Where to put certifications on your resume

Certifications go in their own section, placed after your work experience and before or after education depending on how recent and relevant they are. If a certification is current and directly matches the job you are explore for, put it above your education section. If it is older or less central to the role, place it below education.

The section heading should read "Certifications," "Professional Certifications," or "Licenses and Certifications" if you hold both. Use the same font and formatting as your other section headings so the resume looks consistent.

Never bury certifications in a skills section or in the description of a past job. Hiring managers scan resumes in a predictable order, and a dedicated section ensures they see what you hold.

Key Takeaways

  • List each certification with the full official name, the issuing organization, and the month and year you earned it or when it expires.
  • Put the most recent or most relevant certifications at the top of the list, and remove expired ones unless the role specifically asks for historical context.
  • Include the credential ID or license number if the employer can verify it through an official registry.
  • Format certifications consistently: use the same date style, punctuation, and capitalization throughout the section.
  • Add a brief note about what the certification covers only if the name alone does not make the relevance clear to someone outside your field.

Basic format for listing a single certification

The simplest format lists the certification name, the issuing body, and the date earned. Here is the structure:

Certification Name — Issuing Organization, Month Year

For example:

Project Management Professional (PMP) — Project Management Institute, June 2022

If the certification has an expiration date and it is still current, you can add that information:

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — New York State Board of Accountancy, Earned December 2019, Expires December 2025

If you hold a credential ID or license number that employers can look up in an official registry, include it after the date:

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) — (ISC)², August 2021, Credential ID: 123456

Examples by field and industry

Healthcare: Registered Nurse (RN) — California Board of Registered Nursing, License #456789, Active since March 2018. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — American Red Cross, Earned September 2017, Expires September 2025.

Finance and accounting: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, License #987654, Active since May 2020. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 3 — CFA Institute, Passed June 2023.

Technology: AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate — Amazon Web Services, Earned February 2023, Expires February 2026. CompTIA Security+ — CompTIA, Credential ID: ABC123XYZ, Earned November 2021.

Education: Secondary Education Teaching Credential in Mathematics — California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, License #555888, Active since August 2019. TESOL Certificate — International TESOL Association, Earned July 2022.

Trades: Journeyman Electrician — State of Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, License #LIC-2019-44556, Active since April 2019. OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety Certification — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Earned January 2023.

How to handle multiple certifications

If you hold three or fewer certifications, list each one on its own line with full details. If you hold more than three, prioritize the ones most relevant to the job posting. Remove certifications that are expired unless the role explicitly asks for a complete history.

Order certifications by relevance to the position, not by date earned. If you are explore for a role that emphasizes project management, list your PMP before a general IT certification even if you earned the IT cert first.

If you have many certifications in the same category, you can group them under a subheading:

Certifications Cloud Platforms: AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate, Earned February 2023. Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer, Earned August 2022. Security: CompTIA Security+, Earned November 2021. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Earned May 2020.

What to include and what to leave out

Include the full official name of the certification exactly as it appears on your credential. Do not shorten "Certified Public Accountant" to "CPA" alone — use both the full name and the abbreviation on first mention. Include the issuing organization so a hiring manager can verify the credential if needed.

Leave out certifications that expired more than two years ago unless the job posting specifically asks for historical context or the field requires continuous renewal. A certification from 2015 that you no longer hold signals that you may not be current in that area.

Do not list training courses, workshops, or online classes unless they resulted in a recognized credential or certification. A two-day seminar on leadership does not belong in a certifications section — it belongs in a professional development section if you include one at all.

If a certification requires ongoing education or renewal, mention that only if it is unusual or if the role emphasizes staying current. Most hiring managers understand that professional licenses require renewal.

Certifications in progress or pending

If you are working toward a certification but have not yet passed the exam or completed the requirements, you can list it with a note about your status:

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) — In Progress, Expected Completion June 2024

Use this approach only if the certification is well-known in your field and you are genuinely close to completion. Do not list certifications you are merely considering or have only begun studying for — that signals uncertainty and can hurt your credibility.

If you have passed the exam but are waiting for the official credential to arrive in the mail, you can list it as "Earned [date], Credential pending" or straightforward use the earned date and note the credential ID once you receive it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I list certifications that are no longer active?

Only if the role asks for a complete history or if the field values the knowledge even after expiration. For most positions, remove certifications that expired more than two years ago. If a certification is still relevant but lapsed, consider renewing it before you explore.

Do I need to include the credential ID or license number?

Include it if the employer can verify it through an official registry and the role is in a regulated field like nursing, accounting, or law. For most other certifications, the issuing organization and date are sufficient. Check the job posting to see if verification is mentioned.

What if the certification name is very long or unclear?

Use the official name as it appears on your credential, then add a one-line description in parentheses if the name alone does not make the relevance clear. Example: "Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) — Project Management Institute, May 2023 (entry-level project management credential)."

Can I list certifications I earned through my employer's training program?

Yes, if it is a recognized credential issued by an external organization. If your employer issued the certificate but no external body recognizes it, list it under professional development or training instead, not under certifications.

How far back should I go when listing certifications?

Include certifications from the past ten years that are still relevant to the role. If you earned a certification more than ten years ago but it is still active and directly matches the job, include it. Remove anything older unless the field requires a complete history.