ABOUT

The WISE Credential System

What WISE Is

WISE — the International Secondary Examination — is the operational expression of the WEQSC mandate. It comprises four components:

A curriculum framework aligned to the UNESCO ISCED taxonomy;
A standardised examination system;
A credential issuance and verification infrastructure;
A set of student support programmes attached to student achievement under the system.

A student enrolled in a WISE programme at an accredited school is a WISE candidate. Upon successful completion of the required assessments, the candidate receives a WISE Credential, being a certificate, marksheet, and digital record evidencing the outcome.

The Credential Architecture

Every WISE Credential comprises four elements:

A printed certificate;
A detailed marksheet;
A digital record held in the WISE credential register;
A verification reference enabling third-party confirmation of authenticity.

The certificate bears the candidate's name, the examination year, the qualification level attained, the overall grade, the issuing school's name and accreditation reference, the WEQSC seal, and a QR code linking to the verification service.

The marksheet records the candidate's result in each subject, distinguishing Internal Assessment from WISE Examination marks, stating the final subject grade, and stating the grade point average across subjects.

The digital record is the authoritative version of the credential. It is held in the WISE register, encrypted, and retained indefinitely. In the event of any discrepancy between the printed certificate and the digital record, the digital record prevails.

Security

WISE credentials are secured with immutable cryptographic NTAG verification. This ensures that:

The credential cannot be altered after issuance;
The credential can be verified instantly and permanently by any third party;
The credential remains valid notwithstanding the subsequent status of the issuing school.

Public Verification

The public verification service is operated at

/examinations/verify

. It is accessible without registration, without charge, and without any requirement that the enquirer identify themselves.

A verification enquiry may be made by scanning the QR code on the certificate, or by manual entry of the credential reference. The service returns one of four statuses:

Genuine — The credential was issued by WEQSC and has not been cancelled;
Cancelled — The credential has been withdrawn following a proven examination irregularity;
Under Review — An enquiry into the credential is ongoing; the credential should not be relied upon until the status is resolved;
Not Found — No credential matching the reference exists in the register.

Lifelong Validity

A WISE Credential, once issued and not cancelled for proven fraud, remains valid for the lifetime of the holder.

The validity of a WISE Credential is not affected by the subsequent status of the issuing school. Where a school is suspended, terminated, closed, or dissolved, credentials previously issued by it remain valid and verifiable.

WES Equivalency

Learners may apply to World Education Services (WES) for an equivalency assessment of their WISE credential. To do so, learners must:

Create an account with WES;
Select 'WISE Geneva' as the issuing institution;
Generate a reference number for their school;
Request their school to transmit the digital dossier to WES.

Conclusion

The WISE credential system is designed to ensure that the achievement of a student survives the fate of the institution that facilitated it. Every feature of the architecture — the digital record, the central register, the permanent verification service, and the cryptographic security — exists to serve that principle.