What happens if I fail the exam?

You can retake it after a 24-hour cooldown, as many times as you need. Retakes are free, and each attempt draws a fresh random set of questions.

How long is a certificate valid?

The Safeguard Certified Practitioner credential is valid for 24 months from issue. The expiry date is printed on the certificate and shown live on its public verification page. Renewing means passing the current exam again.

Courses

Automation for Executives: Continuous Assurance Without Manual Work

BeginnerFree5 modules · 15 lessons · ~2 min

About this course

A leadership introduction to what Safeguard automates away and what still needs a human. You will learn the metrics that belong on a board report, how to read an automated report instead of an ad-hoc deck, and the questions a CISO or CTO should ask to prove the automation is real.

What you'll learn

From Periodic Audits to Continuous Assurance

The Old Model: Spreadsheets, Quarterly Reviews and Point-in-Time Audits
What "Continuous" Actually Means: Schedules, Triggers and Standing Evidence
The Executive's Mental Model: Assurance as a Standing State, Not a Project

What Gets Automated Away

Manual Evidence Collection and the Audit Fire Drill
Spreadsheet Vulnerability Tracking and Why It Fails at Scale
Quarterly Vendor Chases: Automating Third-Party Risk

The Metrics That Matter

Risk Score Trend: Reading Direction, Not Just a Number
MTTR and Coverage: Are We Fixing Fast Enough, and Is Anything Hiding
SLA Breaches and Exposure to Actively Exploited CVEs (KEV and EPSS)

Reading the Automated Report

Anatomy of an Automated Board Report (What Replaces the Ad-Hoc Deck)
Where Human Judgement Still Belongs
Exceptions, Escalations and Risk Acceptance: Who Signs Off

Governing the Automation

Budgeting and Headcount: What Shrinks, What Shifts, What's New
Ten Questions a CISO or CTO Should Ask to Prove the Automation Is Real
A 90-Day Plan for a Leadership Team Adopting Continuous Assurance

01From Periodic Audits to Continuous Assurance3 lessons

The Old Model: Spreadsheets, Quarterly Reviews and Point-in-Time Audits
What "Continuous" Actually Means: Schedules, Triggers and Standing Evidence
The Executive's Mental Model: Assurance as a Standing State, Not a Project

02What Gets Automated Away3 lessons

Common questions

How much does Safeguard Academy cost?

Nothing. Every course, exam, and certificate on the catalog is free — including retakes. All you need is a free Safeguard account.

What are the prerequisites?

None. The flagship course, Safeguard Certified Practitioner, is a beginner-level course — basic familiarity with how software is built helps, but every exam question is answerable from the lessons themselves.