Professional certification process

The professional certification process typically evaluates an individual's education, career experience, and occupational knowledge measured through one or more certification exams. For example, accountants must demonstrate knowledge and skills to receive a Certified Public Accountant designation; an engineer may attain certification as a Professional Engineer.

Similar certifications are seen in many occupational areas, such as insurance, real estate, financial planning, health care, computer systems, automotive service, quality control, consulting, child care and others. In some cases, certifications are an integral element of a licensing process necessary for work in a field.