Transition of CTL qualifications

Q: My exam expires before the end of March. Do I do the professional title paperwork now or when I do the exam?

A: It is entirely up to the individual. Ultimately to be a CTL an individual needs a professional title which includes the technical exam.

Q: Does the referee need to be a client or can it be a colleague or manager?

A:  It needs to be someone familiar with the evidence you have provided in the application.

Q: What’s the turnaround time for applications?

A: We appreciate you will want your results as quickly as possible. Die to the ‘unknowns’ (i.e. how many CTLS will apply for funding during the window) we are unable to confirm a turnaround time. However we have assessors on hand and have built capacity to allow for the quickest possible moderation over the next weeks and months. We will be able to clarify further once an application has been submitted.

Q: What evidence do I need to provide?

A: Evidence should be provided against the Council’s criteria. Using case studies as a basis for objective evidence statements written using the STAR methodology has been a successful approach.

Q: Is funding available for people currently going through the CTL process?

A: Funding is available for those people who were registered on the NCSC portal as CTLs on the 31st May only.

Q: Does the professional title need to be in the Security testing specialism?

A: Yes

Q: Is there an exemplar application?

A: No. The contextualised standard for Security Testing, and the general SPCC each provide a good understanding of the type of evidence being looked for. Both can be found here.

We recommend you present your evidence in STAR format. 

Q: How do I provide evidence in the form of case studies when the work was done under NDA?   

A: You do not need to name specific companies/organisations, or provide code names in your evidence. Our Assessors have themselves  undertaken significant amounts of work under NDAs and will understand the context of your evidence if well structured

Q: My CSTL cert expires in March 25, do I need to re-certify to maintain my CTL status?

A: Yes

Q: For Chartered level title is there a minimum number of years experience?

A: No, but it is fair to say that typically CTLs who have re-certified or who are dual badged will have the ‘miles on the clock’ and the ‘experience under their belts’ that will allow them to demonstrate (provide evidence) that they have been delivering at the Chartered level that the assessors are looking for. 

The Council states that:   “A Chartered Cyber Security Professional will have significant practical knowledge in several specialisms, though should have a particular Specialism at which they are an acknowledged expert. As such, they should be operating at a level where their professional opinion may reasonably be sought to contribute to the development of the overall cyber security profession”. 

Q: Currently CTLs have a specialism (Inf or Web App) will this continue?

A: Yes

Q: What is expected of a referee?

A: They are expected to vouch for your application from the point of view of knowing your work and knowing you are applying for a professional title. They need to understand the requirements for professional registration at the level applied for, and that they will be contacted by ourselves to validate their knowledge.

Q: Does the referee need to hold any particular cert or professional title?

A: No specific certification is required. A Chartered Cyber Security professional would be ideal, but we appreciate that at this moment in time these are few in number.

Q: When will CTMs need a professional title?

A: This is not currently in scope. We suggest that you contact NCSC directly for more information on this.  

Q: Are the assessor Chartered?

A: Yes  – and/or or certified by UKCSC to conduct B-E assessments where applicable.

Q: Are there fees to stay on the professional register?

A: Yes £99 pa currently.

Q: What does good CPD look like?

A: The Council has a CPD policy here.

Please note our own scope of CPD is in development and we will let you know as that evolves.

Q: If an individual applies for Principal, can it be upgraded to Chartered?

A: No. If you apply for Chartered the three possible outcomes are:
– awarded title applied for,
– awarded alternative title,
– declined. 

If you apply for Chartered and you are deemed not quite ready to be awarded chartered status, the assessor may decide you should be awarded Principal.

Q: What is the difference between the two application routes you offer?

A: Application-only assessments rely on the written word entirely, verified by referees/attestors to reach an assessment decision. The application will be rejected by an assessor if the evidence does not meet the required standard. There may be cases where an assessor decides to call the applicant to interview where awarding or rejecting the application is finely balanced.   

In the interview-based assessment process, the application evidence is used to form an opinion on whether the candidate meets the standard to be offered an interview and the interview stage allows the assessor to probe evidence more thoroughly and allows the applicant to bring new or additional evidence of competence, not included in the original application, to the interview for consideration.  

Q: If I choose to go down the application only route, is it true that I may be called for interview?

A: Yes (please see above): for edge cases we will potentially ask to have a professional discussion with those individuals.

TCS will triage application forms and give people a fair chance to update them if they’re not adequate – this process allows for correction of actual errors, to supply missing data or better frame poorly answered questions.

Q: How long will I need to wait between applications if I’m unsuccessful?

A: Everyone will be different – the point is that if there is a gap in an individual’s competencies, then it depends how long it takes the individual to gain the experience that will allow them to provide evidence of competence against those criteria. 

We provide feedback which will highlight the areas where evidence was weak. How an individual addresses those gaps is up to them or their employer as appropriate.

Q: I am currently halfway through filling out the PDF, should I leave that and use the online form now?

A: We will accept either.

Q: Can another CTL act as my attestor?

A: Yes. It needs to be someone familiar with your work who is in a position to confirm your application form is accurate and has direct knowledge of the evidence provided.

Q: For Group A, can we now apply for Chartership prior to resitting the exam? It was previously stated there will need to be six months ready.

A: Yes you can.

Q: Will interviews all be held in Cheltenham?

A: We offer remote interviews, recorded over Teams. If you would prefer a face-to-face interview in Cheltenham, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.

Q: Is there a chance that the March cut off will be delayed if insufficient CTLS apply?

A: This will need to be decided by operators of the CHECK scheme. Currently they accept the risk.

Q: Is the form saying for interviewer or attestation different?

A: It’s the same form, TCS expect a bit less detail on the interview approach.