The Institute for Credentialing Excellence, or I.C.E., is a professional membership association that provides education, networking, and other resources for organizations and individuals who work in and serve the credentialing industry. I.C.E. is a leading developer of standards for both certification and certificate programs and it is both a provider of and a clearing house for information on trends in certification, test development and delivery, assessment-based certificate programs, and other information relevant to the credentialing community.
What is Credentialing?
Credentialing is an umbrella term used to refer to concepts such as professional certification, certificate programs, accreditation, licensure, and regulation.
- A certification program is designed to test the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a particular job, and, upon successfully passing a certification exam, to represent a declaration of a particular individual’s professional competence. In some professions, certification is a requirement for employment or practice.
- Similarly, licensure tests an individual’s competence but is a mandatory process by which the government grants time-limited permission for that licensed individual to practice his or her profession.
- In contrast to certification and licensure, an assessment-based certificate program is an educational or training program that is used to teach learning objectives and assess whether those objectives were achieved by the student.
- Accreditation is the process by which a credentialing or educational program is evaluated against defined standards and is awarded recognition if it is in compliance with those standards. I.C.E. currently offers accreditation to professional certification programs through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
These are just some of the concepts that fall under the umbrella of credentialing. We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about I.C.E. and the credentialing industry.
PLEASE NOTE: An organization may join I.C.E.at any time whether or not it has any programs accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Membership in I.C.E. does not mean that an organization or any of its credentialing programs have been accredited, approved, or otherwise endorsed by I.C.E..