Appeal or complaint?
An appeal asks us to change a decision about you: an exam result, a held or voided attempt, an identity-verification or accommodation decision, a recertification audit outcome, or a sanction. A complaint is about anything else — how we, our staff, the exam, or a credential holder behaved. If you suspect cheating or misuse of a credential, use Report an integrity concern instead.
How to appeal
Appeal from your account, or the result page of the attempt concerned, within 14 days of being told the decision. Explain what you believe was wrong and include any evidence. One appeal per decision.
We acknowledge your appeal within 5 business days. It is decided by a competent person who took no part in the original decision and has no conflict of interest, normally within 30 days. You receive the outcome in writing, with reasons.
Appeals about exam questions
If you believe a question was wrong or ambiguous, say which question (by its number on your form) and why. An appeal reviewer and a subject-matter expert examine it. If a question is found to be faulty, it is removed from scoring for every candidate who saw it, and any result that changes is corrected. Exam questions and answer keys themselves are not released.
Escalation
If you are not satisfied with an appeal outcome, you may ask within 14 days for it to be referred to the Certification Committee. The Committee's decision is final within AIPA's process. Nothing here limits your legal rights.
Complaints
Send a complaint through the Complaints page or the Contact page. We acknowledge it within 5 business days, investigate it impartially, keep you informed, and aim to send a written outcome within 30 days. If we need longer, we will tell you why and when to expect it.
Fair handling
No one is disadvantaged for appealing or complaining. Anyone with a conflict of interest in a case is recused from it. Appeals and complaints are recorded, and trends are reported to AIPA's management review so the same problem is not repeated.
This policy is provided for transparency and is not legal advice. Where local law grants you stronger rights, those rights prevail.