The Qualification

Pre-requisites

To be able to apply for the Chartered Director qualification you must meet the following requirements:

• be a full Member or Fellow of the Institute of Directors
• have obtained a pass or above in the Certificate in Company Direction
• have obtained a pass or above in the Diploma in Company Direction

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for Chartered Director all candidates are required to meet the following criteria:

• can demonstrate substantial experience in one or more director or equivalent roles for a period of either:
  • 5 full years
    or
  • 3 full years if you hold a recognised degree or a chartered professional qualification (e.g. CEng, MCIPD, CIM, ACMA, ACA etc.)
• can demonstrate, for each directorship, that the board is an autonomous and formally constituted and comprises at least three directors (executive and non-executive)
• participate in regular board meetings – at least four per year, with two or more other directors
• work for an organisation that has a minimum of five employees and generates a minimum turnover of £250,000 per year.

Roles or experience that dates back more than ten years prior to the date of application will not be considered.

The role(s) that you put forward should include at least one that has been held in the last five years. It is required for you to have served a minimum of one year in post for each role that you list within the application.

If you meet both the Pre-requisite requirements and the Eligibility criteria then please download the Application form and guidance for the Chartered Director qualification.

For any queries regarding eligibility and pre-requisite requirements please contact the Assessment team: Chartered.Director@iod.com.

Download an application form

Download guidance documentation

1. Application

You will be required to download and complete the Application form for the Chartered Director qualification. Upon completing the application form please return your form, with payment, to the address detailed within the application form.

Further guidance is also available to support the completion of your application form.

Download an application form

Download guidance documentation

Please note that you will be expected to provide the following alongside their application:

• A set of company accounts listing all directors

• An organisational chart highlighting the board and listing all directors

The IoD will review your completed application and supporting documents.

Providing the requirements are met, you will then be issued with a blank portfolio of experience for completion.

The fee for undertaking the Chartered Director qualification is £675 + VAT.

2. Portfolio of experience

The portfolio forms part of the assessment of the Chartered Director qualification. It informs interviewers and provides the basis for the discussion on the day of the interview.

You will be required to draw upon your experiences as a director across the five key areas;

• Vision, Purpose, Values and Ethics
• Strategic Thinking and Stakeholder Management
• Delegation to Management
• Discharging your Duties as Director and as a Competent Member of a Collective and Responsible Body
• Exercising Effective and Accountable Leadership

In the portfolio, you are required to provide examples of your own personal contribution to,

and participation in, the Board’s work and come prepared to discuss these examples at interview.

An interview date can be reserved before submission of the portfolio but will not be confirmed until the portfolio has been received by the Chartered Director team.

The portfolio must be submitted well in advance of the scheduled interview date or you will risk cancellation of the interview.

The cost for cancelling an interview within 60 days of the scheduled date is 50% of the Chartered Director fee.

3. Formal Interview

The interview is a structured and confidential process based on the candidate’s portfolio of experience.

The interview is conducted by two Chartered Director interviewers who will explore your portfolio and the scope of your role(s) as a director.

You will be expected to expand upon your portfolio during the interview process by providing examples of your personal involvement in particular activities or how you have led the board in a particular context.

The interview duration ranges between 75 and 90 minutes. All interviews are audio recorded as part of our quality assurance process.