Ranks awarded by the Guild, checked against published standards

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Guild of Skills

Academic integrity

A Guild rank has to be yours.

AI is welcome where we say it is, especially when you are learning to use it. It is not a way to pass a Rank Trial, or to hand in a project you did not do.

When you can use AIHow Trials are proctoredQuestion designCapstones and vivaIf the rules are broken

Proctoring, identity checks, live labs and viva sessions start at launch. This page is the policy the Guild will enforce from day one.

The AI policy

Use AI to learn. Not to fake a rank.

The point of a Guild rank is that you can do the work. How AI is treated depends on the task, and it is always stated up front.

In lessons

AI is allowed where a module says so, especially in AI courses, where using the tools is part of the skill. If a module does not say you may use it, do the work yourself.

In the Rank Trial

AI is forbidden. The Trial is closed-book and proctored. No assistants, no notes, no other people, and no copy and paste from another window.

In projects and capstones

You may use AI only if you disclose it: what the tool did, what you did, and how you checked the result. Hidden use can void the work.

Rank Trials

Proctored, so a rank means the same for everyone.

The Guild runs every Rank Trial, not your instructor. These controls start at launch. Trial recordings are used only to review the sitting, not for marketing.

  • Webcam and screen shareYou share your camera and your screen for the whole sitting, so someone else cannot sit it for you off-camera.
  • Locked-down browserThe Trial runs in a locked browser. Copy and paste, extra screens and leaving the tab are flagged for review.
  • ID check of a verified accountYou can only sit a Trial from a verified Guild account, and you confirm who you are before the clock starts.
  • Randomised question bankEach attempt draws a fresh mix of questions. A leaked paper or a saved chatbot answer will not match your sitting.
  • Time-boxed sittingsThe exam is timed. When the clock ends, the attempt is submitted as it stands.
  • Live labs with your own dataPractical tasks run in a sandbox lab, with figures and files unique to you, so they cannot be pasted into an AI tool as a generic question.

If you cannot use a webcam or a locked browser, contact the Guild when accounts open. We will arrange a fair alternative sitting where we can.

A person filling in an exam answer sheet beside a laptop and an hourglass

Question design

Built to resist easy AI cheating.

A Trial is not a list of facts you can paste into a chatbot. Questions are written so the answer has to come from you, in that sitting.

  • Short scenarios and practical tasks, not trivia
  • Live sandbox labs with personalised data for each student
  • Short answers you explain in your own words
  • A randomised bank, so no two attempts are the same

Generic AI answers fall short

A model can draft a tidy definition. It cannot see your lab, your numbers, or the follow-up an assessor asks you live. That is the point.

Capstones and higher ranks

Show the work. Then defend it live.

Every course ends with a capstone. Expert and Master ranks also need a graded project. In both cases the finished file is not enough on its own.

A recorded live viva

A 5–10 minute walk-through with an assessor or teacher, who can ask follow-up questions. The session is recorded. It starts at launch.

Process evidence

Submit drafts, notes or commit history, not just a polished result. A rank should show how you got there, not only what you handed in.

Signals, not sole proof

AI-detection and similarity checks can flag a submission for a closer look. A person always makes the decision. A tool score is never enough on its own to fail or revoke you.

If the rules are broken

Cheating does not earn a rank.

The Guild Council reviews flagged sittings and reports. These are the usual outcomes. A serious or repeated breach can go further.

Voided attempt

The sitting does not count. You do not get a mark, a certificate or a rank from it.

Re-sit wait

You wait at least seven days to try again. A serious breach can mean a longer wait, set by the Council.

Credential revoked

A rank already awarded can be taken back. The public verify page will show that it is no longer valid.

A record you can check

Every credential has an ID (GS-XXXX-XXXX). Anyone can open its verify page and see whether it is valid, proctored, or revoked.

The credential

Look for the Proctored badge.

A Guild credential earned through a proctored Rank Trial carries a Proctored badge on the certificate and the public verify page, so employers can see how it was assessed.

  • Unique credential ID, like GS-XXXX-XXXX
  • Proctored badge when the Trial was taken under the rules on this page
  • Public verify page that shows valid or revoked
Verify a credential

Learn fairly

Learn the skill. Then prove it fairly.

Join free, confirm your email and enrol. Proctored Rank Trials and vivas start at launch.

Join the Guild free