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E-Discovery Certification · Beta Enrollment

International CEDS

When a regulatory matter, a data investigation, or a data subject request comes in, who on your team knows exactly what to do?

The International Certified E-Discovery Specialist credential is built for professionals who handle litigation, e-disclosure, regulatory investigations, data subject requests, internal investigations, and electronic disclosure across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

Be among the first to earn it.

Handle Investigations With Confidence
Prove Your Data Investigation Expertise
Enhance Your Legal Data Intelligence Career
Speak a Shared Standard Across Your Team
Why this credential · Why now

A Credential for the Many Ways We Do Data Investigations.

Investigations. Data requests. Disclosure.

Across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, legal and compliance teams are under more pressure than ever to find, preserve, and produce electronic evidence for regulators, data subject requests, internal investigations, or the courts.

The International CEDS covers the full spectrum of that work in a single credential, so your team shares a common framework and certified expertise to handle it defensibly.

International CEDS
CEDS Exam Topics

Select any competency to see its definition and why it matters.

Interactive eDiscovery competency wheel. Eleven competencies grouped into four themes: Foundations and readiness, Preservation and collection, Processing and production, and Management and oversight. Select any competency to read its definition and why it matters in the panel beside the wheel.

eDiscovery competency wheel eDiscovery Practitioner LegalFramework forDiscovery UnderstandingTechnology &Sources of ESI InformationGovernance &LitigationReadiness Identification& Preservationof ESI CollectingESI Processingof ESI DocumentReview & TAR Productionof ESI ProjectManagement &Budgeting International &Cross-BorderDiscovery EthicalConsiderations Foundations & Readiness Preservation & Collection Processing & Production Management & Oversight
Foundations & Readiness
Legal Framework for Discovery
Definition

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Why it matters

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Click, or tab and press Enter, to explore each competency.
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AI Is Changing Everything. Process Still Comes First.

Generative tools are transforming document review and ESI identification at breathtaking speed. But AI is only as good as the process it supports. If your team doesn't understand how to preserve, collect, and document ESI, or what proportionality means in a given jurisdiction, no tool will save you when a court or regulator asks hard questions.

The professionals who stand out are those who can explain what the tool did, why it was appropriate, and how the results were validated. That takes certification-level knowledge.

The AI Paradox

The more powerful the AI tool, the more important it becomes to understand the underlying e-discovery process. Certified professionals are positioned to govern, validate, and defend AI-assisted review, not just run it.

Which e-discovery credential is right for me?

One Family of Credentials.
Pick the One That Matches Your Practice.

ACEDS offers three e-discovery certifications. They don't stack or build on each other. Each is complete on its own, and the right one is simply the one that fits the legal system you work in. There's no need to hold more than one.

 
CEDS
CEDS Canada
International CEDSBeta
Where you practice
United States
Canada
EMEA, APAC & LATAM
Legal framework
U.S. legal system and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP)
Canadian law and PIPEDA
International frameworks such as GDPR, LGPD, and e-disclosure
Best for the work of
U.S. litigation and discovery
Canadian litigation and discovery
Investigations, DSARs, regulatory response and disclosure
Exam window
4 hours
4 hours
6 hours for beta participants
Status
Established
Established
Now in Beta, enroll today

A CEDS UK credential for domestic disclosure practice in the UK is also in development. Whichever you choose, you earn one credential.

If your work later involves another legal system, you don't need to pursue a second full credential. You can add one if your practice genuinely spans more than one, or build specific skills instead through the eDEx or International eDEx training programs, or through a focused micro-course.

Beta enrollment

Enroll Now at Half the Standard Price

Be among the first to earn the International CEDS. Beta participants get early access and a significantly reduced exam fee while helping shape the final credential.

*Please note that candidates must sit for the International CEDS Beta Exam no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Standard Package

$749

Normally $1495. Save 50% during the beta

One Attempt at the International CEDS Beta Exam*
International CEDS study guide
Additional study materials
Live instructional class
6-hour exam window for Beta participants
Two-Year CEDS Certification (includes membership)**
Digital Badge
Access to ACEDS Mentorship Program
A voice in shaping the final credential

Beta exams include additional questions and a longer exam window. Results are returned within 60 days after beta exam window closes, once the cohort's data supports psychometric review.

*For those who do not achieve a passing score, they will be given an opportunity to retake International CEDS when its released in late 2026.

**Two-year certification and membership is effective upon passing the exam and submitting the International CEDS application.

Interested in Training for Your Team?

What Our Customers Say

Committee members including myself, colleagues from NZ, UK, Asia, Europe and across the globe have come together to ensure the questions and the study guide would be universally… applicable to eDiscovery professionals everywhere. No more excuses – go out and get certified!

Emma Young
Regional Manager APAC, DLA Piper Australia

Being part of the development of the International CEDS Exam has been a rewarding experience… I'm proud to have contributed to an exam that showcases the value, skill, and professionalism of eDiscovery practitioners worldwide.

Rhyno Heydenrych
Evidence Team Leader, Commerce Commission