While some will argue that we are splitting hairs, at GoCertify we feel that the distinction between the words certificate and certification is very important. A certificate is something you are most likely to receive for attending a seminar or completing a training program. In other words, it largely signifies attendance, although certainly in some cases that attendance may include taking and passing exams. A certification, on the other hand, has the exam(s) at the center, and virtually anyone is eligible to challenge them and see if they measure up. Although not many people can walk in cold and pass a certification exam, with a few exceptions you can get any necessary training however you see fit. That might be through work experience, self study, or even a formal course that provides you with one of the aforementioned certificates. But even after that course, even if it is provided by the certification vendor, you will not be certified until you pass that certification exam. This is not to suggest a certificate is meaningless, only that the term is not interchangeable with certification.