Fraudulent exams at Romanian professional training centres issue EU-wide recognised diplomas

Exams at two state-accredited professional training centres in Bucharest and Iași, Romania, are reportedly being systematically rigged. The centres, authorized by Romania’s Ministries of Education and Labor, hold multi-million-euro contracts with public institutions and issue diplomas officially recognised across the entire European Union.

Training is conducted almost entirely online and often serves as a mere formality. In cases reported to PressOne, the actual training hours completed fall far short of those stated on official certificates.

The two providers – listed in Romania’s national register of authorized training centres – offer qualifications such as financial analyst, accountant, specialized educator, public procurement expert, caregiver, and expert in accessing European funds. These diplomas are valid in Romania and throughout the EU.

Fundația Centrul de Formare APSAP (Bucharest) has secured more than 9,000 public contracts worth over €6.6 million in the past decade, primarily training public sector employees and company staff.
Aprendis (Iași), operated by Euroasia SRL, has been active since 2008 and claims to have trained over 20,000 participants, including many state employees.

Final exams are held online under the supervision of evaluation committees appointed by county or municipal commissions linked to the Ministry of Labor. These committees are meant to ensure integrity, but evidence obtained by PressOne shows serious failures in oversight.

“5 stars on Google” in exchange for an “easy exam”

In early January 2026, APSAP held the final exam for its accounting course. The online session included a short multiple-choice test and a pre-prepared project presentation.

Before the exam began, APSAP administrator Mirela Brașoveanu explicitly asked the 23 participants to leave the centre “5 stars on Google” in return for the easy test. She shared the Google reviews page on screen and pointed out positive comments. A video obtained by PressOne captures new five-star reviews being posted in real time by attendees during the session.

Brașoveanu told participants: “Folks, the allocated time has expired. I want to thank each of you for the kind words…” This suggests the practice is routine.

The evaluation committee – which included representatives from the Labor Inspectorate and the Ilfov Agency for Payments and Social Inspection – took no action to stop or address the request.

APSAP founder and president Bogdan Fârșirotu told PressOne that asking for reviews was merely a “colloquial moment” to reduce stress and had no influence on the actual evaluation, which he says follows strict legal criteria.

Certificates claim 150 hours – actual training far less

Graduates received official certificates in March 2026, signed by Fârșirotu and bearing the logos of both the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Education. The documents state 150 training hours (50 theoretical + 100 practical).

A source who completed the course told PressOne the reality was very different: only five live online sessions of three hours each (15 hours total) plus around 30 hours of pre-recorded video lessons – roughly 45 hours in total.

University of Bucharest professor Ion-Ovidiu Pânișoară told PressOne: “There’s a kind of complicity between provider and trainee. Romania is the country of diplomas. Training centres know students just need the paper, and students know they have to pay for it.”

Pre-shared solved exams at Aprendis

In October 2025, Aprendis ran the final exam for its financial analyst course. A graduate reported that students received fully solved exam variants via WhatsApp three days in advance. During the test, participants “randomly” picked a number from 1 to 5 – which corresponded exactly to the pre-shared solution they had received. All candidates scored above 9.00.Aprendis described the case as an “isolated human error” caused by a file mix-up and stated it would retrain its instructors.

Systemic problems in Romania’s professional training system

Romania has more than 700 authorized professional training providers. Accreditation is granted per course for four years, and high pass rates (APSAP ~80%, Aprendis ~95%) can help secure re-accreditation and more public contracts.

Professor Pânișoară highlighted the lack of proper oversight: “There should be real verification of attendance and rigorous assessment of acquired competencies.”

The investigation raises serious concerns about the integrity of professional qualifications issued in Romania that are automatically recognized across the European Union.Note: This revised version is optimized for an international audience. The title and opening clearly establish the country (Romania), while keeping the reporting clear, neutral, and fact-based. Let me know if you’d like any further adjustments in tone, length, or emphasis.

The original investigation in Romanian by our partner PressOne can be found here:

Caption: The APSAP and Aprendis professional training centers, where trainees allege that exams are being rigged, are run by Bogdan Fârșirotu (right) and Cristian Ciobanu (left). Combo image by PressOne.