The Secretary of State must carry out any necessary tests on the entered seed, and in particular must grow the seed in a control plot.

If the tests or the control plot meets the requirements for varietal identity and varietal purity no further action is taken.

Otherwise the Secretary of State must obtain more information from crops grown from that seed and, if the Secretary of State decides that the crop is not satisfactory, notify the applicant that the crop may not be certified, or must be downgraded to a lower category.