How to list certifications and licenses on a resume

A certification can be the fastest proof on a resume. “AWS Certified Solutions Architect” or “Registered Nurse” tells a recruiter in a few words what an experience bullet might take two lines to show. In some jobs a license is a legal requirement, and without it the application goes no further.

Certifications, licenses and courses

People often lump these together, but readers value them differently, so keep them apart on the page.

Type	What it is	Examples
License	Permission to practice, usually granted by a government or regulatory body. Often required by law.	Registered nurse license, teaching license, electrician license, commercial driver’s license for driving jobs
Certification	Proof that you passed an assessment set by a professional body or vendor. Often has to be renewed.	PMP, AWS certifications, CompTIA Security+, CFA, Certified ScrumMaster
Course	Training you completed, sometimes with a certificate of completion, usually without an independent exam.	An online SQL course, a workshop, an internal company training

A rough test: if anyone who finishes the videos gets the certificate, it is a course. If you had to pass an exam set by a recognized body, it is a certification. If a regulator has to grant it before you can do the job, it is a license.

How to format each entry

Use the same pattern for every entry:

Full name (abbreviation) · Issuing organization · Month Year earned (and expiry, if any)

Project Management Professional (PMP) · Project Management Institute · Mar 2024

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate · Amazon Web Services · Jun 2025 (valid until Jun 2028)

CompTIA Security+ · CompTIA · Nov 2023

Four details make an entry easier to read and to search:

• Write the name both ways: the full name, then the abbreviation in parentheses. Some recruiters search for “PMP”, others for “Project Management Professional”, and applicant tracking systems match the words you use. More on that in our ATS resume guide.
• Name the issuer. “Scrum Master certification” is vague. “Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) · Scrum.org” is specific and checkable.
• Add dates: at least the year earned, and for credentials that expire, the expiry date, so the reader can see it is current.
• Add a verification link or credential ID when the issuer provides one. Many vendors give you a public badge or verification page. It is optional, but it settles any doubt in one click.

Here is what that changes in practice:

Before: Certifications: Scrum, AWS, Google Analytics

After: Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) · Scrum.org · 2023
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner · Amazon Web Services · 2025 (valid until 2028)
Google Analytics Certification · Google · 2026

The first version leaves the reader guessing which Scrum certificate, which AWS level and whether any of it is current.

License numbers

For licensed professions, write the type of license and where it is valid. Whether to add the license number depends on the field and country. In some, employers expect it; in others, it is only given on request. When unsure, list the license and its region, and provide the number when asked.

Registered Nurse (RN) · Texas Board of Nursing · Licensed since 2019

If you are licensed in one country or state and applying in another, say both where you hold the license and where you stand with the new one. Only write what is true at the moment you apply:

Registered Nurse, Philippines (2018) · NMC registration in progress, UK

In-progress certifications

You can list a certification you are working towards, as long as it is clearly marked as in progress and you have actually started. Add the expected date:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate · Amazon Web Services · In progress, exam scheduled Jan 2027

CFA Program · CFA Institute · Passed Level I (2025), Level II candidate

A certification you only plan to start is not a credential yet, so leave “Planning to take the PMP” off. If you have passed the exam and the license or certificate is still being issued, say exactly that:

Licensed Practical Nurse · exam passed Aug 2026, license pending

Where to put certifications

A separate Certifications section

For most people, a short section called Certifications (or Licenses and certifications) works best. Put it after experience and education in a one-column layout, or in the side column of a two-column layout, next to skills and languages. Keep the title plain so both people and software recognize it.

Higher up for licensed professions

If the job cannot be done without a license, the reader needs to see it immediately. Put it in two places:

• next to your name or in your headline: “Jane Doe, RN” or “Registered Nurse · BLS, ACLS”
• in the certifications section, with full details.

This applies to nursing, many healthcare roles, teaching in many school systems, accounting roles that require a professional license, and regulated trades such as electrical work.

The same goes for a certification the ad lists as required. If the ad says “PMP required”, put PMP in your title line or the first sentence of your profile, so the reader doesn’t have to scroll to check.

Inside an experience entry

If you earned a certification as part of a specific job, you can also mention it in that role’s bullets, especially if it led to a result:

Earned Google Ads Search certification and used it to restructure campaigns, cutting cost per lead by 22%.

The certification should still appear in its own section, so readers scanning that section find it.

