# Certificates and Skills

Chamilo allows you to award certificates to learners who meet specific achievement criteria, and to validate skills associated with those achievements.

## How Certificates Work

Certificates are linked to the **Gradebook**. When a learner's grade meets or exceeds the minimum threshold you define, a certificate is automatically generated.

The workflow is:

1. Set up the [Gradebook](https://docs.chamilo.org/2.x/teacher-guide/teacher-guide/assessing-learners/gradebook) with your exercises, assignments, and other graded activities
2. Define a **minimum certification score** (e.g., 70%)
3. When a learner reaches that score, they can download their certificate

## Certificate Templates

Certificates use templates defined by the platform administrator. The template typically includes:

* The learner's name
* The course name
* The date of completion
* The score achieved
* A QR code or URL for online verification

## Skills

Skills represent competencies that learners acquire. In Chamilo:

* Skills can be linked to gradebook achievements
* When a learner earns a certificate, any associated skills are automatically validated
* Skills accumulate on the learner's profile, creating a competency record
* Skills can be organized hierarchically (e.g., "Data Analysis" under "Research Methods")

## Viewing Certificate and Skill Status

As a teacher, you can see:

* Which learners have earned certificates in your course
* Which skills have been validated
* Learners' progress toward the certification threshold

Learners can view their own certificates and validated skills from their profile.

## Tips

* **Set clear expectations** — Tell learners at the start of the course what they need to achieve to earn a certificate
* **Use meaningful skill names** — Skills should describe what the learner can do, not just the course name
* **Combine with portfolios** — Encourage learners to add their certificates to their portfolio