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CERTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION (CERTIFICATION ID) STANDARD & POLICY

1. Purpose

This policy establishes the official Certification Identification Number (Certification ID) standard for all credentials issued by the Coalition of Information Technology Businesses (COITB). The Certification ID ensures consistency, uniqueness, traceability, and audit integrity across all certification programs, platforms, and reporting systems.

2. Certification ID Format (Required Standard)

All COITB certifications must be issued using the following format:

[YY]-[SEQUENCE]-[EXAM CODE]

EXAMPLE: 25-000137-JD

3. Certification ID Component Breakdown

3.1 Year Issued (YY): 25

Represents the calendar year of issuance

Uses a four-character numeric year marker

Supports:

Recertification timelines

Audit and compliance tracking

Credential lifecycle management

3.2 Sequence Number:

000137

A six-digit, zero-padded sequential number

Assigned in ascending order per certification program

Must be globally unique within the issuing year

Sequence numbers are:

Never reused

Retained even if a credential is revoked

3.3 Exam Code (Credential Identifier)

JD

Two-letter code representing the official certification name

Assigned and governed by COITB

Ensures credential-level identification without exposing personal data

  1. Official Exam Code Registry

| Certification Name | Exam Code | | --------------------------------- | --------- | | JavaScript Professional Developer | JD | | ReactJS Framework Developer | RD | | MySQL Backend Developer | MD | | Professional Python Developer | PD | | HTML-CSS Web Designer | HD |

Exam codes are fixed and may only be modified through formal governance approval.

  1. Generation Rules

Certification IDs are generated only by authorized COITB systems or personnel

IDs are assigned at the time of credential issuance

Certification IDs are permanent and may not be altered once issued

Any administrative correction results in record annotation, not ID replacement

  1. Platform Usage

The Certification ID serves as the Issuer Earner ID in Credly

Appears on:

Digital badges

Certificates

Verification records

Used as the authoritative reference for:

Employers

Regulators

Auditors

Apprenticeship and workforce partners

  1. Prohibited Practices

The following actions are strictly prohibited:

Reusing Certification IDs

Changing exam codes without governance approval

Embedding personally identifiable information in the ID

Issuing credentials without an assigned Certification ID

  1. Compliance Alignment

This standard aligns with:

ISO/IEC 17024 credential traceability principles

ANSI-aligned certification governance

VA / GI Bill audit requirements

Department of Labor credential documentation standards

  1. Example Walkthrough

Credential: JavaScript Professional Developer Year Issued: 25 Sequence Number: 000137

Certification ID:

25-000137-JD

  1. Governance Statement

This Certification ID standard is the authoritative format for all COITB-issued credentials and must be applied consistently across all issuance platforms, systems, and official documentation.