Frequently Asked Questions

American TEFL Standards (ATS) is an independent professional standards and accreditation organization for TEFL, TESOL and English language teacher education worldwide. ATS defines quality benchmarks for training providers, evaluates them independently, grants accreditation to qualifying organizations and maintains a public verification registry. ATS is not a TEFL training school, a government body or a university.

ATS stands for American TEFL Standards — the professional shorthand for the full organization name. American TEFL Standards is an independent quality standards and accreditation body for the global TEFL and TESOL sector.

No. American TEFL Standards is an independent professional organization. It is not a government agency, ministry of education or statutory regulator. ATS operates as a voluntary professional quality standards and accreditation body — similar to other independent accreditation organizations in higher education and vocational training worldwide.

American TEFL Standards was established in the United States in 2024. The ATS Standards Framework and accreditation services are designed to be internationally applicable and we evaluate providers from any country worldwide.

No. American TEFL Standards does not provide TEFL or TESOL training courses and is not affiliated with any specific training provider. This independence is the foundation of ATS credibility as a quality standards and accreditation body.

TEFL accreditation is independent quality recognition awarded to a TEFL or TESOL training provider or course by an accreditation body. It confirms that the provider has been independently evaluated and found to meet defined quality standards covering curriculum, trainer qualification, assessment, learner support and more. Accreditation is granted for a fixed period and must be renewed through ongoing quality monitoring.

TEFL certification is a qualification awarded to individual teachers who complete a TEFL training course. TEFL accreditation is quality recognition awarded to the organization or course that delivers the training. ATS accredits providers and courses — not individual teachers. A teacher who completes a course from an ATS-accredited provider has been trained by a quality-recognized institution.

ATS accreditation is an internationally applicable independent professional quality recognition. The ATS Standards Framework is designed for global relevance and ATS evaluates providers from multiple countries. ATS accreditation is professional recognition from an independent standards body — it is not government licensing, university degree recognition or immigration qualification.

The standard ATS accreditation review takes 8 to 12 weeks from submission of a complete application and evidence file. This includes desk review, virtual audit (for online providers), committee decision and issuance of accreditation documents. Incomplete applications or requests for additional evidence may extend the timeline.

ATS has four accreditation levels: ATS Approved Provider (1-year validity, for newer or smaller providers), ATS Accredited Provider (3-year validity, the standard full accreditation), ATS Premier Accredited Provider (4-year validity, for high-performing institutions) and ATS Centre of Excellence (5-year validity with annual review, by invitation only for flagship global providers).

Yes. ATS evaluates online, in-person and blended TEFL providers. Standard 6 of the ATS Standards Framework specifically addresses online learning quality including LMS functionality, learner engagement, tutor accessibility and technical support. Online providers undergo a virtual audit as part of the review.

Accredited providers must apply for renewal before their accreditation expires. ATS contacts providers in advance of expiry. Lapsed accreditation means the provider may no longer use the ATS badge or list themselves as ATS-accredited until renewal is confirmed. Non-renewing providers are removed from the ATS public registry.

The ATS Accreditation Committee may issue one of five decisions: Full Accreditation (meets all standards), Conditional Accreditation (meets most but must address specific issues), Provisional Approval (new provider with enhanced monitoring), Deferred (more evidence required) or Denied (does not meet required standards at this time).

The ATS Standards Framework is a set of 8 quality domains that define excellence in TEFL and TESOL teacher education. The 8 standards cover: (1) Institutional Governance, (2) Curriculum Design, (3) Trainer Qualification, (4) Teaching Practice, (5) Assessment Integrity, (6) Online Learning Quality, (7) Learner Support and (8) Continuous Improvement. Every ATS accreditation review is measured against all applicable standards.

The ATS Standards Framework was developed with reference to internationally recognized quality assurance principles used by accreditation bodies including CHEA, ENQA ESG and British Council Accreditation UK, and adapted specifically for the TEFL and TESOL training sector. Standards are reviewed periodically with input from the ATS Advisory Board, TEFL academics and practicing teacher trainers.

Yes, the core ATS standards apply to all provider types. Specific indicators within each standard are weighted and applied according to provider type and delivery mode — for example, Standard 6 (Online Learning Quality) applies specifically to online and blended providers. ATS evaluators use a weighted scoring approach that is fair to providers of different sizes and contexts.

ATS evaluators score each standard indicator using a 4-level scale: 1 — Does Not Meet, 2 — Partially Meets, 3 — Meets, 4 — Exceeds. A full evaluation report details the score for each standard, with evidence observations, identified strengths and specific recommendations. The Accreditation Committee reviews this report before issuing a decision.

An overview of the ATS Standards Framework is published on the Standards page of this website. The full standards document including all indicators, evidence requirements and scoring guidance is shared with providers at the point of application. Contact ATS to request a copy for pre-application review.

No. ATS membership recognizes alignment with ATS values and quality principles. It does not involve a full independent quality review. Accreditation requires a comprehensive evaluation of your courses, trainers and systems against the ATS Standards Framework. Membership is often a first step toward accreditation, and institutional members receive a 15% discount on accreditation application fees.

ATS membership is open to TEFL training providers (Institutional Membership), individual TEFL and TESOL trainers and educators (Trainer Membership) and international ELT organizations and networks (Global Partner Programme). Membership is open to organizations and individuals worldwide.

All ATS memberships are annual and must be renewed each year. Renewal requires confirmation of continued eligibility and payment of the annual membership fee. Non-renewed memberships lapse at the end of the membership year and the digital badge and directory listing are removed.

ATS recognizes Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities for TEFL trainers and educators. CPD validation confirms that a training event, workshop or seminar aligns with ATS quality principles. Validated activities carry the ATS CPD recognition mark. CPD validation is available to ATS members.

Yes. ATS membership is designed as a pathway toward full accreditation. Institutional members receive a 15% discount on accreditation application fees and priority access to accreditation windows. Your membership period may also support preparation of accreditation documentation through our standards alignment consultation benefit.

Search the ATS public registry on the Verify page of this website. Enter the provider name or accreditation reference number to see current status, accreditation level and validity dates. You can also scan the QR code on any ATS accreditation badge for live verification.

Every ATS-accredited provider is assigned a unique accreditation reference number in the format ATS-YYYY-XXX (for example, ATS-2024-001). This number appears on the accreditation certificate and badge and can be used to search the ATS public registry for instant verification.

If a provider claims ATS accreditation but does not appear in the public registry, their accreditation may have lapsed, been withdrawn or the claim may be inaccurate. Contact ATS directly at info@americanteflstandards.org with the provider name and any badge or certificate details. All suspected false accreditation claims are investigated promptly.

Only currently accredited organizations may display the ATS accreditation badge, and only during the valid accreditation period. The badge must be displayed at the correct level, must link to the provider's ATS verification page and must not be altered or recolored. Unauthorized use of the badge is a breach of the usage license and may result in legal action.