AIPA Certified AI Practitioner (CAIP) · Vendor-neutral
Prove you have the judgement to run AI in production.
CAIP is a proctored, scenario-based exam for engineers who build with models, retrieval and agents. You'll read real traces, find what broke, and decide what to fix.
Founding price $99 · list $299 · one attempt. The course is free with an account.
- Every question reviewed and approved before use
- ID-checked and proctored online
- Valid for 1 year, checkable by anyone
Why CAIP
AI is on every CV. Production judgement isn't.
Anyone can follow a tutorial. The hard part starts after the demo: an agent that refunds the wrong customer, a search that shows one client another's documents, a bill that triples overnight. CAIP tests whether you can spot those failures, explain them and fix them — the judgement teams actually hire for.
What you'll prove
- Choose the right approach
- Diagnose failures from evidence
- Keep agents under control
- Measure quality honestly
- Secure what the model can reach
- Ship it and run it
Try a question
This is what the exam feels like
Most questions hand you evidence — a trace, a log, a configuration — and ask for a decision. Pick an answer to see the reasoning.
Member, 6 Nov: “I was charged $52 twice on 3 October — can you refund one?” The billing agent ran four steps.
- 1lookup_member(member_id: 88214)→ { status: "active", plan: "Pulse-12" }
- 2list_charges(member_id: 88214, window: "last_30_days")→ [{ date: "2026-11-03", amount: 52.00 }]
- 3issue_credit(member_id: 88214, amount: 52.00)→ { ok: true, credit_id: "cr_19f2" }
- 4reply→ "Done — I've refunded the duplicate $52 charge."
Written for this page in the style of the exam — not drawn from any exam bank.
How it works
Three steps to a credential employers can check
- 1
Learn, free
40 lessons and 194 practice questions, free with an account. Optional — experienced practitioners can go straight to the exam.
- 2
Sit the exam online
60 scenario questions in 130 minutes, proctored in your browser after a person checks your photo ID.
- 3
Share your credential
A certificate and a public record with your unique ID that anyone can check. Valid for 1 year, renewed each year.
For teams and employers
Show clients who on your team can deliver AI.
Buy exam seats for your people and assign them from one organisation page. Clients, HR and partners can confirm any credential on our public register, or check them in bulk through the verification API.
- Seat packs, assigned to named people
- Live status for every credential, including revocations
- A REST API for HR and partner systems
Why employers can trust it
A credential is only as good as the exam behind it
The same pass mark for everyone, identity checked by a person, answers scored on our servers, and a written route to appeal. Each safeguard is set out once, in full, on our About page.
Built to ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for bodies that certify people. Not accredited to it — and we won't say we are until an accreditation body has awarded it.
Who is CAIP for?
Engineers who build with models, retrieval and agents: AI and software engineers, ML and platform engineers, technical leads and solutions architects. You should be comfortable reading code; you don't need a research background.
When does the exam open?
It's open now. You can buy exam access and sit it whenever you're ready.
How much does it cost?
The course is free. The exam's founding price is $99 (list price $299), for one attempt.
What is the exam like?
60 scenario-based multiple-choice questions in 130 minutes, taken online with a proctor after a photo-ID check. Most questions give you evidence to read — a trace, a log, a configuration, a cost report — and ask for a decision.
Do I have to take the course first?
No. The course is free and optional, and buying anything from us is never a condition of being certified. Experienced practitioners can go straight to the exam.
How long does the credential last?
1 year. Renew it each year before it expires — by logging 10 hours of continuing education, or by passing the exam again.
What does vendor-neutral mean?
We don't sell a model, a cloud or a developer tool, and the exam doesn't test any company's product. It tests the judgement that carries across all of them.
Can I re-sit if I don't pass?
Yes, after a waiting period. Each attempt needs its own exam access and draws a fresh set of questions. See the retake policy.
Is AIPA accredited?
Not yet. Our certification scheme is built to ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for bodies that certify people, and we will apply for accreditation. We'll only say we're accredited once an accreditation body has awarded it. Read more.
Ready to prove what you can do?
Study free, then sit the exam online whenever you're ready.