Straight answers about how the register and recognition work.
ICSOC is a recognition and information service. We keep a public register of educational institutions and show, for each, whether it has been independently recognized. Anyone can search the register for free.
It means the institution applied, shared its organisational details, and passed our review against our recognition policy. It holds a certificate with a unique number and an end date, and its logo carries our ribbon on the register.
The institution is listed from public information, but it has not asked us to recognize it, or has not yet completed the process. It is not a warning that something is wrong. It simply means we have not checked it, so please do your own checks.
No. Recognition confirms identity and the organisational details an institution gave us, and that it met our checks at the time. We are not a regulator or accrediting body, and we do not guarantee teaching quality, results or employment outcomes.
The register is meant to be useful to students, so it includes institutions we know about, marked as unrecognized until their owners apply. If you run an institution and want to correct or remove your listing, please contact us.
Enter the certificate number on the check page, or scan the QR code printed on the certificate. We will tell you whether it is genuine and still valid, expired or revoked.
Use the application form to send us your organisation's details. We review them, may ask for documents, and tell you the outcome. If your institution already has a page, use "Claim & get recognized" on it.
A recognition is valid for 12 months. After that it must be renewed. If it is not, the status changes, the ribbon is removed and the page says the recognition has expired.
Yes. If an institution misleads students, provides false information, or no longer meets our policy, we can revoke its recognition. Its page then shows that the recognition has been revoked.
You cannot buy a status. Outcomes depend only on the review. We will tell you in writing about any fees for the process before it starts.
Use the report a concern form. You can report incorrect information, a concern about an institution, or a certificate you think is fake.
Yes. Searching and checking certificates is free for everyone, with no account needed.