How to list certifications and courses on a CV
Give each certification its exact name, the issuing body and the month and year you earned it, plus 'valid until' if it expires. Put short online courses in a separate group and list only what you can prove.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First sort what you hold: licence, certification or course
The three look alike on paper and mean different things to an employer, so decide which each document is before you write it.
| Type | What it proves | Typical issuer | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | You may legally do the work; CareerOneStop notes that US licence requirements vary by state | A state board, regulator or ministry | Near the top, or first under Certifications, when the job requires it |
| Certification | You passed an assessment of specific skills; CareerOneStop says you usually need to pass a test | An industry body or vendor | A Certifications section |
| Course certificate | You completed, or attended, a course | A training provider, college or online platform | Training, or under Education as Prospects allows |
CareerOneStop, sponsored by the US Department of Labor, describes a certification as an award you earn to show specific skills or knowledge in an occupation, industry or technology, and as an item employers may look for on resumes. Some employers require it.
How to write one entry
Edinburgh Napier University's CV guide asks for the dates of certification and the course provider for any additional course. That gives the core of the line; the rest depends on whether the credential lapses.
- The full name as printed on the certificate, with the level if there is one: 'CompTIA Security+', not 'Security cert'.
- The issuing body, spelled as it spells itself.
- The month and year you earned it.
- For anything that expires, 'valid until' with month and year.
- A credential ID or verification link only if the issuer provides one and the application form has room for it.
Choosing the heading
'Certifications' fits exam-based credentials and licences. 'Training' or 'Courses' fits completion certificates. 'Licences and Certifications' works when a licence is part of the job. Prospects says online courses and additional qualifications can sit in the Education section, which suits a CV with only one or two.
Which ones to include
Start from the posting. A credential it names goes first; one in the same field goes next; a course from years ago in an unrelated subject can go. Ten short courses on one line read as activity, not as qualification; two relevant certifications with dates read as evidence.
Expiry dates: which credentials run out
Many credentials have a fixed life, and an employer who checks will see the date. These rules come from each issuer's own page.
| Credential | Validity | Renewal, per the issuer | Sample line |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK first aid at work (HSE) | Three years | A requalification course before expiry; after expiry the person is no longer considered competent to act as a workplace first aider | First Aid at Work, St John Ambulance, 03/2025, valid until 03/2028 |
| CompTIA certifications in its renewal programme | Three years from the date of certification | Renewal gives three more years | CompTIA Security+, 06/2025, valid until 06/2028 |
| AWS Certification | Renewal adds three years of validity | Recertification extends validity from the date it is completed | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Amazon Web Services, 11/2024 |
| Turkish vocational qualification (MYK) | Five years in the standard we read (Otomotiv Mekanikçisi, level 4) | A performance review at five years; surveillance in year two or three | MYK Mesleki Yeterlilik Belgesi, Automotive Mechanic Level 4, 2024, valid until 2029 |
An expired credential
Leave it off if the job needs it current: HSE's wording shows why, since an expired first aid certificate means the holder is no longer treated as a workplace first aider. If the knowledge still matters, write it with the dates so nobody reads it as current, for example 'CompTIA Network+, 2019 to 2022 (expired)'.
A credential in progress
Write it only if something verifiable has happened, such as an exam booked or modules passed, and say exactly that: 'AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Associate: exam booked for 02/2027'. 'Pursuing' with no date tells the reader nothing.
Online courses from Coursera, edX and similar platforms
A certificate of completion from an online platform shows that you finished a course; it is not a degree and not an industry certification, so do not file it under either. Write the course title, the platform and, where the certificate names one, the institution or company that set the course, then the month and year.
- Group several short courses on one line under Training: "Online courses (Coursera, 2025): SQL for Data Science; Excel Skills for Business".
- Add hours or the number of courses only if the certificate states them.
- Keep a free audit you never finished off the CV; a completion certificate is the minimum.
- Link a verification page only if the platform issues one; a link to a course page proves nothing about you.
Courses from employers and colleges
Internal training counts if it is relevant and has a name and date: 'Food Hygiene Level 2, in-house course, 2024'. De Montfort University's careers guide counts certificates of attendance among achievements that can go on a CV.
