Renewing certifications

Introduction

A certification is a type of learning program plan that awards a certification when you complete all of its required courses. 
Certifications may expire. When your certification expires or is about to expire, you should renew it to keep it valid. A renewal archives your current enrollment and creates a new enrollment, so you need to complete the courses again and earn a new certification with new issue and expiration dates.

Administrators can configure a certification without an expiration date. An always-valid certification does not require renewal. You can still replay the courses included in the certification.

Please note: External training activities cannot be used to renew new certifications.

This article explains how and when you can renew a certification. Learn more about certifications in the article Completing certifications. 

You can also renew certifications on the mobile app. For more information, read the article Completing learning plans and certifications on the mobile app.  

When you can renew a certification

The platform’s administrator sets each certification’s renewal policy: 

At any time

You can renew your certification whenever it is completed whether it is valid, expiring, or expired. 

Within a renewal window 

You can renew your certification from the day the renewal window opens. 

The renewal window opens: a fixed number of days before the certification’s expiration. The number of days is set by the platform’s administrator. 

The renewal window may end:

• When the certification expires
• A fixed number of days after the start of the renewal
• Never: The renewal period has no deadline, you can renew at any point after the window opens 

Please note: Certification renewal becomes available automatically when the renewal window is reached. The platform checks for renewals in a background job that runs every four hours. Until the next run, your certification may still show as Completed, and the Renew now button does not yet appear yet on the certification overview page. The button appears after the background job processes your certification.

Renewing a certification

To renew a certification, open the certification overview page. The certification overview page shows the expiration date and the renewal window dates, if applicable. Learn more about the certification overview page. 

When you renew a certification, the completion status of its courses is reset and you need to complete them again to renew the certification. 

If you have not yet triggered the renewal, click Renew now. A confirmation window opens. Confirm to start the renewal.

When you confirm, the platform archives your current enrollment, creates a new enrollment and resets your progress in the courses. 

• If you have already triggered the renewal process by clicking Renew now and have not yet started the training, the renewal button is Get certified.  
• If you have already triggered the renewal process by clicking Renew now and have started the training, the renewal button is Resume training. 

Important notes about renewal: replaying a course is not renewing

Replaying a course lets you review the content again. It does not renew your certification, even if you complete the course again.

When your certification is in its renewal window and you click Replay on a course from the certification overview page, a pop-up window appears allowing you to choose between replaying the course and renewing the certification. 

Please note: The pop-up window appears only when you select Replay from the certification overview page. If you open a course in another way, for example from a catalog, an enrollment link or a notification link, replaying the course does not renew your certification and no window appears. Always use Renew now to renew.

Notifications about renewals

Depending on your administrator settings, you may receive notifications when your certification is expiring, has expired or is in renewal. 

Troubleshooting

I completed the course, but my certification did not renew.

You completed the course with Replay, which does not renew the certification. Click Renew now on the certification overview page and complete the courses again.

I do not see Renew now on the certification overview page

The renewal window may not be open yet, or the background job has not processed your certification yet. Check again after four hours. Read the chapter When you can renew a certification for more information.