GHCA-AS-06
Malpractice and Maladministration Policy
This policy protects the value of every GHCA credential. It defines what counts as a breach of assessment integrity, how a suspected breach is investigated, and what sanctions can follow — for candidates, providers and GHCA's own people alike.
Who this applies to
Candidates, Authorized Training Providers, tutors, examiners, item writers, proctors, and GHCA staff. Nobody involved in a GHCA assessment sits outside it.
It operates under the authority of the AIS-4 Assessment Integrity Standard and is read alongside the Reasonable Adjustments Policy and the Appeals Policy.
What malpractice means
Malpractice is a deliberate act, by a candidate or by someone supporting a candidate, that compromises or attempts to compromise the integrity, security or fairness of assessment.
It includes impersonation or arranging for someone else to sit an examination; unauthorized materials, devices or notes, physical or virtual; collusion or unauthorized collaboration on an individually assessed task; plagiarism, including unattributed AI-generated content where the assessment brief prohibits it; removing, copying or disclosing secure assessment content; falsifying attendance or evidence of experience; and attempting to influence a proctor or examiner.
What maladministration means
Maladministration is a failure — deliberate or negligent — by a provider, examiner, proctor or GHCA staff member to follow required procedures, in a way that risks assessment integrity, candidate welfare, or the accuracy of results.
It includes failing to apply an approved reasonable adjustment, incorrect examination timing, incomplete identity checks, unsecured question papers, marking or moderation not carried out as required, falsified attendance or session records, and failure to report a known breach.
The distinction matters: malpractice is something done to gain an unfair advantage; maladministration is something done badly. Both can invalidate a result, and both are investigated.
Reporting a suspected breach
A suspected breach is reported to the Head of Quality within 5 working days of discovery. Proctors and examiners have a standing obligation to report at the point they observe something; late reporting does not bar an investigation, but is noted in the record.
Reports may be made confidentially. GHCA will not disclose who reported a matter beyond those strictly necessary to investigate it fairly, subject to its legal obligations.
How an investigation runs
Initial review, within 5 working days — the Head of Quality decides whether to open a formal investigation and whether any interim measure is needed, such as withholding a result until the outcome.
Evidence gathering, within 15 working days — an investigating officer collects the relevant evidence: examination and session logs, witness statements, and provider records.
Right to respond — anyone under investigation is told in writing what is alleged and given no fewer than 10 working days to respond before findings are finalized.
Findings and determination — the investigating officer records a finding of upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld, with any recommended sanction. Anything affecting certification, provider status or examiner accreditation goes to the Certification Committee for final determination.
Everyone involved is notified of the outcome in writing within 5 working days of determination, together with their appeal rights. The target from report to outcome is 45 working days; where that cannot be met, affected parties are told why and given a revised date.
Sanctions for a candidate
Applied proportionately to how serious the breach was and whether it was deliberate: a formal warning with no effect on the result; annulment of the specific result; annulment of all results in the series with a mandatory waiting period before re-sitting; withdrawal of an awarded certificate and removal of active status from the Global Registry; or suspension from future GHCA registration for a defined period, or permanently in the most serious cases.
Sanctions for a provider, examiner or proctor
A provider may face a written warning and mandatory corrective action, enhanced monitoring including unannounced audits, suspension of its authorization to register new candidates, or termination of its Authorized Training Provider status.
Staff, examiners and proctors are dealt with under GHCA's code of conduct and, where employment is involved, its ordinary disciplinary process. Accreditation sanctions — such as removal from the examiner or proctor register — sit with the Certification Committee regardless of any employment outcome.
Appeals, and what an investigation does not affect
A candidate or provider sanctioned under this policy may appeal the finding or the sanction under the Appeals Policy.
An open malpractice investigation does not pause your right to request reasonable adjustments or special consideration for unrelated, legitimate circumstances.
Outcomes are reported in aggregate and anonymized form in GHCA's annual quality reporting, so that patterns get fixed without identifying individuals.