Certification Policy
What your certification covers
Every AgentCarousel behavioral certification is scoped to a specific system prompt, model version, and workflow — as tested on the certification date. This page explains what that means for you and what changes require re-attestation.
Certification scope
What it covers
- The agent system prompt as submitted at the time of certification
- The model version specified in the certification record
- The workflow described in the engagement scope document
- The test case suite designed and executed for that engagement
What it does not cover
- Subsequent model versions or provider-issued model updates
- Revisions to the system prompt or workflow after the certification date
- Production deployments that differ materially from the tested configuration
- Future agent behavior in scenarios not represented in the test case suite
- A guarantee of agent safety or correct behavior in all production scenarios
- Legal advice or a regulatory determination
Why this matters: AI model behavior is not static. When a provider updates the underlying model — even under the same version label — behavioral characteristics can shift. Scope-bounded certification gives you a defensible, dated record of what was tested and what passed, rather than an open-ended claim of production safety.
Domain expert attestation
Every AgentCarousel evidence bundle includes a domain expert attestation — a signed professional opinion on the test suite and results. The attestation states that:
- The test cases are appropriate and material for the stated use case and domain
- The test results accurately reflect what was evaluated against the submitted system prompt and model version
- The methodology is sound for the scenarios tested
The attestation is explicitly time- and prompt-limited. It covers the configuration tested on the certification date. It is not a regulatory determination, legal opinion, or guarantee of production safety.
What requires re-attestation
| Change | Required | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LLM provider deprecates or replaces the tested model version | Yes | Within 90 days of provider announcement |
| Customer updates the agent's system prompt | Yes | Prior to making compliance claims against updated agent |
| Customer changes the underlying LLM provider or model family | Yes | New certification or cross-model carousel comparison |
| Workflow scope changes materially (new tasks, data types, or user populations) | Yes | Scope review required first |
| Minor prompt tuning that does not change intended behavior or compliance scope | Recommended | Recommended, not required — customer's judgment |
90-day grace period
When an LLM provider announces a model version change, deprecation, or replacement:
A 90-day grace period applies from the date of the provider's public announcement.
During the grace period, the existing certification remains valid for compliance documentation purposes.
After 90 days, the certification record reflects the previously tested version only — not the current deployed version.
Customers should initiate re-attestation before the grace period expires to maintain continuity.
Re-attestation pricing
Because the fixture suite and compliance mapping already exist from your initial certification, re-attestation is available at reduced cost. Turnaround is the same 3–5 business days as the initial engagement.
| Scenario | What's included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Same model family, version bump | Re-run, re-sign, updated attestation | $1,500 |
| Cross-model migration | Carousel comparison across models + updated attestation | $2,500 |
| System prompt revision, same model | Re-run, re-sign, updated attestation | $1,500 |
| System prompt revision + model change | Re-run across new model + updated attestation | $2,500 |
| Scope expansion (new test cases required) | Scoping review required | $1,000 credited toward re-cert |
Questions
For questions about certification scope, re-attestation timing, or whether a specific change triggers re-certification, contact us at info@agentcarousel.com. We review scope questions as part of every scoping call.