Verify a Qualification
Enter the certificate reference printed on the certificate — or, on an older certificate, the certificate number. Both are accepted. CPD certificate references (CPD-…) are checked here too.
Certificate from an awarding body?
If the training provider uploaded a certificate issued by an awarding body, enter that certificate's number and the holder's surname. Both must match.
What this check tells you
Every qualification awarded through Semseo Training carries a unique reference number, printed on the certificate and on any digital copy. Entering it here confirms four things directly from the awarding record: the name of the person who holds it, the course they completed, the date it was awarded, and the date it expires. If a certificate has been revoked, this page says so.
Where to find the reference
The reference appears near the foot of the certificate, usually in the form SEM- followed by ten characters. It is not the learner's name, email address or booking number. If you have been sent a photograph or a scan, the reference is still readable and still valid — the check is against our records, not against the document itself, so an altered or forged certificate will not verify.
CPD certificates
A CPD certificate carries a reference in the form CPD- followed by ten characters, and a QR code that opens this page. The check reads the live CPD record, so it shows whether the record is still valid or has been withdrawn, and who vouches for it: a training provider, the organisation that recorded it, or “Self-recorded” when the holder recorded it themselves and no training provider has verified it. A CPD certificate records continuing professional development; it is not a qualification or a certificate of competence.
If a certificate will not verify
The most common causes are a mistyped reference (the characters 0 and O are easily confused), a certificate issued by a different provider, or a qualification recorded under a training organisation that manages its own certification. Ask the holder to check the reference against the original, and if it still fails, contact us with the reference and we will look into it.
Employers and safeguarding checks
This service is free and needs no account. If you verify certificates regularly — for example as part of a safer-recruitment or compliance process — a Semseo Training organisation account lets you hold your team's records in one place and be warned before qualifications lapse. See our courses or what the platform does.