CHECK Team Leader and Member requirements are changing

Key points:

All CHECK Team Leaders (CTLs) must gain a UK Cyber Security Council (UK CSC) Professional Title (Principal or Chartered) by 31st March 2025.
All CHECK Team Members (CTMs) must gain a UK CSC Professional Title (Practitioner) by 31st March 2026.

What are the changes?

For CHECK Team Leaders:

From 31 March 2025, CHECK Team Leaders (CTLs) must obtain a UK CSC Professional Title in the Security Testing specialism. This can be either the Principal Cyber Security Professional (PCSP) or Chartered Cyber Security Professional (ChCSP) title.

For CHECK Team Members:

By 31st March 2026, all CTMs must achieve the UK CSC Security Testing Title at the ‘Practitioner’ level. All new CTMs must hold this title at the point of application to the NCSC.

The NCSC has established an equivalence between the current CHECK certifications for CTLs and CTMs (such as CREST’s CCT INF and CCT APP) and the UK CSC’s professional registration titles. This equivalence covers most of the technical requirements, leaving only the non-technical competences to be assessed and an overall review to be conducted.

You can find out more about the updated CHECK Standard here.

Ready to apply?

Fill out our online registration form to start your journey.

Please note: you must hold a valid CTL accepted qualification to be eligible for the funding.

If you’re not a CTL, you can take advantage of a CREST Member 30% discount. You can find out more on our Professional Titles webpage.

Apply now

General FAQs

What is happening and why?

The CHECK scheme standard has always required CTLs and CTMs to pass specific examinations provided by CREST and The Cyber Scheme (and previously the Tigerscheme). However, now that the UK Cyber Security Council (UK CSC) has created a specialism for Security Testing and launched the ‘Chartered’ and ‘Principal’ Professional Titles, the NCSC is changing their approach to CHECK Testing, to the minimal level of Principal.

Is it mandatory for CTLs and CTMs to acquire the relevant Security Testing professional title?

Yes, this applies to both CTLs and CTMs, at least up to the Principal level.

By 31st March 2025, all current CHECK Team Leaders (CTLs) must have a Professional Registration Title from an approved Licensed Body in Security Testing. The old ‘NCSC-approved’ exam won’t be enough. CTLs need to pass both technical and soft skills parts to at least the Principal level.

By 31st March 2026, all current CHECK Team Members (CTMs) must meet the same requirements as CTLs. They also need a Professional Registration Title and must pass both technical and soft skills parts to at least the Principal level.

Timing FAQs

When do CTLs and CTMs need to apply for a Principal or Chartered Title in Security Testing?

CTLs must gain a UK Cyber Security Council (UK CSC) Professional Title (Principal or Chartered) by 31st March 2025.

CTMs must gain a UK CSC Professional Title (Practitioner) by 31st March 2026.

What must I do if my exam expires before the end of March 2025?

You must re-sit and pass your exam as usual before the expiry date. You must achieve professional registration in time for the appropriate deadline. The Council will not cover the exam fees.

What must I do if my exam expires on or after 1 April 2025?

You must achieve professional registration at the appropriate level by the appropriate deadline. The Council will not cover the exam fees (i.e. for the Technical Assessment, Part A of the application).

What happens if I don’t obtain a Council Title?

Any CTLs or CTMs who have not successfully obtained their Council Title at appropriate level by their deadline will no longer be eligible to operate in the CHECK Scheme.

How are applications processed?

In order to process applications, names of all eligible CTLs will be provided to the Council. If, for any reason, you do not wish to share your name with the Council, you MUST notify the NCSC CHECK Scheme ([email protected]) by 21 June 2024. However, withdrawing your consent means that the Council will be unable to fund your professional registration.

What if I believe myself to have exceptional circumstances preventing me from gaining a title in time?

If you believe there are exceptional circumstances preventing you from meeting these deadlines, please contact the NCSC CHECK team at [email protected].