Individual membership grades

What do the CIEP’s membership grades mean?

Our membership grades reflect the high standards of professional competence and conduct that this Institute upholds. The Professional and Advanced Professional grades affirm our confidence in our members, letting them show the world that they’re trained and experienced. They’re eligible for an entry in the CIEP’s Directory of Editorial Services, which indicates that the CIEP vouches for their skills and competence in proofreading and/or copyediting.

Each new member joins us at the Entry-Level grade. We then expect them to upgrade to the Professional and, for some, Advanced Professional grades; the Intermediate grade is a valuable stepping-stone.

Here’s a summary of what each of the grades shows about our members.

An Intermediate Member

• has laid the groundwork for providing services as a proofreader or copyeditor by undertaking high-quality training
• through work experience, has put that training into practice to embed their skills.

A Professional Member

• has had high-quality training in proofreading and/or copyediting beyond the introductory level
• has had editorial work experience that’s substantial in quality and over time
• has evidenced their competence with a satisfactory reference from a client or employer.

An Advanced Professional Member

• has demonstrated a high level of skill and expertise, backed by long and broad editorial work experience and often enhanced with editorial specialisms
• has supplemented substantial high-quality training with ongoing and recent professional development
• has evidenced their competence with satisfactory references from clients or employers.

How do I upgrade my membership?

Once you’ve joined us at the Entry-Level grade you can prepare to upgrade by reviewing our upgrading guide, available in the members’ area, and you can, if you wish, begin putting together your upgrade application as soon as you’ve joined. Some members skip a level: for example, upgrading directly from Entry-Level to Professional membership if they meet the requirements.

If you need more time to build up training and work experience before you apply, that’s fine – you’ve got seven years in which to move to a Professional grade.

To upgrade, you’ll submit an application that’s assessed by the CIEP’s Admissions Panel. Your application will include details of your training and work experience in proofreading and/or copyediting. Our upgrading guide, available only to members, tells you everything you need to know about how to apply.