The initial accreditation process is illustrated below:

The accreditation period is typically four years. During that period, there is ongoing surveillance, which includes an annual office assessment and an annual witnessed audit. A complete reassessment is required every four years. Increased surveillance may required if the CB wishes to extend the scope of accreditation (as applicable) to cover additional industry sectors or to participate in certain specialty fields. If a CB becomes accredited for additional standards, the reaccreditation cycle may be aligned for all standards and the accreditation period for the added standards may be less than four years.