Certifications and Courses on a CV: What to List, Where to Put Them and How to Format Them

Certifications can be the line that gets you through an ATS filter — many job ads list them as hard requirements, from PMP and CPA to a forklift licence. But a long list of short online courses does the opposite: it hides the one certificate that matters.

What to include

• Licences and certifications named in the job ad — always, and with the exact name.
• Professional certifications in your field (PMP, CIPD, ACCA, AWS, CCNA, NEBOSH).
• Courses that fill a gap for this job — for example a data analysis course for a career changer.
• Mandatory safety or regulatory training in technical and healthcare roles.

What to leave out

• Short courses unrelated to the job.
• Expired certifications, unless you note that renewal is in progress.
• Attendance certificates for one-hour webinars.

The right format

Name — issuing body — date (and expiry if relevant) — credential ID if verifiable. For example: Project Management Professional (PMP) — PMI — 2024. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate — Amazon Web Services — 2025, valid until 2028.

Where to put it

1. A separate Certifications section after education for most people.
2. In the profile, too, when the certification is required for the role.
3. Next to your name for regulated titles (for example CPA, PE, RN) where that is the local custom.

In progress and online courses

List a certification you are working towards with an expected date: PMP — in progress, exam planned for March 2026. For online platforms, name the provider and the project you completed, not just the course title.