Introduction
Completing a course, learning plan, or external training activity can result in earning a certificate or certification.
This article explains how to earn and download certificates, view certifications, complete and renew certifications.
Certificates versus certifications
Certificates indicate that you have acquired knowledge or skills in a particular area by completing a training program and do not usually require an exam for completion. Certificates do not typically expire and are often used to enhance one’s resume or provide foundational knowledge for career advancement, though they may carry less industry weight compared to certifications.
Certifications are professional credentials conferred by a recognized authority that verify your expertise in a specific field. Certifications often require passing exams and meeting certain professional standards, which may include work experience. Unlike certificates, certifications usually need to be renewed through continuing education or retraining to ensure ongoing competence. They are highly valued in many industries, signifying a commitment to professional standards and often serving as prerequisites for specific roles or career advancement.
Earning a certificate or certification
You earn a certificate or certification when you complete the required training associated with it. A message on the course page informs you when you earn an achievement.
For learning plans, you need to complete all the mandatory courses to obtain the certificate or certification.
Administrators can manually issue certifications. They cannot manually issue certificates.
Checking and downloading certificates
You can download a certificate by clicking Download certificate upon completing the training associated with it or at any time after completion by clicking on that same button (or the Achievement button, depending on the platform configuration) in the content header.
Open the platform main menu and click My activities.
Select the Courses tab (for e-learnign courses), the Instructor-Led Training -ILT tab (for ILT courses), or the External activities tab. (for external training activities).
Click the certificates icon at the end of the row. The icon is displayed only after you have obtained the certificate.
Certificates can also be found on the My transcript page, if available on your platform.
Notes:
Certificates download in PDF format.
The administrator controls the date format displayed on a certificate. This format is independent of the date format selected in your profile.
Multiple course certificates
When you complete a course that awards a certificate, you may receive up to three different versions of the same certificate. This allows you to meet specific legal, compliance, or local requirements that call for distinct certificate formats.
When you download the certificates, they will be grouped in a compressed (ZIP) folder.
Please note. Learning plans and external training activities can be associated with only one certificate format.
Renewing certifications
Certifications may expire and you may be able to recertify with the same course or learning plan, or by completing different training content, depending on the administrator's configuration. When you start the renewal, the platform archives your current course enrollment, creates a new enrollment, and resets your course progress.
On the My activities page, select the Legacy certifications tab and click Renew. Complete the content to earn the certification again.
You can also renew certifications from the task list widget (if available on your platform). Select the Certifications to renew tab and click Renew. Click the Legacy certifications button to go to the My activities page (Legacy certifications tab).
Please note: The certifications to renew tab of the task list widget displays both legacy and new certifications.
Renewing a certification with the same course or learning plan
If you can retake the same course to renew the certification, you can either click:
- Renew certification on the page of the course, the learning plan
- Renew on the Certifications to renew tab of the Task list widget
A message in a pop-up window will inform you that the current course completion status will be reset and that you will have to complete the course again to renew the certification.
You can also renew the expired certification by clicking Renew now on the Legacy certification tab of the My activities page. No pop-up message is displayed, but the same warning message is displayed in the certification expiration banner.
Click on Renew to continue.
Renewing with other courses or learning plans
If you cannot retake the same course to renew the certification, when you click on:
- Renew certification on the page of the course or the learning plan
- Renew now on the Legacy certifications tab of the My activities page
- Renew on the Certifications to renew tab of the Task list widget
You will land on the Certifications & retraining tab of the My activities page, listing the courses and the learning plans you can take to recertify. Click on the course or learning plan card to start the training.
Some courses or learning plans may not be available for recertification and are marked with a padlock on the card.
As an alternative, click on Go to my external activities to record a new external training activity valid to renew the certification. After you upload it, the administrator will evaluate it to confirm it is a valid option for renewal.
Notifications and certifications
Depending on administrator settings, you may receive a notification (either via email, in the notifications area, or via Slack) informing you that a certification has been issued or is about to expire.
The notification informing you about the certification that is about to expire includes a link to renew the certification.
If you do not navigate through the Renew now link or your certification expiration notification, the certification will not renew.