The International Phonetic Association (IPA), while now truly a phoneticians’ association, began as an association of teachers of modern (foreign) languages, a language teachers’ association. It began nearly half a century before phonetics was included as a subject of study in university degree programmes and established the qualification known today as the ‘IPA Certificate’. This award was originally considered a language teaching qualification and held in high esteem. But during the past decade, numbers entering for the examination have declined dramatically and the success rates among those who do enter have plummeted. The future of the award (still strikingly similar to its original 1908 content and format) is now in doubt. This paper (part of a wider, four-year investigation) considers possible reasons for the decline, the viability of the award and whether it is needed at all.