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A certificate is an official document affirming some fact. For example, a birth certificate testifies to basic facts regarding a person's birth. A certificate may also certify that a person has received specific education or has passed a test.In computing and especially computer security and cryptography, the word certificate generally refers to a digital identity certificate also known as a public key certificate.
1 As an academic award
A certificate, in addition to certifying that someone has passed a test or reached a specific standard of knowledge may also be the name of an actual award.
In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate and follow it with the Leaving Certificate. Similarly other countries have awards, for instance, in Australia the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in New South WalesNew South Wales NSW is Australia's most populous and oldest state, located in the southeast, north of Victoria. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland. During the 19th century large areas were successively separate, the Victorian Certificate of EducationThe Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential given to students who have completed Year 11 and Year 12 of their secondary schooling, in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is considered to be one of the more rigorous secondary education (VCE) in VictoriaVictoria State flag ( In detail) Coat of Arms ( In detail) Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks Area — Land — Marine — Total 227 416 km˛ 10 213 km˛ 237 629 km˛ Population (2004) Density 5,012,300 22/km˛ Time zone UTC+10 (except, etc., is the examination taken on completion of secondary education.
In many countries, certificates are qualifications in higher education. For example, in Ireland, the National CertificateThe National Certificate NCert ( Irish: Teastais Naisiunta is a two year broadly based higher education qualification in an technology discipline offered by an Institute of Technology or a HETAC designated institution in Ireland. The National Certificate (which is soon to be replaced by the "Higher Certificate".) In Australia, a certificate is a qualification offered by a university or other higher education provider which is shorter than a degree or diploma. These have the titles Certificate (at an undergraduate level), Graduate Certificate (at an undergraduate level, but requiring the completion of a prior undergraduate degree for admission) and Postgraduate Certificate (at a postgraduate level).
2 See also
- DiplomaA diploma (from Greek diploma) is a document issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that is one of the following: A certificate testifying that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study, A deed conferring a
