Why does the Standard use bands and not raw numbers?
A certified result under AIRS-J/1 is reported as one of three bands, not as a raw composite. This page explains why, and who still sees which scores.
Judgment is how well a person decides once AI has given the answer. AIRS-J/1 is the Standard for judgment in AI-enabled work. Section 12.4 gives the reason: "Certified results are reported in bands, not raw composites, to prevent false precision and league-table misuse."
What are the bands?
There are three bands. Each band has a composite range and one further condition (Section 12.4).
| Band | Composite | Further condition |
|---|---|---|
| Certified | 2.3 to 2.9 | All floors met |
| Certified with Merit | 3.0 to 3.4 | No dimension below 2.5 |
| Certified with Distinction | 3.5 and above | No dimension below 3.0 |
A result that does not meet all six decision rules is Not Certified (Section 12.2). Only Certified results are reported in bands (Section 12.4).
Where does the composite come from?
Section 7 states: "Every observation is scored 0 to 4." A dimension score is the average of its valid observations. A domain score is the average of its dimension scores. The composite is the average of all nine dimension scores (Section 12.2.1).
What is false precision?
In plain words: a composite can look more exact than the evidence supports, so two composites close together may not show a real difference in how two people decide. Section 11.8 lists what the validation report states, including the standard error of measurement at the composite cut (the composite of 2.3 in Section 12.2). The validation report is published as the checks in the Standard are met. Before release for a hiring or promotion decision, AIR APAC checks whether a one-level change in any single observation would change the outcome between Certified and Not Certified (Section 12.8.1). Where it would, the candidate is offered one further held-back mission on an unseen form (a scenario the candidate has not seen) at no charge.
Does the candidate still see the scores?
Yes. Every candidate receives every separately reportable dimension score, the four domain scores and the band (Section 12.5). The report also gives the confidence level, the stakes profiles assessed, the anchors applied, the model-assisted proportion and the evidence cited for each observation. The candidate receives all of this whether or not they certify, except that a Not Certified result has no band to report. The composite itself is not on that list.
What does an employer see?
For its own employees, a commissioning employer receives each result by name (Section 12.6): dimension and domain scores, band, confidence and the evidence behind each observation. For people applying for a role, it receives each employment-grade result in the form of Section 12.5, for that hiring decision. Hiring use opens in a market only once the applicant notice and the access-support procedure are published for that market (Section 12.9). The Standard adds that "AIR APAC provides no rank order of applicants; the band is the reading" (Section 12.6). The result is one input, and the employment decision stays with the employer.
What does the register show?
The register records the credential code, track, role edition where used, band, confidence, standard version, issue and expiry dates, status and the plain-language scope (Section 14.1). It "does not record employer, dimension scores, stakes profiles, or any transcript content". The composite is not on the list either. Verification by credential code is free and needs no account (Section 14.3).
Why are there no league tables?
Section 12.7 states that "AIR APAC publishes no individual league tables or employer-comparative candidate scores". An organisation that commissions an assessment receives a team view: counts of levels and bands. A team view covers ten people or more. Below ten, no team view is given.
Can two people in the same band be told apart?
Yes, by confidence or by track, and neither is a rank. Confidence is High or Moderate, printed on the credential and shown in the register (Section 10). It describes how much evidence supports the result, not the person's ability. Track matters because Section 13.2 states: "A band without a track has no meaning." A Campus certification and a Professional certification "are not equivalent, are not convertible" (Section 13.1).
Can a high band hide a weak area?
No. Every dimension must be at or above 2.0, and every domain must be at or above 2.0 (Section 12.2). Section 12.1 states: "Strength in one domain does not offset weakness in another." Merit and Distinction also set a higher floor for every dimension.
Do development readings have a band?
No. A development reading comes from practice, a training session, or a result below Moderate confidence (Section 3). Section 10.1 states that "Development readings carry no band and are never a basis for a hiring, promotion or appraisal decision". Section 20.3 adds: "Levels per dimension and bands come only from an Assessment."
What this does not claim
- That a band shows a person suits a particular role, or is ready for one. A result describes the person's judgment in AI-enabled work at the level certified (Section 12.6).
- That the cut points are final. Section 11.1 reviews the thresholds each year against the evidence programme.
- That a band on one track can be compared with a band on another track.
- That a band ranks people, or that a result can be shown as a percentage.
AIR APAC publishes the standard for judgment in AI-enabled work, certifies people against it through its official instrument, and stands behind every result.