A1.1: Which organisation name goes on your Cyber Essentials certificate?
What is your organisation's name?
Source: IASME Cyber Essentials Danzell question set v16.3
A1.1 needs the exact registered name of one legal entity, up to 150 characters, because that name is printed on the certificate. You may add a trading name after it ('trading as'). Other legal entities in the same scope are not added here; answer Yes to A1.6 and list them in A1.6.1.
Is A1.1 an automatic fail?
No. A1.1 records information about your organisation and is not marked against a technical requirement, so no answer to it fails the assessment. Inaccurate or contradictory details may be returned by the assessor for correction.
- Answer type
- Notes a notes question, answered in free text
- IASME guidance
- 1 should be the name of just one legal entity, which will be displayed on your certificate. Please ensure it is accurate and does not exceed 150 characters.
- Requirement enforced
- Section A1 collects the details that appear on the certificate and shape which later questions are shown.
- Outcome if non-compliant
- Not marked against a requirement; inaccurate details may be returned for correction
- Related questions
- A1.2
What does A1.1 ask?
A1.1 asks: “What is your organisation's name?”
A1.1 asks for your organisation's name. IASME's guidance says the answer should be the name of just one legal entity, that it will be displayed on your certificate, and that it must be accurate and no longer than 150 characters. A trading name can be included alongside the legal name.
Use the name exactly as it appears on the official register: Companies House for companies and LLPs, the Charity Commission or OSCR for charities. The registration number in A1.4 must belong to the same entity, and the assessor checks that the two match.
If subsidiaries or sister companies share the same IT infrastructure and sign-off, they go in A1.6.1, not in this field. The certificate is searchable by name, so customers checking your status with the certificate search will look for this exact wording.
What should you write in the notes field for A1.1?
Write two to four specific sentences for A1.1: what you do, who owns it, how often it happens and the record that proves it.
A model answer to adapt. Replace everything in square brackets with your own facts, and delete anything that is not true.
[Registered legal name, exactly as on Companies House or the charity register] trading as [trading name, if you use one]
What mistakes do applicants make with A1.1?
A common mistake with A1.1: entering a brand or trading name only, so the certificate does not match the legal entity a customer or contract names.
- Listing two or three companies in this one field instead of using A1.6 and A1.6.1.
- A name that does not match the registration number in A1.4, which the assessor returns for correction.
- Spelling or punctuation that differs from the register (Ltd versus Limited), which makes the certificate harder to find in search.
How do you get A1.1 right?
Work through these steps before you enter A1.1 in the portal:
- Look the entity up on the Companies House register or the charity register and copy the registered name exactly, including Limited or Ltd as registered.
- Add a trading name after it only if you use one ('trading as').
- Move any other companies out of this field: answer Yes to A1.6 and add each one in A1.6.1.
- Check that the registration number in A1.4 belongs to the same entity before you submit.
How do assessors check A1.1?
What evidence should you keep for A1.1?
The self-assessment does not ask you to upload evidence, but the assessor can ask for clarification, a director signs the attestation, and Cyber Essentials Plus tests the same controls. Keep this on file for A1.1:
- A dated extract of the register entry (Companies House or the charity register) showing the legal name.
Where to go next
- Verify a certificateHow customers search for yours
- ApplicantGlossary
- How to get certifiedThe application, step by step
- What Cyber Essentials costsIASME fee bands and assessor prices
- All A1 questionsYour organisation
- Cyber Essentials checklistThe evidence to gather for every question
- Check your readinessScore your answers, auto-fails first
Other A1 questions
Frequently asked questions
A1.1 in the 2026 Danzell Cyber Essentials question set asks: "What is your organisation's name?" It is a notes question, answered in free text.
A1.1 needs the exact registered name of one legal entity, up to 150 characters, because that name is printed on the certificate. You may add a trading name after it ('trading as'). Other legal entities in the same scope are not added here; answer Yes to A1.6 and list them in A1.6.1.
No. A1.1 records information about your organisation and is not marked against a technical requirement, so no answer to it fails the assessment. Inaccurate or contradictory details may be returned by the assessor for correction.
Yes. IASME's A1.1 guidance says you can include a trading name ('trading as') alongside the name of the one legal entity. The legal name should come first so the certificate matches your registration number.
Yes, if they share the same IT infrastructure and network and the person signing off can represent all of them. Answer Yes to A1.6 and list each additional entity in A1.6.1. Entities not listed there cannot be added after certification.
150 characters, according to IASME's guidance for A1.1. That includes any trading name you add.
Would you pass the 2026 question set?
Answer 24 yes or no questions, built by the assessors who mark Cyber Essentials, and get a readiness score in about five minutes, with any auto-fail questions you miss flagged first in your results.
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