Certificates

A certificate is issued the moment you finish a course whose creator turned certificates on. It records that you completed the course, and what that took. It is not a grade and not a qualification, as the Credential Policy explains. Every one is titled Certificate of Completion.

How it works

• The creator signs the course's certificate once, by typing their name when they turn certificates on. Each certificate keeps the signature it was issued with, even if the creator changes it later or turns certificates off.
• A certificate is issued once. Finishing the course again later does not change its date or its number.
• It also records what you did: the lessons, the creator's time estimate, and the required quizzes you passed with their pass marks.
• The record also counts the required assignments and discussions you handed in, and lists the course's approved skills. A later change to the course does not change it.
• It is drawn in the design the creator chose for the course when it was issued: its layout, border, typeface, colour and paper.
• Each one has a number, such as AC-KVFU8-G2FSQ, that anyone can check. See Verifying a certificate.

What is on a certificate

It carries your name as it was on your account when it was issued, and the course title. It also has the creator's name and signature, the date you finished and the number.

Under the date are the number of lessons, the creator's time estimate, the quizzes you passed and up to 3 of the course's skills. A QR code opens its verification page, which lists the rest.

What you can change

• Show or hide a certificate on your portfolio. Edit your portfolio and choose Hide from portfolio or Show on portfolio beside it.
• Add it to LinkedIn. Open it and choose Add to LinkedIn profile. If LinkedIn's form opens empty, choose LinkedIn opened an empty form? Copy each field and copy them in.
• Post it on LinkedIn with Post on LinkedIn. The post links to its verification page, and the preview picture is the certificate.
• Download it with Image (PNG), PDF, A4 or PDF, US Letter, or print it with Print.
• Update the name on it. Renaming your account does not rename your certificates. Open one and choose Update the name on my certificates to put your account name on all of them.
• Find it again on your portfolio, on the course's Course Overview tab, and in the Course Completion email, if that email is on.

Rules and limits

• A certificate stays yours after the course closes and after the creator leaves ACADA.
• If your account is closed for breaking a policy, your certificates stay on record for the 30 days you have to appeal. They are then deleted with the account.
• Deleting your account deletes your certificates too, and their numbers stop verifying.
• A certificate is withdrawn only for cheating. See When a certificate is withdrawn.
• Someone who opens a certificate on your portfolio sees its verification page.
• After you update the name, each certificate's verification page says the name was updated, and when. We keep the earlier name on record, visible only to ACADA staff.

If something goes wrong

"You have not earned a certificate for this course…"

Every lesson has to be marked complete, and the course has to give certificates.

"This certificate has been withdrawn…"

Settings → Account standing says why and how to appeal.

"Your certificate did not load…"

Check your connection and reload the page.

"Name not shown"

Your account had no name when the certificate was issued. Add one under Full Name in Settings → Account, then choose Update the name on my certificates.

"Add your name in Settings first…"

Your account has no name to put on your certificates. Add one under Full Name in Settings → Account.

"The name did not update…"

Check your connection and choose Update the name on my certificates again.