A1.2: What type of organisation are you?
What type of organisation are you?
Source: IASME Cyber Essentials Danzell question set v16.3
A1.2 asks you to pick the legal form of the entity named in A1.1 from IASME's list: LTD, LLP, CIC, COP, MTL, CHA, GOV, SOL, PRT, SOC or OTH. Choose the type that matches the register. Your choice decides the registration number format in A1.4: government bodies, sole traders, other partnerships, clubs and other organisations enter 'none'.
Is A1.2 an automatic fail?
No. A1.2 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 a multiple choice question
- IASME guidance
- “LTD” – Limited Company (Ltd or PLC) “LLP” – Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) “CIC” – Community Interest Company (CIC) “COP” – Cooperative “MTL” – Other Registered Mutual (Community Benefit Society, Credit Union, Building Society, Friendly Society) “CHA” – Registered Charity “GOV” – Government Agency or Public Body…
- 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 A1.2 ask?
A1.2 asks: “What type of organisation are you?”
A1.2 asks what type of organisation you are. The options in IASME's guidance are: LTD (limited company, Ltd or PLC), LLP (limited liability partnership), CIC (community interest company), COP (cooperative), MTL (other registered mutual, such as a community benefit society, credit union, building society or friendly society), CHA (registered charity), GOV (government agency or public body), SOL (sole trader), PRT (other partnership), SOC (other club or society) and OTH (other organisation).
This is not a technical control. It is used for the certificate record and to decide what A1.4 expects: a UK LTD, LLP or CIC must give an eight-digit company number or six digits with a two-letter prefix, while GOV, SOL, PRT, SOC and OTH enter 'none'.
Which option should you choose for A1.2?
Choose the option for A1.2 that is enforced today across the whole scope, and complete the notes wherever the option requires them.
Pick the type of the primary legal entity in A1.1, not of a parent group. A1.4 must then hold the registration number that matches the type and the name in A1.1. If none of the types fits, choose OTH.
What mistakes do applicants make with A1.2?
A common mistake with A1.2: selecting LTD for a sole trader or partnership, which then makes the 'none' registration number look wrong.
- Choosing the type of the parent group rather than the entity named in A1.1.
- Selecting CHA without a charity number, or GOV for a private company that delivers public contracts.
- Picking OTH when a specific type fits, which tends to prompt a clarification question.
How do you get A1.2 right?
Work through these steps before you enter A1.2 in the portal:
- Find the legal form of the entity named in A1.1 on its register entry.
- Pick the matching code (LTD, LLP, CIC, COP, MTL, CHA, GOV, SOL, PRT, SOC or OTH).
- Re-check A1.4: LTD, LLP and CIC need a company number; GOV, SOL, PRT, SOC and OTH enter 'none'.
How do assessors check A1.2?
What evidence should you keep for A1.2?
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 A1.2:
- The same register extract, which shows the legal form.
Where to go next
Other A1 questions
Frequently asked questions
A1.2 in the 2026 Danzell Cyber Essentials question set asks: "What type of organisation are you?" It is a multiple choice question.
A1.2 asks you to pick the legal form of the entity named in A1.1 from IASME's list: LTD, LLP, CIC, COP, MTL, CHA, GOV, SOL, PRT, SOC or OTH. Choose the type that matches the register. Your choice decides the registration number format in A1.4: government bodies, sole traders, other partnerships, clubs and other organisations enter 'none'.
No. A1.2 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.
A registered charity normally chooses CHA. If it is also a company limited by guarantee, it can give its company number in A1.4; make sure the name in A1.1 and the number in A1.4 refer to the same registered entity.
Choose SOL in A1.2. IASME's A1.4 guidance says sole traders enter 'none' as the registration number.
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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