Investigative Journalism Certification

The Investigative Journalism Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests investigative journalism — developing story ideas and hypotheses, research plans, documents and public records, freedom of information requests, company and court records, interviewing techniques including confrontational interviews, source protection and confidentiality, open-source intelligence (OSINT) such as geolocation and verification, data analysis, follow-the-money methods, cross-border collaboration, fact-checking and the right of reply, defamation and legal review, digital security for journalists and sources, ethics under the SPJ Code, and publishing with transparency — written to GIJN, ICIJ, Bellingcat and SPJ guidance for 2026 and 2027. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Investigative Journalism certificate (SOA-IJ). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Global Investigative Journalism Network resources (GIJN), SPJ Code of Ethics (Society of Professional Journalists), International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: methods and projects (ICIJ) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Investigative Journalism Certification, written for 2026 and 2027. It tests planning and research, sources and verification, law, ethics and publishing and storytelling and impact with 20 original scenario questions in all, each naming its published source; you get an instant score and a verifiable certificate with a credential ID you can add to LinkedIn.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Investigative Journalism certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Global Investigative Journalism Network resources (GIJN); SPJ Code of Ethics (Society of Professional Journalists); International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: methods and projects (ICIJ); Open-source investigation guides (Bellingcat); Fundamentals of Data Visualization (Claus O. Wilke) (O'Reilly / author site). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Planning and Research (Story ideas and hypotheses, Documents and records and Freedom of information); Sources and Verification (Interviewing and sources, OSINT and verification and Data); Law, Ethics and Publishing (Defamation and legal review, Ethics and security and Publishing and impact); Storytelling and Impact (Structuring investigations, Visuals and data stories and Follow-up and impact). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Investigative or watchdog reporter, Journalism student, Researcher or fact-checker, NGO or human rights investigator and Editor or newsroom manager. It suits students at leading universities, career switchers and experienced professionals who want quick, verifiable proof of Investigative Journalism knowledge in 2026 and 2027.

Film, writing and design students at NYU Tisch, USC, UCLA, Columbia and RCA want craft credentials beyond software tools. Passing earns a founder-signed Science of Apps certificate with a credential ID and QR code that recruiters can verify.

Before publishing allegations, investigative journalists give the people or organisations involved a fair chance to respond, with enough detail and time, and include their response.

Open-source intelligence: gathering and verifying information from publicly available sources such as satellite imagery, social media, corporate registries and flight or ship-tracking data.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.