A1.10: What are your two main reasons for certifying?
What are the two main reasons for applying for certification?
Source: IASME Cyber Essentials Danzell question set v16.3
A1.10 asks you to pick a primary and a secondary reason for applying from eight options, including commercial contract, government contract, customer confidence, insurer, regulator, grant and improving security. Some choices open a follow-up question (A1.10.1 to A1.10.5). Your answer is for IASME's research and does not affect the result.
Is A1.10 an automatic fail?
No. A1.10 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
- Multiple choice + notes a multiple choice question
- IASME guidance
- Please let us know the two main reasons why you are applying for certification. If there are multiple reasons, please select the two that are most important to you.
- Logic
- Applicants must select 2 options, “primary reason” and “secondary reason” When the option “required for commercial contract” has been selected, the applicant will need to answer A1.10.1 When the option “required for government contract” has been selected, the applicant will need to answer A1.10.2 When the option “required for a grant” has been selected, the applicant will need to answer A1.10.3 When the option “required by regulator” has been selected, the applicant will need to answer A1.10.4 When the option “other” has been selected, the applicant will need to answer A1.10.5
- 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
What does A1.10 ask?
A1.10 asks: “What are the two main reasons for applying for certification?”
A1.10 asks for the two main reasons for applying for certification. You must select two options, a primary and a secondary reason: required for a commercial contract, required for a government contract, to give confidence to our customers, required by insurer, required by regulator, required for a grant, to generally improve our security, or other.
Four of the choices open a follow-up: commercial contract leads to A1.10.1, government contract to A1.10.2, grant to A1.10.3, regulator to A1.10.4 and other to A1.10.5.
IASME's guidance includes two cautions: do not share bid or project numbers that are protectively marked, and do not name customers who contractually require you to keep the relationship confidential.
Which option should you choose for A1.10?
Choose the option for A1.10 that is enforced today across the whole scope, and complete the notes wherever the option requires them.
Pick the two reasons that genuinely drove the application. If a contract or tender asked for the certificate, that is usually the primary reason. If you choose a government contract, be ready to give the contracting body and contract number in A1.10.2, unless the details are protectively marked.
What mistakes do applicants make with A1.10?
A common mistake with A1.10: naming a confidential customer in a follow-up question, which IASME asks you not to do.
- Giving a protectively marked bid or project number in A1.10.2.
- Choosing a contract reason and then leaving the follow-up blank.
- Treating the answer as marked; it is not, so do not overthink it.
How do you get A1.10 right?
Work through these steps before you enter A1.10 in the portal:
- Pick the two reasons that genuinely drove the application, primary first.
- Complete the follow-up the choice opens (A1.10.1 to A1.10.5).
- Leave out confidential customer names and protectively marked bid or project numbers.
How do assessors check A1.10?
Where to go next
- Who needs Cyber EssentialsContracts, insurers and sectors
- 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
- A1.8A1.8NotesWhat is your website address?Notes
- A1.9A1.9Renewal or first timeIs this application a renewal of an existing certification or is it the first time you have applied for certification?Renewal or first time
- A1.10.1A1.10.1NotesWho is the commercial contracting organisation?Notes
- A1.10.2A1.10.2NotesWho is the government contracting organisation and the contract number?Notes
Frequently asked questions
A1.10 in the 2026 Danzell Cyber Essentials question set asks: "What are the two main reasons for applying for certification?" It is a multiple choice question.
A1.10 asks you to pick a primary and a secondary reason for applying from eight options, including commercial contract, government contract, customer confidence, insurer, regulator, grant and improving security. Some choices open a follow-up question (A1.10.1 to A1.10.5). Your answer is for IASME's research and does not affect the result.
No. A1.10 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.
No. IASME's guidance says the answer helps it understand how people use its certifications. The technical questions and marking are the same whatever the reason.
Only if you choose 'required for a commercial contract', and not if the customer requires the relationship to be confidential. IASME's A1.10 guidance says not to share those names.
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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