The academic qualifications (or credentials) are official documents that confirm your acquisition of some level of experiences or knowledge in a specific field.

These qualifications can be certified by a document giving proof that you have successfully completed certified education in a specific field. This document can have several forms, but usually it's a certificate or a diploma. You can also give proof of a relevant practical work experience that has helped you in developing the job skills desirable for the employer's needs and the tasks to be performed. This is what we call the prior learning assessments.

On the understanding that the requirements for the practice of a profession or of a trade differ from one country to another and that the significance of the academic qualifications also differs, the employer usually carries on some verification, particularly if the academic qualifications were obtained outside Quebec. It is important to take the following items into account:

• a certification or degree doesn't automatically guarantee the right to the pursuit of a profession or the use of a title;
• some degrees must be renewed on a regular basis, otherwise they lose their value;
• many professions have additional specific requirements (national or provincial) for the pursuit of their profession.