How long do I have to appeal, and how long does a decision take?
Each time limit in an appeal, in the order a candidate meets it, with the source of each: a section of AIRS-J/1 or AIR APAC's published appeals procedure.
A candidate has 30 days to appeal a decision under AIRS-J/1. Judgment is how well a person decides once AI has given the answer, and AIRS-J/1 is AIR APAC's standard for judgment in AI-enabled work. The answers below give each time limit in the order a candidate meets it. Each answer names its source: a section of the Standard, or AIR APAC's published appeals procedure on this page.
How long do I have to appeal?
A candidate has 30 days. Section 18.5 of AIRS-J/1 allows an appeal "within 30 days". The published procedure says to write to AIR APAC "within 30 days of the decision". The candidate writes through the contact page (https://airapac.org/contact/) and chooses the topic "Appeal, complaint or access support". The message says which decision is appealed and which ground in Section 18.6 applies.
What can I appeal?
Section 18.5 names four kinds of decision:
- a certification-status decision;
- an employment-grade result released to an employer (Sections 12.6 and 12.8);
- an accommodation decision that affects access to assessment;
- a suspension.
The grounds are the ones listed in Section 18.6.
How quickly is my appeal acknowledged?
AIR APAC acknowledges an appeal in writing within 3 working days. This time comes from the published procedure. The published procedure also says that the acknowledgement names the reviewer.
Who reviews it?
The appeals reviewer defined in Section 17 reviews it. The reviewer is a review board member, or an authorised assessor under Section 11.6. Section 17 requires the reviewer to be "not involved in the original decision or delivery, and not employed by or paid through Exeter Labs".
How long does a decision take?
The published procedure says the candidate receives the outcome and the reasoning in writing within 15 working days of the acknowledgement. Section 18.5 requires the outcome and the reasoning to be given in writing. A different limit applies to an appeal on a result released for hiring; see the answer below.
Does an appeal on a result released for hiring have its own time limit?
Yes. "An appeal on a result released for hiring is decided within ten working days" (Section 18.5).
What does the employer do while I appeal?
It depends on when the appeal is lodged. The commissioning organisation is the organisation that arranged the assessment. Where the appeal is lodged within five working days of release, the commissioning organisation does not communicate an adverse decision resting on the result until the appeal is decided. Section 18.5 states this hold. Section 12.11 requires this term in every licence under which an organisation commissions assessments.
What do I receive at the end?
The candidate receives the outcome and the reasoning in writing (Section 18.5). The parties who received the result are sent the decision. Where the result changed, they are also sent the corrected result, "which replaces the first for every recipient" (Section 18.5).
What if my credential is suspended?
Section 18.4 sets the process. The holder receives written notice of the specific allegation and the evidence, and has 21 days to respond. A panel of three drawn from the review board decides and gives written reasons. The holder may then appeal under Section 18.5. The credential remains valid during the process unless the allegation is impersonation.
Can I appeal a development reading?
No. Section 18.5 states that a development reading "decides nothing and is not appealable". A comment on a development reading is a complaint under Section 18.7. A complaint follows the complaints procedure (https://airapac.org/standard/complaints/).
What does the Standard say about the cost of an appeal?
Section 18.5 states: "Appeal is free for the first instance."
What this does not claim
- The Standard does not say what happens to an appeal lodged after 30 days, so this page does not say.
- The Standard says "30 days" and "21 days" without saying whether these are calendar days or working days, so this page does not say either.
- The 3 working days and the 15 working days are AIR APAC's published procedure, not a section of the Standard.
- The Standard does not state the day from which the ten working days for a hiring appeal are counted, so this page does not state it.
- The Standard states the hold on adverse communication for an appeal lodged within five working days of release. It states no hold for an appeal lodged later, so this page does not extend the hold.
AIR APAC publishes the standard for judgment in AI-enabled work, certifies people against it through its official instrument, and stands behind every result.
Read the certification rules → https://airapac.org/standard/certification/