bhaskar saikia

Last night, I completed the IUCN Green Status of Species course — the latest in a series of assessments that complement the iconic IUCN Red List. This course builds on the foundation of Red List training, which I had completed earlier this year, including both the core Red List Assessor Course (Module 8) and the Advanced Red List Exam (Module 9).

As I finished the Green Status exam, a thought struck me: how many people worldwide have actually cleared these exams?

Anyone who has attempted these course knows they are rigorous, demanding a deep understanding of conservation science and the IUCN’s assessment methodologies.

I found my answer in the 2024–2025 ‘Report of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and Secretariat’ [issue 65(1)], published in April 2025. According to the report:

• Since its inception in 2014, 3,416 people have passed the Red List online course(Module 8) globally — less than 350 people per year on average.
• Only 159 people worldwide have passed the Advanced Red List exam (Module 9), which requires a minimum of 90% to pass.
• The Green Status of Species exam, launched in May 2024, has seen only 77 people pass.

Put together, those who have passed all the three exams, globally, form a very small and specialized group:

• Less than 4,000 people have passed the main Red List course
• Less than 200 people have passed the advanced exam
• Less than 100 people have passed the Green Status exam so far.

I know one such person personally — a senior scientist from my organization who completed all these courses, before me, and in fact, inspired me to attempt this challenge. Knowing that I now belong to this exclusive circle of conservation assessors — alongside dedicated scientists around the world — is humbling and deeply motivating.

To anyone passionate about biodiversity and conservation, completing all these three certifications is both a challenge and an honor.