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What is the difference between certification and Accreditation?
Where do certifications and accreditations come from?
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Can a business be accredited and certified?
Whilst the terms ‘accreditation’ and ‘certification’ are often used interchangeably, they are two closely related but distinct steps on the quality assurance ladder.
- Pre-assessment
A pre-assessment is an informal visit prior to initial...
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- Pre-assessment
1 day ago · A Certification Body assesses and certifies businesses, products, or individuals against specific standards, while an Accreditation Body evaluates and accredits the Certification Bodies themselves to ensure they are competent and credible.
Accreditation and certification are two widely recognized methods used to validate and recognize the quality and standards of individuals, institutions, and programs. While both accreditation and certification serve similar purposes, they differ in their scope, process, and focus.
- Overview
- What is accreditation?
- What is certification?
- Certifications versus accreditations
Accreditation and certification assure others of the quality that a product, service or individual can provide. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but important distinctions exist between them. If you work with products or within industries for which accreditation or certification is common, it's helpful to understand how they differ.In thi...
Accreditation reis formal process where an independent agency evaluates an institution to verify that it meets defined quality or professional standards. An accredited institution has formal recognition of its ability to determine whether a product, service or individual meets all specific requirements. Authoritative agencies that perform accredita...
Certification levels
Here are three different levels of certifications: •First-party: The entity that provides the service or product is also the assuring body. This is common for federal agencies. •Second-party: The entity that provides the service or product belongs to an association that acts as the assuring body. Coffee vendors, for instance, may belong to a coffee processing association that assures the quality or origin of coffee beans. •Third-party: The assuring body is an independent agency that provides certification from an objective stance. Related: How To List Certifications on a Resume (With Examples)
Certification types
There are also various types of certification. Professional certification is among the most common. Professional certification validates an individual's knowledge or skill in a specific field, showing potential employers that they're qualified for a particular job. Other types of certification include: •Academic degrees: Academic degrees, conferred by colleges and universities, are for students who've completed specific levels of education. Associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees validate varying levels of expertise in a field of knowledge. •Environmental: Environmental certification shows that a product complies with certain environmental standards. There are also environmental certifications for specialists within environmental professions, showing that they're current on developments, knowledge and practices in their field. •Music recording: Music recording certification confirms that a piece of music has sold a specified number of units. For example, gold album certification means that a music album has sold at least 500,000 units. •Product: Product certification shows that a consumer product has passed performance and quality assurance assessments and meets standards in line with federal or industry regulations. Common product certification is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification, an assurance given by the FDA that a product's benefits outweigh its risks. Related: 10 In-Demand Career Certifications (And How To Achieve Them) Are you looking for a job now?
Recipient
Both certifications and accreditations deal with quality standards, but the entity that receives the designation differs. Accreditation applies to entities such as organizations, institutions and businesses. To them, accreditation is a way to validate their presence within a sector or industry. For example, a technical school with accreditation from a well-known accreditation body achieves legitimacy as an institute of learning.In contrast, certification applies to people or things associated with an organization. For example, an individual may increase their standing or authority within their profession by earning a certification. Accredited organizations can issue certifications, so an accredited university can issue graduation certifications to students.Related: What Are Safety Certifications? Types of Certifications for Construction Professionals
Issuer
Certifications and accreditations usually come from different issuers. Accreditation bodies may include federal organizations, federally approved institutions or nonprofit agencies. With accreditation, the assurance of quality standards stems from a third party. For example, to be an official organization that delivers continuing medical education, an institute requires accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.Certifying bodies are more varied in type. They're often industry or professional associations, institutes of learning or other nongovernmental organizations. There can be multiple levels of certification. For example, a certifying body might offer beginner, intermediate and advanced certification for individuals.Related: FAQ: What's the Difference Between CME and CEU?
Process
How an entity gains the designation is another major point of distinction. Both may require validation by a third party, but the activities involved in the validation process differ. The process of accreditation is typically one of review. The organization submits itself to an audit by the accreditation body, which inspects the organization and evaluates it for compliance with standards and regulations.An audit can earn some certifications, particularly for products. Many other certification types require the completion of courses or passing scores on exams. For example, earning the Project Management Professional certification offered by the Project Management Institute requires students to meet specific prerequisites, have a minimum amount of professional experience and pass an exam.Related: FAQ: How Long Does It Take To Get PMP Certification?
Mar 23, 2024 · Key Differences Between Certification and Accreditation. Scope: Certification focuses on products, processes, or individuals, ensuring compliance with specific standards or requirements, while accreditation evaluates entire institutions or programs, assessing overall quality and effectiveness.
Jul 6, 2017 · By definition – accreditation is a formal, third party recognition of competence to perform specific tasks. The accreditation hierarchy is overseen by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the European Accreditation Forum (EA).
Oct 28, 2022 · While certification bodies provide certification of products, personnel, or management systems to demonstrate conformity to the requirements of a standard, accreditation gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks.
