Policies
How the Institute handles candidate information, how the website and public verification service may be used, and the Institute's commitment to accessibility. Governing law: England & Wales.
Last reviewed July 2026. These documents are maintained as standard institutional policy templates and are kept under periodic review. Organisations adopting or adapting them should have qualified legal counsel review the final text before public launch. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice.
Privacy Policy
The Meridian Institute of Finance Standards ("the Institute", "MIFS") collects and processes personal data to register candidates, administer proctored examinations, confer and maintain credentials, and operate the public verification service. This policy explains what the Institute collects, the lawful basis for processing, how long data is retained, and the rights available to individuals. It is aligned with the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR.
Information the Institute collects
- Registration data. Name, contact details, country of residence, employer or organisation where provided, account credentials, and records of payments for enrolment and examination fees.
- Examination data. Exam registrations and windows, responses, results, integrity outcomes, and any appeals or accommodation requests.
- Proctoring and biometric data. Examinations are delivered under the Meridian Sentinel proctoring system. This involves identity verification documents, a facial image used to match the candidate to the verified identity, session video and audio, screen and environment capture, and an integrity score. This is sensitive data, collected solely to confirm identity and preserve the integrity of the examination.
- Website data. Limited technical and analytics information, and strictly necessary cookies required to operate the site. Non-essential cookies are used only with consent.
Why the Institute processes this data
Processing rests on the following lawful bases: performance of a contract, to deliver examinations and confer and maintain credentials; the Institute's legitimate interests, to protect examination integrity and prevent fraud and impersonation; consent, obtained separately for proctoring and biometric processing before an examination begins; and legal obligation, for financial and regulatory record-keeping. Where processing relies on consent, that consent may be withdrawn, though a candidate cannot sit a proctored examination without the identity and integrity checks the Sentinel system requires.
Retention
Registration and credential records are retained for the life of the credential and for a defined period thereafter, so that a holder's status can be confirmed and their history reconstructed if a matter arises. Proctoring recordings are retained only for the period necessary to complete integrity review and to resolve any appeal, after which they are securely deleted. Financial records are retained for the periods required by law.
Candidate rights
Subject to legal and records-retention limits, individuals have the right to access their data, to seek rectification of inaccurate data, to request erasure, to restrict or object to certain processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent. Individuals also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority; in the United Kingdom this is the Information Commissioner's Office. Requests may be sent to general@mifstandards.org.
Verification records are public by design
A credential has value only if a third party can confirm it independently. For this reason, a limited set of verification fields — the credential identifier, the designation held, the holder's name, and the current status of the credential — is published on the Institute's public verification service and can be checked without a login. By earning a MIFS credential, holders acknowledge and accept that these fields are made public for the purpose of verification. Examination content, proctoring recordings, contact details, and financial information are never published.
Terms of Use
By accessing this website or using the public verification service, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not accept them, please do not use the site or the service.
Acceptable use
The website and verification service are provided for lawful, informational use. You agree not to disrupt or attempt to disrupt the service, to bulk-harvest or scrape it at scale, to probe or reverse-engineer it, or to gain or attempt to gain unauthorised access to any system or account. The verification service is offered to confirm, in good faith, the status of an individual credential.
Misuse of the verification service is prohibited
Automated bulk collection of verification records, misrepresenting a verification result, and using the service to imply endorsement or affiliation with the Institute are prohibited. Attempting to forge, alter, or falsely claim a MIFS credential is treated as a serious matter and may be referred under the Institute's Professional Conduct Programme. Suspected forgery or misrepresentation of a credential should be reported to integrity@mifstandards.org.
Intellectual property
The Meridian Institute of Finance Standards name and logo, and the CMFA®, CFMA®, CFRS®, and CFES™ designations and associated marks, are the property of the Institute. Credential holders may use the designation they have earned only in accordance with the Institute's usage guidelines, and only while that credential remains in good standing. All other content on this website is owned by the Institute or its licensors and may not be reproduced without permission.
No warranty and third-party sites
The website and verification service are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind to the fullest extent permitted by law. Links to third-party websites are offered for convenience only; the Institute does not control and is not responsible for their content, accuracy, or availability.
Governing law
These Terms of Use, and any dispute arising from them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Accessibility Statement
The Institute is committed to making its website and verification service usable by the widest possible audience, including people who rely on assistive technologies. The Institute aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA.
In pursuit of that standard, the Institute works to provide clear and consistent structure, keyboard navigation, sufficient colour contrast, text alternatives for meaningful images, and content that is readable and predictable. Accessibility is treated as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time exercise, and the site is reviewed as it evolves.
Reporting a barrier
If you encounter a barrier or have difficulty accessing any part of the website or the verification service, please contact general@mifstandards.org, describing the page and the problem you experienced. The Institute aims to respond within a reasonable period and, where needed, to provide the requested information in an accessible alternative format.
Examination accommodations
Candidates who require reasonable adjustments to sit a proctored examination should contact candidates@mifstandards.org well in advance of their chosen window, so that appropriate arrangements can be made without compromising the integrity of the examination.
This statement is maintained under the laws of England and Wales and is reviewed periodically as the Institute's services change.
Questions about these policies?
The Institute's team can help with data requests, verification queries, and accessibility support.