International Standard Digital Certification for Children's Qualification Exams: 'Open Badge Factory' Adopted for Programming Ability Test Pilot Program

Infossign Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo), the exclusive Japanese distributor of the digital badge issuance and management platform 'Open Badge Factory,' announced that it will conduct a pilot program for Open Badges for those who pass the 'Programming Ability Test' (Pro-Ken) operated by the Programming Research Institute, in collaboration with the Digital Authentication Service Organization. The badges will be issued free of charge to the first 5,000 successful candidates of the Level 1 exam in June 2026.

■ The Challenge of 'Skill Verification' in the AI Era and the Role of Open Badges

With the spread of Generative AI, the importance of valuing knowledge and skills, and the mechanisms to objectively verify them, is being reconsidered. How to record learning histories and abilities and utilize them for higher education, job hunting, and career development is a common challenge for all learners, from children to adults.

Open Badges are digital certifications compliant with international technical standards established by the 1EdTech Consortium. They can be held and presented by learners throughout their lives, and metadata such as the issuer, recipient, date, and skill content are recorded in an tamper-proof format. Unlike paper certificates, they carry no risk of loss and can be easily presented on SNS, resumes, or email signatures.

■ Significance of Introduction in Qualification Exams for Children

The Programming Ability Test (Pro-Ken) is one of the largest-scale programming tests in Japan, held at over 2,600 venues nationwide and taken in 14 countries. This pilot program represents a pioneering effort to fully implement Open Badges in the domain of qualification exams for children.

Having learning outcomes accumulated from childhood recorded as verified digital assets throughout life is a new mechanism that allows individuals' efforts to be appropriately evaluated in future choices such as higher education and employment. Pro-Ken is already adopted for extra credit in university entrance screenings, and Open Badge verification is considered highly compatible with such scenarios.

■ About the Three-Party Collaboration

This initiative is realized through the division of roles among the following three parties:

Programming Research Institute: Responsible for test design, implementation, and certification of passers as the operator of the Programming Ability Test.

Digital Authentication Service Organization: Supports operational governance and issuance processes as a professional agency for digital authentication.

Infossign: Responsible for providing the authentication infrastructure and technical support as the exclusive Japanese distributor of Open Badge Factory.

■ About Open Badge Factory

Open Badge Factory is a digital badge issuance and management platform developed by Open Badge Factory Ltd. in Finland, compliant with international standards. It strictly adheres to the Open Badge standards set by the 1EdTech Consortium, allowing centralized management of badge design, review, issuance, management, and verification in the cloud. It is used by over 3,900 organizations worldwide, and in Japan, Infossign provides introduction and operational support as the exclusive distributor.

■ Overview of the Pilot Program

Target: Those who pass Level 1 in the June 2026 exam (Target languages: Visual language / JavaScript / Python / Java)

Capacity: First 5,000 successful candidates

Application Period: June 2, 2026 - August 31, 2026 (Ends when capacity is reached)

Application Method: Please apply through the classroom where the examinee is enrolled.