follow the instructions included on the form.

The appeals process does not apply to exam failures, challenges to individual examination questions or answers, or retesting requests.

Appeals must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the event in question. Make sure to provide all relevant information. If filing an appeal on behalf of a minor, the minor must provide a written statement explaining why they feel the decisions made by the certification body should be overturned. Appeals submitted more than 30 calendar days after the event in question will not be accepted.

Appeals Procedure

All appeals will be reviewed, investigated, and submitted to the Appeals Committee for final resolution. GIAC maintains an external Appeals Committee to aid in the fair and impartial decision-making regarding appeals. The committee further serves to ensure that personnel engaged in the appeals handling process are different from those involved in the decision being appealed.

Appeals will be acknowledged within 48 business hours of receipt, and GIAC will provide the appellant with progress status reports of the appeal throughout its processing.

The appeals handling process will be led by a GIAC Operations team member independent of the appeal’s original circumstances. The representative will collect, review, and submit all supporting documents to the Appeals Committee for review and deliberation.

Resolutions will be concluded within 30 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. Once a resolution is determined, the outcome will be sent via email to the appellant and will specify the outcome of the appeal, the reasons for such outcome, and the specific relief granted, if any. Resolutions are considered final, and the case will be closed.