| Certificate or Certification | ||
People often ask, "What is the difference between certification and a certificate?" and often confuse certification and certificate. To assist you in communicating with your colleagues, employers and clients and to help avoid confusion in the marketplace, we offer the following comparison. |
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Certification |
Certificate |
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| Results from an assessment process that recognizes an individual's knowledge, skills and competency in a particular specialty | Results from an educational process typically designed to help upgrade skills or start a new career path | |
| Typically requires demonstrable professional experience, skill and knowledge | For newcomers and experienced professionals | |
| Awarded by an independent, third-party, standard-setting organization, typically not-for-profit | Awarded by educational programs or institutions, often for-profit | |
| Indicates mastery/competency as measured against a defensible set of standards, usually by application or exam | Indicates completion of a course or series of courses with a specific focus (different than a degree granting program) | |
| Standards set through a defensible, industry-wide process (job analysis/role delineation) that results in an outline of required knowledge, skills and competencies | Course content is determined by the specific provider or institution; but it is not standardized | |
| Objectively establishes a base level of knowledge about the profession | Confirms completion of courses, not attainment of experience | |
| Typically results in credentials to be listed after one's name (AAPP, CAPP, MAPP, PMP) | Usually listed on a resume detailing education | |
| Has ongoing requirements in order to maintain; holder must demonstrate he/she continues to meet requirements professional practice and education requirements | Demonstrates knowledge of course content at the end of a set period in time or a certain number of educational courses
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• Credentials attest to someone’s knowledge or authority. • A designation refers to the letters someone uses after their name (CAPP, Ph.D., M.D., PEng). AAPP, CAPP, and MAPP are the only Professional Access and Privacy credentials recognized by CAPAPA. |
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| Some content adapted from Certified Fund Raising Executives International - www.cfre.org and the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board - http://www.aalnc.org | ||

