In NIST's identity-proofing model, validating identity evidence and verifying the applicant's relationship to it are distinct activities. The terminology below uses that distinction as a practical starting point; it is not a certification of a particular workflow. NIST SP 800-63A-4: identity proofing
| Requirement | Example question | Limited result |
|---|---|---|
| Field validation | Can this date be parsed under the stated rule? | The value follows the configured syntax |
| Document authenticity | What evidence supports the claimed origin and integrity? | The particular checks performed support a bounded conclusion |
| Identity verification | What links this applicant to the identity evidence? | The linkage checks performed support a bounded conclusion |
| Decision suitability | Is the evidence sufficient for this specific decision? | The process meets its defined decision requirements |
A worked fictional case
A sandbox receives a record labeled FICTIONAL TEST DATA — NOT VALID for Sample Person 0001. Its issue and expiry dates follow your application's rules. Your field validator returns no date error. That result establishes only that the fixture passed those rules. It says nothing about a government issuer, a physical document or a real person's identity.
Now remove the name. The application should return its documented missing-field response. If it fills the field from a previous submission, you have found a workflow defect. The test remains useful even though the fixture is deliberately incapable of establishing identity.
Write the conclusion with the evidence
| Record item | What to write |
|---|---|
| Claim | Required fields and date ordering follow the sandbox rules |
| Input | Marked fictional fixture and selected failure scenario |
| Method | Application version, rule version and test steps |
| Observed result | Exact accepted or rejected fields and visible errors |
| Unresolved | Authenticity, issuer provenance and connection to a real applicant |
| Next action | Fix the bounded workflow defect or proceed to the next authorized test |
Choose another evidence source when needed
If your question concerns an actual identity document, a synthetic QA record cannot resolve it. A public document reference can explain an edition or feature, while an appropriate identity-proofing process determines what validation and linkage checks are needed. Avoid promising verification merely because software extracts text or checks a date.
PRADO provides public reference information about identity and travel documents. A reference entry is useful for understanding features, but it is not a live authentication result for a submitted document. Council of the EU: PRADO document reference library