Candidate reading a detailed credential handbook

Prepare before applying

Candidate Handbook

Request the planned handbook covering pathway requirements, evidence, assessment, fees, conduct, decisions, appeals and renewal.

Review requirements Review fees

Request the handbook

Select the pathway you are considering.

Handbook contents

One source of candidate-facing rules.

Pathway and scope

Audience, credential meaning, limitations and use of title.

Eligibility and evidence

Learning, experience, licences, references and documentation.

Assessment

Domains, methods, conditions, results and reassessment.

Governance

Conduct, complaints, appeals, privacy, fees and renewal.

Frequently asked questions

Handbook questions

What will the handbook contain?

The final handbook will contain pathway requirements, application instructions, evidence rules, assessment domains, candidate conduct, fees, results, complaints, appeals and renewal.

Is requesting the handbook an application?

No. It is an information request and does not create candidate status or reserve an assessment.

Will each pathway have the same handbook?

A common governance handbook may be combined with pathway-specific supplements.

Can organizations request more than one handbook?

Yes. Identify the pathways and organizational use so RSM can provide the appropriate material when available.

Candidate information

The handbook becomes part of the programme’s promise to applicants.

Every handbook and pathway supplement should be versioned and dated. It should be accessible before a candidate pays, use plain language, define terms and explain requirements, assessment, privacy, accommodations, fees, decisions, complaints, appeals and renewal.

Active candidates should be notified when material rules change, and earlier versions should be archived so decisions can be traced to the rules in effect. Marketing pages may summarize a pathway, but the handbook should remain the controlling candidate-facing reference unless a formal policy states otherwise.

Version and date each edition.
Provide accessible plain language.
Notify candidates of material changes.
Archive prior rules.

Published: July 19, 2026 Last reviewed: July 19, 2026

RSM credentials are education-based professional-development pathways. They do not replace licences, permits, statutory credentials, professional engineering authority, municipal approval or employer responsibility. Planned requirements and fees may be refined before applications or payments open.

Next steps

Continue your credential pathway

Review scope and requirements before deciding whether to apply.

Review requirementsUnderstand eligibility, evidence and assessment.Continue →Compare pathwaysFind the credential route that fits your role.Continue →Check readinessSubmit a structured readiness enquiry.Continue →