Sample sections for three people
The people and their credentials are invented. Each block shows a different mix: licence first, current versus expired, courses grouped.
| Person | Section as it appears on the CV | What the layout does |
|---|---|---|
| IT support technician, three years in | CERTIFICATIONS | CompTIA Security+, 06/2025, valid until 06/2028 | CompTIA A+, 05/2023 | ITIL 4 Foundation, PeopleCert, 01/2024 | Highest credential first, expiry shown where it matters |
| Warehouse team leader | LICENCES AND CERTIFICATES | Counterbalance forklift licence, RTITB accredited, 04/2024 | First Aid at Work, St John Ambulance, 03/2025, valid until 03/2028 | Manual Handling, in-house course, 2023 | What the job requires on top, training last |
| Graduate moving into data analysis | TRAINING | Google Data Analytics Certificate, Coursera, 08/2025 | Online courses (Coursera, 2025): SQL for Data Science; Excel Skills for Business | A named certificate on its own line, short courses grouped |
These blocks illustrate layout only. Check every name, level and date against your own certificates; an issuer can confirm what it issued.
Proof: pages read on 13 October 2026
- CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor), Certification Finder and License Finder pages: definitions of a certification and the note that licence rules vary by state.
- Health and Safety Executive, Are you a first-aider?: three-year certificates, requalification, status after expiry.
- CompTIA, CE renewal cycle: three years from the date of certification, with the example dates on that page.
- AWS Certification, Recertification: renewal for three more years of validity.
- MYK, national qualification 11UY0021-4 Otomotiv Mekanikçisi Seviye 4 (PDF): certificate valid five years.
- Edinburgh Napier University CV guide; Prospects, How to write a CV; De Montfort University careers toolkit.
Limits of this page
- Regulated professions such as nursing, teaching or law: the registration rules belong on the job guide for that profession and country.
- Degrees and their recognition abroad: see the education section page and the degree recognition guide.
- Language certificates and CEFR levels: covered on the CEFR page.
- Issuer rules change; check the issuer's own page before you write a validity date.
Next steps
Gather the certificates, sort them into the three types, check each expiry date, and keep the ones the posting names at the top of the section.
CitedCV's form records each certification as a name, an issuer and a year, up to fifteen of them, and writes the section only from those entries. There is no separate expiry field, so check the validity wording yourself in the finished file.
Questions people ask
How do I list certifications on a resume?
Write the full certification name, the issuing body and the month and year earned, plus 'valid until' if it expires. Edinburgh Napier asks for the date of certification and the provider.
Should I put expired certifications on my resume?
Not if the job needs them current. If the knowledge still matters, write the dates and '(expired)' so nobody reads it as valid; HSE treats an expired first aid holder as no longer competent.
Where do certifications go on a resume?
In a Certifications or Training section after experience and education, or near the top when the job requires a licence. Prospects allows online courses inside the Education section.
Should I put Coursera certificates on my resume?
Yes, when the course is relevant: course title, platform, the institution that set it if the certificate names one, and the date. Group several short courses on one line.
What is the difference between a license and a certification?
A licence is a legal permission to do the work, issued by a government body; a certification shows you passed an assessment, usually an exam, set by an industry body.
Can I list a certification I am still working on?
Yes, if something verifiable has happened: 'exam booked for 02/2027' or modules passed. Never write the credential as if it were already held.
How long is a first aid certificate valid in the UK?
Three years for first aid at work, according to HSE, which says first-aiders need a requalification course before the certificate expires.
Sources
- CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor), Certification Finderwww.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-certifications.aspx
- CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor), License Finderwww.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-licenses.aspx
- Health and Safety Executive, Are you a first-aider?www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/first-aider.htm
- CompTIA, CE renewal cyclewww.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/how-to-renew/ce-renewal-cycle/
- AWS Certification, Recertificationaws.amazon.com/certification/recertification/
- MYK, Ulusal Yeterlilik 11UY0021-4 Otomotiv Mekanikçisi Seviye 4 (PDF, Turkish)portal.myk.gov.tr/index.php?dl=Yeterlilik%2F2388%2FSON_TASLAK_PDF_20180925_144316.pdf
- Edinburgh Napier University, CVs and cover letter guidemy.napier.ac.uk/careers-support/cvs-applications-and-interviews/cvs-and-cover-letters/cvs-and-cover-letter-guide
- Prospects, How to write a CVwww.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cv
- De Montfort University, Careers success toolkit: CV preparation and examples (PDF)www.dmu.ac.uk/documents/study-documents/undergraduate-study-documents/employability-and-careers/cv-writting.pdf