Courtesy: Inspection and certification services
Another common type of certification in modern society is product certification. This refers to processes intended to determine if a product meets minimum standards, similar to quality assurance. Different certification systems exist in each country. For example, in Russia it is the GOST R Rostest.
Other types include:
- A type certificate is issued to signify the airworthiness of an aircraft manufacturing design
- Academic degrees
- Cyber security certification
- Digital signatures in public-key cryptography
- Digital certification
- Diving certification
- Environmental certification
- Film certification, also known as the motion picture rating system
- Food safety certification
- Music recording sales certification, such as “Gold” or “Platinum”
- Nursing credentials and certifications
- Professional certification (computer technology)
- Sustainability certification
Standards and Certification
Certification is dependent on meeting specific requirements that are defined in a technical standard. This is either an international standard or a private standard. ISEAL Alliance and Global Food Safety Initiative are examples of private organizations who represent the private sector. Promoting certification in supply chains of private corporations by recognizing scheme owners who adopt private standards. In comparison, the public sector and Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) recommend international standards. Scheme owners using private standards require scheme fees, which is typically an annual payment for issuing a certificate. Whereas international standards do not allow scheme ownership and do not require fees to issue a certificate. Further differences between international standards and private standards are explained in a paper from ISO.
Attestations of Conformity
Attestations of conformity can be made:
- First-party attestations of conformity, an individual or organization providing the good or service offers assurance that it meets certain claims.
- Second-party attestations of conformity, an association to which the individual or organization belongs provides the assurance.
- Third-party attestations of conformity, also referred to as third party certification, involves an independent and impartial assessment performed by a certification body, also referred to as conformity assessment body, declaring that specified requirements pertaining to a product, person, process, or management system have been met.
In respect to third-party, a Notified Body is an accredited body which is entitled by an accreditation body. Upon definition of standards and regulations, the accreditation body may allow a Notified body to provide third-party certification and testing services. All that ensures and assesses compliance to the previously-defined codes but also to provide an official certification mark or a declaration of conformity.
In software testing Certifications
For software testing, the certifications can be grouped into exam-based and education-based. For exam-based certifications the candidate must pass an exam, which can also be learned by self-study. For example, for International Software Testing Qualifications Board Certified Tester by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board or Certified Software Tester by QAI or Certified Software Quality Engineer by American Society for Quality. Education-based certifications are the instructor-led sessions, where each course has to be passed. The Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP), the Certified Agile Software Test Professional (CASTP), the Certified Test Manager (CTM) and other certifications by Institute for Software Testing are such examples. It is common for people who require certifications to undergo paid structured learning to help them achieve their goals.