Vocations · Job Skills

A copy proves nothing.
The issuer does.

Licenses lapse, certifications expire, degrees come from schools that are not accredited, and a PDF is easy to edit. Verifying means checking with whoever issued the credential. Use it on your own credentials before you list them, or on someone else’s before you rely on them, and keep the date and result of each check.

Verify a credentialWhat you get

Your credentials

The worked example is made up, school included: a candidate’s nursing license verified at the state board, and a degree the registrar could not find. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Vocations · Job SkillsAlso for Vocations · CertificationsFree

What you finish with
A record per credential: holder by initials, kind, name, issuer, number, expiration, accreditation for degrees, each check with source, date and result, and eight steps. Counts checks verified at the issuer and days to expiration; flags no primary-source check, mismatches and not-found results, near or past expiration, unaccredited schools, digital badges and FCRA consent and notice rules.
Who it is for
Job seekers checking their own credentials, hiring managers, small employers and anyone hiring a licensed professional.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per credential. Prints one credential, every credential in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Job Skills space in Caveat Vocations; also listed in the Certifications space (as the Professional Credential Verification Guide).
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the credential, issuer and number.
  2. Check it at the issuer’s own lookup or registry.
  3. Record each check with its date and result.
  4. Work through the steps.
  5. Recheck after each renewal or expiration.

Verify a credential

Primary sources

Where to verify each kind of credentialCredentialPrimary sourceLook forState licenseThe state board’s lookupStatus, discipline, expiryNursing licenseNursys, from the boardsCompact privilegeDegreeRegistrar, or a clearinghouseAccredited schoolCertificationThe certifying body’s registryActive, not lapsedDigital badgeThe issuer’s badge pageCriteria and dateWhere to verify each kind of credentialState licensePrimary source: The state board’s lookupLook for: Status, discipline, expiryNursing licensePrimary source: Nursys, from the boardsLook for: Compact privilegeDegreePrimary source: Registrar, or a clearinghouseLook for: Accredited schoolCertificationPrimary source: The certifying body’s registryLook for: Active, not lapsedDigital badgePrimary source: The issuer’s badge pageLook for: Criteria and date
Accreditation can be checked in the U.S. Department of Education’s DAPIP database and the CHEA directory.

Your own credentials

Before you list a license or certification on a résumé, look yourself up the way an employer will. Make sure the name matches, the status is active and the expiration is current; fix any error with the issuer first.

Signs of a diploma mill

Degrees awarded for life experience alone, a flat price per degree, no required coursework and accreditors with names that sound official but do not appear in the Department of Education or CHEA lists.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education. Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) (ope.ed.gov/dapip) and Diploma mills and accreditation (ed.gov).
  2. Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CHEA directory of institutions and programs (chea.org).
  3. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Nursys license verification and the Nurse Licensure Compact (nursys.com, ncsbn.org).
  4. Federal Trade Commission. Using consumer reports: what employers need to know (FCRA) (ftc.gov).
  5. 1EdTech. Open Badges specification (1edtech.org).

The worked examples are made up; the school is invented. This checklist describes verification practice generally and is not legal advice; licensing rules differ by state and profession. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.