What actually happens when you certify

What certification is standing in for

Most tutoring platforms ask you to prove you can teach by uploading a diploma, a video introduction, or letters from past students. ImChatty skips that and asks a more direct question: can you actually hold a fluent, accurate, natural conversation at a level a learner would pay to learn from? Certification answers that question with your own conversation, not a document about your past.

The two-gate structure

Certification isn't a single pass/fail moment — it's two separate gates, and both have to clear. First, the CEFR placement test inside Language Practice: take it in your target language and score C2. Second, one AI-scored certification scenario — a live conversation, not a written test — also scored at C2. You can retake the placement test (there's a 30-day cooldown between attempts) and retry the certification scenario as often as you need; there's no penalty for an attempt that doesn't land at C2.

What the certification scenario actually scores

The certification scenario is scored on three dimensions: vocabulary range (are you reaching for varied, precise words or repeating the same simple ones), grammatical accuracy (are your sentences structurally sound under pressure, not just in prepared answers), and natural flow (does the conversation move the way a native speaker's would, with the small connectors, hedges, and rhythm that a phrasebook doesn't teach). All three have to hold up — a session with perfect grammar but stilted, mechanical phrasing won't score C2. The placement test is scored separately, on general proficiency across the CEFR scale.

What happens once you clear both gates

The moment both gates are met, your application status escalates automatically — you don't have to submit anything or wait for someone to notice. From there, the ImChatty team does a quick final review before your certified badge goes live on your public profile. It's fast, but it isn't fully automatic: a person checks every profile before the badge is switched on.

What certification does not require

No teaching degree, no previous tutoring experience, no minimum age beyond the platform's account requirements, and no scheduled interview. Plenty of certified partners are native or highly fluent speakers who have never taught formally — the two gates are the proof, not a résumé line.

If you don't score C2 on your first try

That's normal and doesn't cost you anything. Retake the certification scenario as many times as you want — there's no limit and no penalty for attempts that don't land at C2. The placement test has a 30-day cooldown between retakes, so it's worth treating that one with a bit more intention.