In fields such as teaching, accounting, and acupuncture, certification is a formal process to ensure that a person is qualified in terms of particular knowledge or skills and also has the relevant experiences. Certification programs are often prepared or supervised by some certification agency, such as a professional association. In some cases, only members of these associations can access the certification. Other requirements for certifications include academic qualifications, knowledge of a particular trade according to the Certification Bodies Knowledge Book (BOK), certain years of documented experience, employee references, and many other prerequisites.

Professional bodies, such as accounting bodies, began to realize the importance of certification given the trend of recruiting graduates for professionals. Such graduates will not be willing to spend long periods as interns and learn while studying. A faster way to establish yourself is to get certified in some specialized area, such as management accounting, internal auditing, or forensic accounting. See the list below for examples of such certifications.

• Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) by the Institute of Internal Auditors

• Certified Commercial and Industrial Accountants (CCIA) from Malaysia Institute of Commercial and Industrial Accountants

• Certified Professionals in Internal Control Management (CiCMP), GRC Sox Group

• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Certifications can benefit both the individuals and the organizations they work for. Benefits for organizations include the ability for staff to be trained to a consistent skill level and also have skills that are compared to recognized criteria. Certified individuals tend to be more productive and work to consistent standards. Certification can reduce downtime, because staff members have the skills to deal with issues as they arise, and because certified individuals made greater use of a product’s advanced features and were able to implement new products. more easily. Earning certifications can be aligned with performance-related pay, allowing companies to have readily available benchmarks on which to base such decisions. Other benefits include lower staff turnover and better customer satisfaction.

On an individual level, certified people are more employable: According to an IDC whitepaper, “Sixty-three percent of hiring managers believe that certified people are more productive than their non-certified counterparts[1]. “Certified Individuals Could Earn More: An MCP Survey by IDC Found 43% Gained a Pay Raise After Earning Their Certification[2]. Some certifications make you part of a professional network, for example Microsoft Certified Professionals belong to a community that only they can access.

Certification issues

Certification confers on the recipient recognition that carries economic value, as certified personnel are in a better position to obtain a service contract or charge more than someone else with similar skills without certification. This places great importance on the quality of the certification itself and the due process that is carried out to ensure that the certified person meets the prescribed standard and is in a position to maintain it. Webster[3] He suggested that the most fundamental due process is the right to reapply for certification or retake the certification exam. In fact, reexamination virtually eliminates the possibility of recurring clerical or computational errors. Consequently, most certification bodies require certified members to maintain or enhance their skills by undergoing Continuing Professional Development. For example, certified internal auditors from the Institute of Internal Auditors of Malaysia (IIAM) must obtain 80 hours of training every 2 years.[4]. Some professional bodies like the Board of Certified Security Professionals require that their Certified Security Professionals be recertified [5] every 5 years.

[1] Source: Quality Assurance (QA Limited) website

[2] Source: Quality Assurance (QA Limited) website

[3] Document on Legal Issues in Certification, presented by Hugh K. Webster at the CESB 2000 Certification Symposium held on February 8, 2000 in Alexandria, Virginia.

[4] Source: Malaysia Institute of Internal Audit

[5] Source: Board of Certified Security Professionals