CHECK accreditation - the highest standards for security testing
We provide assessment and certification recognised by NCSC for individuals providing technical security services for the CHECK scheme. These rigorous exams demonstrate the highest levels of knowledge, skill and competence. To ensure relevancy of knowledge within this often-changing environment the certification process is repeated every three years.
Our CSTM and CSTL exams are led by NCSC approved Assessors who hold CHECK TEAM LEADER Qualifications for Infrastructure and Web Applications.
Exam FAQs
Passing an exam with The Cyber Scheme is one of the mandatory assurance checks undertaken by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) before CHECK Team Member or Leader Status can be awarded. The Cyber Scheme cannot award CHECK status, but do award certificates recognised by NCSC as confirmation that the necessary technical standard for CHECK has been met.
CTM = CHECK Team Member, the term applied by NCSC
The CSTM exam you take with The Cyber Scheme = Cyber Scheme Team Member. The terms are essentially interchangeable, with CSTM being the brand name for our CTM-level exam.
CTL = CHECK Team Leader, the term applied by NCSC
The CSTL exam you take with The Cyber Scheme = Cyber Scheme Team Leader. The terms are essentially interchangeable, with CSTL being the brand name for our CTL-level exam.
We offer two CTL-level exams, CSTL-INF (Infrastructure) and CSTL-Web App (Web Applications). There are no requirements for a pass in one exam before taking another; if you have any questions about your readiness to take an exam please get in touch.
The Cyber Scheme is one of only two organisations accredited by NCSC to offer examinations that meet UK Government Standards in Penetration Testing.
The NCSC, as the National Authority for Cyber Security ensures that the Cyber Scheme is operating at the highest standards in the delivery of our training and examinations. Certifications issued by the Cyber Scheme are therefore recognised by NCSC as meeting the necessary standards to apply for membership of the NCSC CHECK scheme.
Quality of service delivery is subject to regular audit and is monitored on an on-going basis by the NCSC. This ensures that course content reflects the current cyber security trends and threats and that the examination processes are robust and as near real world as is possible in an examination environment.
For the Cyber Scheme Team Leader (CSTL) certification we have developed a testing environment that provides near real world challenges for candidates through randomly generated scenarios, meaning no two candidates will ever sit the same test. Successful candidates and future employers can therefore be assured that the certification has fully tested the candidate’s knowledge, experience and creative thinking within the world of penetration testing.
Book your CSTM or CSTL exam here (these exams are provided for the CHECK scheme and are also suitable for any security tester wishing to gain Gold Standard certification as a Team Member or Team Leader).
CSTM
£600 +VAT
A pass in this technical qualification is one of the mandatory assurance checks undertaken by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) before CHECK Team Member Status can be applied for. Find out more
CSTL
INF
£1600 +VAT
This qualification is one of the mandatory assurance checks undertaken by the NCSC before CHECK Team Leader Status can be applied for. Find out more
CSTL
WEB
APP
This assessment is structured to simulate a real-world penetration test. It comprises three phases: scoping, a practical examination and an interview. Find out more
NCSC approved certificates are valid for 3 years from the examination date. Certificates are issued via our secure Blockmark system allowing them to be validated in real time.
Our portfolio of examinations is constantly under review, please check back for updates on developments. For current examinations please select from the buttons shown.
“I can honestly say that the CSTM exam was head and shoulders above the exam I sat 3 years ago. Both in terms of the exam content and the exam invigilators. The “open book” nature of the practical exam was a breath of fresh air, and the theory side was fair and certainly more “modern” than others I have experienced”.
“This was my first interaction with The Cyber Scheme and it was a very positive experience. The booking was easy, the communication from the staff was great and any queries were quickly answered and resolved. On the day the assessors were very clear on the rules, scoping and expectations. The scoping and interview aspects were handled really well, and it is reassuring to know that the assessors understand what is required and have a higher level of technical knowledge than the candidates.”
Our certificates are issued securely via BlockMark technology and feature QR codes allowing them to be checked for validity in real time. If you need to validate a Cyber Scheme Certificate please get in touch and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
The Cyber Scheme believe everyone should have access to a career in security testing. We are available to discuss any concerns you have and are more than happy to make reasonable adjustments for any candidate who requires them during training and examinations.
These reasonable adjustments are to ensure you are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours required. We recognise that not all disabilities are visible.
We have a range of reasonable adjustments we can offer depending on what difficulty you might face. If you request an adjustment which we are unable to offer, we will give you a reason why we cannot offer it. This might be because it maps to a key Knowledge, Skill or Behaviour that we have to assess against within the certification. If that is the case, we will tell you which aspect we think would not be properly assessed.
There may be background noise during an assessment. Please bring (or ask for) ear plugs / ear defenders or listen to music if background noise is likely to affect your concentration (please note this doesn’t apply to our training courses).
Mobility
Access to all of our facilities is suitable for people with mobility issues. Should any other special facilities be required please get in touch at time of booking. For some reasonable adjustments, such as access to a disabled parking space, we will need to see supporting documentation around the condition to allow us to apply for this access for you. No information will be retained or stored once the request is validated.
