GACS Academy · Explainer
How the free GACS certifications work
Read everything free. Pass an exam when you’re ready. Get a permanent, public certificate URL anyone can verify in one click — no signup wall, no premium tier.
What this is — and what it isn’t.
The credential is GACS-issued and publicly verifiable. It is evidence you passed the curriculum, not a state-issued license or a SANS/ISACA/ISO accreditation. We say this loudly because the alternative — pretending otherwise — is exactly the behavior our fraud-prevention curriculum teaches people to spot.
The 4 steps
- Step 1
Read the curriculum free
Open the study books, modules, and worked cases. No account, no email gate. Read as much or as little as you need.
- Step 2
Take the exam when ready
Create a free account, open the exam, answer the questions. Pass mark is 80% (85% for the master capstone). Retakes are free.
- Step 3
Get a permanent certificate URL
On pass, a public certificate page is minted at gacs.app/academy/certificate/<slug>. Anyone can open it — no login required.
- Step 4
Share it
Add the URL to LinkedIn as a credential, link it from a CV, or paste it into an application. Recruiters can verify with one click.
Proof & verification
Public certificate URL
Every pass mints a page at gacs.app/academy/certificate/<slug> showing holder, exam, proficiencies, issuer, and issue date.
Public verifier
Anyone can confirm a certificate is genuine at /verify-certificate — no GACS account required.
Tamper-evident
Certificate pages are server-rendered from the issued-credential record, not user-editable HTML. The verifier resolves the slug against the same record.
No paywall, no upsell
Issuance, verification, and retakes are free. Donations and optional team seats fund the platform.
What you get
- Full, free curriculum and study books
- Free exam attempts (retakes included)
- Permanent public certificate URL on gacs.app
- Public verifier anyone can use
- LinkedIn-ready credential link
- Issued by a working fraud-intelligence platform
What it isn’t
- —Not a government-issued license
- —Not a SANS, ISACA, (ISC)², or ISO accreditation
- —Not a substitute for a regulator-recognized AML certification (e.g. CAMS) where one is legally required
- —Not a guarantee of employment
The free certifications
Free OSINT Certification
SOCMINT, GEOINT, source vetting, dark-web intel, capstone.
Free AML Course
KYC, transaction monitoring, sanctions, crypto-AML, SAR writing.
Free Cyber Fraud Certification
Phishing, BEC, romance scams, crypto drainers, victim recovery.
Intelligence Analyst Training
Structured analytic techniques, source grading, capstone report.
Frequently asked
+Are the GACS certifications really free?
Yes. Every lesson, every study book, every practice exam, and the final exam are free. There is no paywall, no premium tier, no upsell. GACS Academy is donation-funded.
+Do I need to sign up to read the material?
No. All curriculum and study books are readable without an account. You only create an account when you want to take the exam and receive a public certificate URL.
+How is the certificate verified?
Each pass produces a permanent public certificate URL on gacs.app — e.g. /academy/certificate/<slug>. Anyone (employer, recruiter, journalist) can open it without an account. There is also a public /verify-certificate lookup page.
+Is this a government, SANS, or ISO accreditation?
No. The credential is GACS-issued and publicly verifiable. It is evidence of demonstrated competence on the curriculum, not a state-issued license or a SANS/ISACA/ISO certification.
+What's the pass mark and how is the exam scored?
Most exams require 80% to pass (the master capstone requires 85%). Questions are scored automatically; the result is recorded on your account and the public certificate URL is minted on pass.
+Can I retake the exam?
Yes, retakes are free. We recommend re-reading the relevant chapters before retaking so the credential reflects real understanding.
+Can I show this on LinkedIn or a CV?
Yes — link the public certificate URL directly. LinkedIn supports adding it as a credential with the URL as the verification link.
+Why is it free? What's the catch?
There is none. GACS exists to reduce fraud losses; gating fraud-prevention education behind a paywall works against that mission. The platform is funded by donations and by paid professional add-ons (e.g. team seats) that are entirely optional.
Start free, today
Pick a track. Read the book. Take the exam when ready. Share the public certificate URL.