The concept of professional certification has a longstanding history, serving as an accepted method to validate an individual’s proficiency within a specific profession. These professional certifications confirm that predetermined requirements, which are sometimes enacted in law, have been met and grant official authorization to practice.

The process of establishing a profession and its standards typically evolves over a long period of time, prompted by the acknowledgment of the need for professional standards within a specific industry or occupational sector, particularly those which are connected to the functioning of societal infrastructure (such as law, medical, finance, engineering). The Professional Certification ecosystem incorporates a number of stakeholders, from certifying authorities, professional associations, educational institutions, and assessment providers each playing a role to design, deliver and assess professional standards, which are in turn overseen by certifying authorities.

While traditional professions have well-established standards and practices, emerging fields, particularly those in information technology are still forming, and taking on a different shape of certification. Technologies like cloud computing and cybersecurity demand specialized knowledge and skills, often associated with proprietary technologies vested in corporations. Consequently, certifications tailored to these proprietary technologies, such as Amazon, CISCO, Oracle, Google or Microsoft certifications, have emerged.