Certificate validity period

"The value of a certificate does not lie in the fact that you once studied, but in whether you are capable of applying what you learned in practice".

In a world driven by the speed of constant innovation, continuously updating knowledge, practical skills, and adaptive thinking is no longer a competitive advantage — it is the minimum requirement for survival and growth.

That is why, at BAC, certificates within the PD (Professional Development) system in particular, as well as other certification programs, are designed with clearly defined validity periods. This is not a limitation, but a quality benchmark to ensure the real-world competence and professional capability of certificate holders.

Certificate validity as a mechanism for ensuring practical competence

Below are five key reasons explaining why certificate validity is a mandatory standard in professional education and practice systems worldwide:

1. Knowledge and skills must be continuously updated

All industries - especially Business Analysis (BA), IT, finance, and construction - are evolving every quarter, even every month. A certificate earned five years ago, if not updated, may be irrelevant in today’s context. Certificate validity periods are the only effective way to ensure that professionals do not fall behind.

2. Compliance with legal regulations and professional standards

Regulations and professional standards are constantly updated to align with new real-world practices. Certificate renewal requires holders to stay current, thereby ensuring legal compliance and adherence to professional standards in their practice. Without such a system, many professionals would continue to operate based on outdated knowledge and assumptions.

3. Objective revalidation of professional competence

A time-limited certificate does not simply "expire" – it serves as a re-evaluation milestone. Is the practitioner still competent enough? Are they keeping pace with the changes in the industry? Re-validating competence is necessary, just as a doctor needs to be re-examined before continuing to perform surgery.

4. Protecting the Interests of the Community, Clients, and Employers

A current, valid certification is clear evidence that the holder is still practicing their profession in a responsible, ethical manner, and meets the current professional standards. This mechanism safeguards the interests of those who trust you – from clients to businesses (employers).

5. Creating leverage for professional growth and career advancement

Rather than being a “procedural burden,” certificate renewal serves as an opportunity for self-upgrading - deepening expertise, expanding into new areas, or transitioning to higher professional levels. This is how professionals sustain their competitiveness in the market.

📌 Some typical examples:

Medical practice licenses: Valid for five years and require continuous updates in medical knowledge to remain eligible for practice.
CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certifications: Also valid for five years and must be renewed to ensure compliance with auditing and financial standards.
Real estate brokerage licenses and construction competency certificates: Expire after five years and must be renewed in order to continue professional practice.
BAC certifications: Valid for one year and accompanied by a transparent renewal policy with clear support mechanisms.

Without validity periods, certifications lose their standards

Therefore, assigning a validity period to a certificate is not a limitation - it is a mandatory standard to safeguard training quality, professional competence, and the credibility of certificate holders.

A certificate that is no longer valid also means that professional competence has not been revalidated — and therefore no longer provides sufficient grounds to demonstrate professional value in the labor market.

You cannot enter a rapidly evolving market with credentials that are no longer up to date.

In today’s highly competitive job market, having time-limited certifications is not only reasonable — it is essential in order to:

Prevent the “learn once, use for a lifetime” mindset, which is the root cause of stagnation
Create positive pressure for professionals to maintain continuous learning
Preserve personal credibility in the eyes of employers and clients.

In summary, a certificate holds value only when its holder continues to learn and evolve. And for that to happen, a validity period is essential.

Do you need to renew your certificate at BAC?

Certificate Renewal Process:

1. Complete the Certificate Renewal Registration Form.

2. Immediately after registration, our Customer Service team will confirm your information via email, including clear details of the applicable fees

3. Complete the payment according to the policy - please refer to Section 6: Renewal Policy for details.

4. The Customer Service team will confirm the payment and proceed with preparing your certificate in accordance with the standard issuance process.

Additional information:

👉Certificate Renewal Guidelines

📌Official Notice on Certificate Issuance

Corporate Training Needs

BAC is the first BA training center in Vietnam, the first official partner of IIBA. Besides the public courses, BAC also has in-house courses for each business. The program is designed according to the needs of the business, helping businesses solve difficulties and development consultancy.

BUSINESS ANALYST COURSES BACs.VN RECOMMEND FOR YOU

Online Courses:

CEB.vn

Udemy.com

Offline Courses:

At HCM City:

At Ha Noi:

Read more: The opening schedule of ALL the upcoming courses.

Content Editors - BAC