Scammers sometimes bring people with fake VCA certificates to the VCA Academy. Companies occasionally verify their employees’ VCA certificates through our office, and often, the certificates turn out to be fake. This usually happens at the beginning of the construction season. This happens when you try to pass the Basic VCA exam at the last minute or are afraid to take it. That’s when you become a victim of the counterfeit certificate trade. Scammers lure potential customers on Facebook with the promise of a “VCA without an exam.” Their goal is not to help you obtain a VCA certificate, but rather to extort money at the expense of your safety. Additionally, using a forged certificate in the Netherlands can result in legal consequences for document forgery.
Before we explain how to identify a reliable center, we would like to reassure you. The Basic VCA exam is not difficult. The training takes one day. Our academy has already produced over 3,000 graduates with VCA certificates. Our Academy’s realistic pass rate on the first attempt is 92%, placing us among the top VCA schools. For comparison, the pass rate in the Netherlands as a whole is 77%. You can be a complete beginner, and we will teach you the principles of safe work from the ground up. If you fail the first time, we’ll give you a second course for free!
There are a few basic factors by which you can quickly distinguish a scammer from a reliable training center.
- According to VCA rules, the exam must be taken in the presence of an examiner. It cannot be taken online or on paper, by correspondence, or by any other “magical” means. It must be taken on a computer at one of the many authorized training centers. You can find a list of testing centers here. If you hear that you can get an original VCA certificate by simply paying, know that it’s fake.
- Each graduate receives a diploma certifying their VCA eligibility in electronic or paper form — a closed PDF document that cannot be edited. Since 2020, the VCA diploma must comply with the model posted on our website. In 2020, a QR code was introduced to cards and diplomas to make the verification process more convenient. When scanned, it leads to the VCA Central Diploma Register. If the QR code leads somewhere other than the CDR, then it is fake.
- Each graduate receives a plastic card to show at their workplace. These cards may vary in design, but they must show the diploma number, name, date of birth, exam passing date, expiration date, and the same QR code found on the diploma. They must also show the name and credential number of the exam center. If a card says “VCA BASIC/VCA VOL/SCC-017/SCC-018/MASE,” it is fake. Only one authorization can be on one card. The card must be written in Dutch or English.
- All documents received after completing the course comply with current Data Protection regulations (GPRD/RODO). The data contained within must not allow you to be identified by anything other than your ID card or passport. Ask which data are included on the diploma and card.
If you have any questions, please call us! See you at the courses!
