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Distinctions Between Certification and Certificate Programs

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Thu Feb 21 2013

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If up to this point you thought certificate programs and certifications were the same, don’t worry: You’re not alone. Most people do. But as a workplace learning and performance professional, it is not only important for you to know the differences, but to educate others as well.  

A certificate program is used to develop an individual’s knowledge, skills, and competencies. Certificate programs consist of two core components—a learning event and an assessment that requires participants to demonstrate mastery in a specific content area. Certification, on the other hand, is used primarily to test existing knowledge, skills, and competencies. Certification does not include a learning event or training of any kind. Knowing this distinction and knowing when to create or require a certificate program versus a certification will help organizations make smart decisions about strategic talent development.  

The table below, adapted from November 2010 T+D article, “Certificate or Certification? That Is the Question,” highlights the distinctions between certificate programs and certifications.

Distinctions Between Certification and Certificate Programs-23cd8b6ebd80fca16bfeb1cca56644adea39440ca994af2335688e00031e34c9

Excepted from Infoline “Creating an Internal Certification Program”  by Sara Bushman (February 2013), which will show you how to

  • differentiate between certificate programs and certification

  • determine needs and capabilities for building a certificate program

  • design/develop/implement a certificate program step by step

  • create a program evaluation

  • plan for program maintenance.

Also included is a job aid to help you evaluate your program as well as a sample timeline and checklist to keep you on track.

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