Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of astcertify.com and its related subdomains (the "Service"), operated by Adaptive Smart Tech ("AST Certify," "we," "us," or "our"). By registering for or using the Service, you agree to these Terms.

1. What the Service Is

AST Certify provides infrastructure for organizations ("certification bodies") to build exams, issue certifications, and manage certification programs — including for organizations that run train-the-trainer certification structures with multiple levels or instructor-led classes. We provide the platform; certification bodies are solely responsible for the accuracy, quality, and content of the exams and certifications they create.

AST Certify does not verify, endorse, or guarantee the accuracy or validity of any certification content created by a certification body. A certification issued through the Service reflects that the named certification body certified the individual according to that body's own standards — not AST Certify's independent judgment of the subject matter.

2. Accounts and Roles

The Service has three levels of account:

• Company — the registering, paying entity. A Company may own one or more certification bodies.
• Certification body — a branded certifying identity that builds and issues its own certifications.
• Candidate — an individual who takes an exam and, if they pass, receives a certification.

You're responsible for maintaining accurate account information and for all activity that occurs under your account credentials.

3. Pricing and Tokens

The Service uses a token-based, pay-as-you-go pricing model:

• There are no subscriptions and no recurring fees. You purchase certification tokens as needed.
• One token is consumed for each exam attempt, whether the candidate passes or fails.
• Tokens do not expire once purchased.
• Pricing may be graduated based on annual volume, and is subject to change with notice on our pricing page.
• Token purchases are generally non-refundable once tokens have been consumed. Unused token balances may be eligible for refund at our discretion — contact support@astcertify.com to request this.

4. Certification Content Ownership

Certification bodies retain ownership of the question banks, exam content, translations and branding they create on the Service. By using the Service, a certification body grants us a limited license to host, deliver, and display that content solely as needed to operate the Service (for example, delivering exams to candidates and displaying certification badges on public verification pages).

AST Certify owns the underlying platform, software, and infrastructure that powers the Service.

5. AI-Assisted Features

The Service offers optional features that use artificial intelligence to help certification bodies, such as translating questions into other languages, producing English back-translations for checking, and suggesting how questions might be organized. AI output is always a draft: nothing an AI produces is used in an exam until a person at the certification body has reviewed and approved it, and the Service records who approved it and on what basis.

The certification body is responsible for reviewing AI-assisted content and for everything it approves. We do not guarantee that AI output is accurate, complete or suitable for any particular purpose. Content sent to our AI provider is the material being worked on, such as question text; no candidate's personal information is sent.

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service to create or distribute unlawful, fraudulent, or deliberately misleading certification content.
• Attempt to bypass, disable, or interfere with the Service's exam integrity features (such as exam papers frozen at the start of an attempt, the server-kept exam clock, randomization, or attempt limits).
• Attempt to access another Company's, certification body's, or Candidate's data without authorization.
• Use automated tools to scrape, harvest, or systematically extract exam content or candidate data from the Service.

7. Public Verification

Certifications issued through the Service include a public verification page. Certification bodies are responsible for obtaining any necessary consent from candidates regarding what information appears on public-facing verification or roster displays beyond basic status verification.

8. No Proctoring, No Guarantee of Exam Security

The Service does not provide live or video proctoring. We provide reasonable safeguards against casual misuse (such as question randomization, exam papers frozen at the start of an attempt, a clock kept by our servers, one active exam session at a time, and attempt limits), but we do not guarantee that an exam cannot be compromised by a sufficiently determined bad actor. Certification bodies requiring proctored, high-stakes exam security should evaluate whether the Service meets their specific needs before relying on it for that purpose.

9. Termination

We may suspend or terminate access to the Service for violation of these Terms, illegal activity, or non-payment. You may stop using the Service at any time; certifications already issued remain publicly verifiable as described in our Privacy Policy, since removing them would undermine the integrity of credentials already relied upon by third parties.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or fit for any particular purpose beyond what's described in these Terms.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, AST Certify is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including damages related to the accuracy of certification content created or approved by a certification body -- including content drafted with AI assistance -- which is solely that certification body's responsibility.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as the Service evolves. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do. Continued use of the Service after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

14. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms can be sent to support@astcertify.com.