How many to list

For most people, two to six relevant certifications is plenty. A long list of short online courses can make the strong credentials harder to spot.

Keep:

• Credentials the job ad mentions.
• Well-known credentials in your field.
• Recent credentials that show you are learning something relevant.

Drop or move:

• Expired certifications, unless the job still values the knowledge and you mark them honestly: “Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) · Scrum Alliance · 2016 (lapsed)”. If you hold a current, renewed version, list that instead.
• Trivial certificates, such as a one-hour webinar or a quiz badge.
• Unrelated credentials that do not support the job you are applying for, unless they show something unusual and positive.
• Superseded credentials: if you hold the professional level, the associate level of the same track can usually go.

Examples by field

These examples show the format. Keep only what you actually hold, and check the exact names on your certificates.

IT and cloud

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate · Amazon Web Services · 2025
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate · Microsoft · 2024
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) · The Linux Foundation · 2024
CompTIA Security+ · CompTIA · 2023

Project management

Project Management Professional (PMP) · Project Management Institute · 2024
PRINCE2 Practitioner · PeopleCert · 2022
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) · Scrum.org · 2021

Finance and accounting

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) · Licensed in New York · 2020
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) · CFA Institute · 2023
ACCA Affiliate · Association of Chartered Certified Accountants · 2022

For a full accounting resume, see the accountant resume example.

Nursing and healthcare

Registered Nurse (RN) · State Board of Nursing license · 2018
Basic Life Support (BLS) · American Heart Association · valid until 2027
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) · American Heart Association · valid until 2027

In the UK, nurses list their NMC registration instead of a state license. The registered nurse resume example shows where these go on a full page.

Teaching

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) · Department for Education, England · 2020
CELTA · Cambridge English · 2019
State teaching certificate, Mathematics grades 6–12 · issued by the state education department · 2021

Trades and logistics

Electrician license · issued by the state or national licensing body · 2017
Forklift operator certificate · 2023
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Class A · 2019

The logistics specialist resume example has a certifications section you can compare with your own.

Certifications and your other sections

Certifications work best when the rest of the resume backs them up:

• Skills: if you list “AWS Certified Solutions Architect”, AWS should also appear in your skills. See the skills section guide.
• Experience: at least one bullet should show you using what the certification covers.
• Profile: for credentials that matter in your field, name them in the first line: “PMP-certified project manager with eight years in construction.”

A certification that never shows up in your experience reads as theory, and an interviewer will ask where you used it.

Common mistakes

• Only the abbreviation. “CKA, CSM, PSM” means nothing to a reader outside the field. Write the full name once, abbreviation in parentheses.
• No issuer or date. The reader cannot tell how recent or how credible the credential is. Add both, even if it is only the year.
• Listing an expired license as current. In regulated jobs this can be a serious problem. Check the expiry date before every application and mark anything lapsed.
• Mixing courses and certifications, so that a short online course looks like a professional credential. Give courses their own heading.
• Twenty items. A long list hides the two that matter. Cut to the ones this job would ask about.
• Claiming a credential you have not earned. Many issuers offer online verification, so a false claim is easy to check.

FAQ

Should I include certifications that are not related to the job?

Usually not. Include them only if they show something the employer would value anyway, such as a first aid certificate for a role working with the public, or a language certificate for an international team.

Should I put the certificate itself in my application?

Not unless the employer asks. List it on the resume; bring or upload copies when requested, often during the final stages or onboarding.

Can I list a certification if I passed the exam but the certificate has not arrived?

Yes, if the issuer has confirmed you passed. Write the date of the exam. If the result is pending, list it as in progress instead.

Where do language certificates go?

In your languages section, next to the language: “German (B2, Goethe-Zertifikat B2)”, “English (C1, IELTS 7.5)”. That is where readers look for them.

What about online course certificates?

Put the few that are most relevant in a Courses section, or in Certifications if you keep the list short and the courses are substantial. Name the provider and the course exactly as it appears on the certificate.

Quick checklist

• Full name and abbreviation for each certification
• Issuing organization and date earned
• Expiry date for credentials that expire; lapsed ones marked as lapsed
• In-progress items clearly marked, with an expected date
• Required licenses visible near the top of the page
• Two to six relevant entries, not every course you have taken
• Key certifications also reflected in skills and experience

AlderCV has a Certifications section with fields for the name, issuer, date and a verification link, and each template shows it either in the main column or in the side column. For the full picture, read how to write a resume.