ABOUT CREST
CREST International, a globally recognised not-for-profit organisation, has been a cornerstone of the cybersecurity industry since 2006. Known for accrediting over 400 member companies and certifying individuals through rigorous technical examinations, CREST works to elevate standards in cybersecurity services. Its flagship certifications, combining theory and hands-on practical assessments, are trusted by governments, regulators, and industry bodies worldwide.
CREST’s mission is to ensure the highest levels of professional competence and to promote confidence in cybersecurity services. Through the recent transformation of its exam and results platform, delivered in partnership with CirrusHQ, CREST has achieved an 80% reduction in the time and effort required for exam provisioning and realised a 33% cost saving compared to its previous infrastructure, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and efficiency.
THE CHALLENGE
Managing candidate registrations, exam appointments, and result processing required significant input from CREST’s administrative team due to the manual nature of the legacy system. With limited automation, the team needed to consolidate data from multiple sources, including Pearson VUE test centers and third-party marking platforms, which added complexity to the process.
As CREST expanded its exam delivery to over 70 countries and 1,000 centers, the volume of candidate data grew exponentially. The organisation needed a streamlined, secure and fully pen tested, automated solution to manage candidate data and results efficiently, minimise errors, and ensure timely updates across multiple systems. Like many SMBs undergoing rapid international growth, CREST faced the challenge of scaling operational processes without a proportional increase in administrative overhead.
THE SOLUTION
CirrusHQ and CREST collaborated to develop an AWS-powered Results Platform, which seamlessly integrated with Dynamics 365 and Pearson VUE to automate the entire candidate management process. The platform automated data integration, synchronising candidate registration data between Dynamics 365, Pearson VUE, and third-party identity providers. This eliminated the need for manual handling, reducing errors and streamlining operations.
Real-time exam status updates were facilitated through an automated ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process, ensuring that exam statuses in Dynamics 365 were updated promptly and accurately.
To streamline results processing, candidate answers were transformed and securely submitted to third-party marking platforms, significantly reducing delays and improving reliability.
Additionally, a frontend application was developed, allowing candidates to securely upload files required for their exams. These files were stored in a centralized S3 bucket, indexed via DynamoDB, and made readily accessible during exam sessions, ensuring a smooth and secure experience.
THE BENEFITS
The Results Platform revolutionised how CREST managed candidate data, resulting in significant operational efficiencies. By automating key processes, the platform eliminated manual errors and ensured accurate synchronisation across systems, greatly reducing administrative workload. Automation also reduced exam creation and deployment times by 80%.
The automation of result processing reduced delays, improving the overall candidate experience. Candidates also benefited from a secure and streamlined file submission portal, which enhanced the ease of accessing required resources during exams.
With this platform, CREST not only improved its internal operations but also ensured scalability to support its global exam delivery footprint with the ability to deliver exams across 70+ countries and 1,000 centres, dramatically increasing accessibility for candidates worldwide.
Operational costs were also dramatically reduced by transitioning from a fixed-cost legacy private cloud model to a pay-as-you-go hyperscale infrastructure hosted in AWS. By paying only for the resources used during exam sessions, CREST achieved a 33% reduction in costs while simultaneously decommissioning expensive legacy data centres.
