CAP-2026-01 · Capstone Specification · GAISB Standards Council

The Applied Capstone.
Scaled to the credential.

Two credentials on the GAISB public pathway carry an applied capstone: CAIS AI Essentials™ (a light applied submission) and CAIS AI Team Architect™ (an intensive, panel-reviewed capstone with an on-camera walkthrough). CAIS AI Practitioner™ has no capstone — it is exam-only.

§1 · Scope by credential

Which credentials have a capstone.

CredentialCapstone

CAIS AI Essentials™Light applied capstone — a simple, applied artifact or workflow reviewed against a light rubric. No four-reviewer panel. No on-camera walkthrough.

CAIS AI Practitioner™No capstone. Exam-only (75 questions · 3 hours · pass 65%+). No portfolio, no panel review, no video defense.

CAIS AI Team Architect™Intensive capstone — asynchronous four-reviewer panel + mandatory on-camera walkthrough, scored against the six-dimension rubric with the 75/60 rule.

CAIS-Sec / CAIS-GovSpecialty domains available by request. Email info@gaisb.org for more information.

§2 · CAIS AI Essentials — light applied capstone

A short, applied submission.
Reviewed against a light rubric.

The Essentials capstone confirms that a candidate can put the foundational competencies into applied use. It is intentionally lightweight: a single applied artifact or workflow, plus a brief written note describing intent, constraints, and reflection. It is reviewed by a single credentialed reviewer against a light rubric; there is no four-reviewer panel and no on-camera walkthrough.

DeliverableOne applied artifact (workflow, prompt system, or short applied output) demonstrating responsible use and practical AI confidence.

Written note≤ 500 words: intent, context, constraints, one thing you would do differently.

ReviewSingle credentialed reviewer, light rubric, pass / revise / not-yet.

Assessment pairingFinal Assessment: 25 multiple-choice + 5 scenario questions · pass 75%+.

§3 · CAIS AI Team Architect — intensive capstone

Four reviewers. One decision.
A walkthrough the candidate cannot fake.

The Architect capstone is the rigorous end of the scale. The candidate submits a complete dossier plus a mandatory on-camera walkthrough. Four reviewers score independently against a published six-dimension rubric; the Chair writes the decision record. The 75/60 rule governs pass/fail.

Deliverable set

Core ArtifactA production-quality AI system, plan, or team-architecture blueprint responsive to the published prompt.

Strategic MemoWritten rationale: problem framing, constraints, tradeoffs, failure modes, roll-back posture, and one sentence answering "where is this weakest — and why did you ship it anyway?"

On-Camera Walkthrough10–15 minute recorded narration by the candidate. Mandatory. Not substitutable by a slide deck.

Authorship TestEvery artifact declares AI-assistance surface and models used. Non-declaration is a Code of Conduct violation.

AttributionThird-party code, data, or content must be attributed in the Strategic Memo.

Panel composition

Every panel is composed of four standing roles, drawn from the Faculty roster and the Ethics Review Board, with conflict-of-interest declarations filed per panelist per candidate. Panelist names are disclosed to the candidate when the review window opens.

Six-dimension rubric & the 75/60 rule

Each reviewer scores six dimensions independently on a 0–100 scale. The candidate passes only if the mean of all four reviewers is ≥ 75 and no single dimension mean falls below 60. A dimension mean below 60 triggers automatic revise-and-resubmit regardless of overall mean.

§4 · Outcome recording & Public Verification Registry

Every outcome is a registry record.
Every pass is a citable credential.

On pass, the credential is issued by the GAISB Standards Council and recorded in the GAISB Public Verification Registry at registry.gaisb.org. The holder receives a LinkedIn-ready verification badge; any employer, recruiter, or partner can confirm the credential in one click. Credentials are issued to the individual holder and are non-transferable.

On fail or withdraw, a neutral administrative record is recorded — cycle date, outcome status, and a redacted outcome code. Dimension-level scores and panelist identities are not published.

Revocations for established Code of Conduct violations are signed by the Standards Council and recorded in the Registry as a subsequent record referencing the original issuance.

The capstone is scaled to the credential

Essentials is applied. Practitioner is examined. Architect is defended.

One published rubric per credential. One decision record per candidate. One Public Verification Registry.

See the Certification Pathway →

The Applied Capstone.Scaled to the credential.