The Society's Certificate in Genealogical Research is a skills assessment program, designed for those with more than three years family history research experience and who have gained at least some elementary research skills and a broad, even if basic, knowledge of resources available.

About the Skills Assessment

The program consists of 8 assignments plus an online exam undertaken across a year.

For each assignment, you will be given the outline of what is required, together with some guidance to consider in preparing your submission. The assignments have been carefully selected to reflect the sorts of skills needed by genealogists and the program is essentially practical exercises in self-directed learning from experience.

To complete the assessments, you are expected to extend your research beyond what can be found on the internet and to use local libraries and family history society collections, either in-person or remotely where possible. 

More details about the program, including 2026 cohort due dates and  FAQ, can be found by clicking on the link below:

2026 Certificate Handbook

Get Study Ready!

Brand New in 2026, 'Study Ready: Academic Skills for Family Historians' is a three week ‘bootcamp’ style course designed to refresh and enhance your academic skills, skills that family historians and genealogists need for success in formal study.

If it's been a while since you engaged in formal study, we recommend that you consider completing 'Study Ready' in Jan-Feb before commencing the Certificate.

If you do enrol in the Certificate within 12 months of completing the 'Study Ready' course, you'll receive a $50 AUD credit on the cost of the Certificate program. Click on this link for more information

Induction Webinar

Upon enrolment, your confirmation email will contain Zoom details for the Induction Webinar which will be held on Monday 3 August 2026 at 7pm AEST. This session will be recorded so that you can watch it live or catch up later.