CERTIFICATION

n. endorsement, accreditation

There are different forms of certification: Some are valid for lifetime, once the exam is passed. Others have to be recertified again after a certain period of time. E.g. in IT-Industry there are different certifications available for Software Tester, Project Manager, Developer.
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Noun
1. the act of certifying or bestowing a franchise on
(synonym) enfranchisement
(hypernym) authorization, authorisation, empowerment
(hyponym) accreditation
(derivation) license, licence, certify
2. confirmation that some fact or statement is true
(synonym) documentation, corroboration
(hypernym) confirmation
(derivation) attest, certify, manifest, demonstrate, evidence
3. a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
(synonym) certificate, credential, credentials
(hypernym) document, written document, papers
(hyponym) certificate of incorporation
(derivation) license, licence, certify
4. validating the authenticity of something or someone
(synonym) authentication
(hypernym) validation, proof, substantiation
(derivation) license, licence, certify

n. certification, endorsement, accreditation

(n.)
The act of certifying.