WHODrug Insignia examination instructions

The WHODrug Insignia certification assesses your ability to apply WHODrug principles in practice.

The certification covers WHODrug Global as a whole, rather than specialised knowledge of a specific format (B2 or C3) or workflow. While questions are based on a particular WHODrug version, the certification itself is not version-specific.

The examination assesses your ability to:

• Understand key concepts
• Evaluate situations and determine the best solutions
• Apply WHODrug principles in realistic coding and analysis scenarios

All scenarios, datasets, and cases used in the examination are fictional and created for assessment purposes. While the medicinal products referenced may be real, they are used solely in an educational context. Their inclusion does not imply commercial promotion, endorsement, or recommendation. Although the scenarios reflect tasks commonly performed by WHODrug users, they should not be interpreted as real cases, safety analyses, or regulatory situations.

• Duration: 2 hours
• Language: English
• Resources: Use of WHODrug Insight is encouraged
• Questions: 61 randomised questions selected from a question bank  

Questions may be presented in several formats, including:

• Select one
• Select all that apply
• Fill in the blank
• Matching
• Ordering

Some questions require the use of WHODrug Insight or your organisation's coding tool. Drug names and Drug codes used in the examination are based on the September 2026 version of WHODrug Global. Before starting the examination, make sure you have access to WHODrug Insight and are using the correct version. 

WHODrug training materials, including self-paced courses, webinars, tutorials, and documentation, can help you prepare. For a structured learning experience, we recommend following the WHODrug Insignia learning path available on our online learning platform, UMC Learning.

To perform well, focus on: 

• Using all information provided in each question
• Applying WHODrug principles consistently
• Avoiding assumptions beyond the reported information

To pass the examination, you must achieve a score of at least 80%.

There is no limit on the number of attempts. However, the following waiting periods apply:

• Second attempt: 24 hours after the first attempt
• Third attempt: 90 days after the second attempt
• Subsequent attempts: If you are unsuccessful after the third attempt, you can retake the examination 12 months after your first attempt. After that, the same waiting periods apply.