LinkedIn Learning, formerly known as Lynda.com, is an online learning platform that offers a wide variety of courses in business, technology, and creative skills. With over 15,000 courses taught by industry experts, LinkedIn Learning has become a go-to place for professionals looking to gain new skills.
One of the key features of LinkedIn Learning courses is the option to earn a completion certificate for each course you finish. But do all LinkedIn Learning courses come with certificates?
The Short Answer
No, not all LinkedIn Learning courses offer certificates upon completion. Here are the key points:
- LinkedIn Learning offers three types of courses: Standard courses, Practice Tests, and Learning Paths.
- Most standard courses provide completion certificates, but not all.
- Practice tests do not offer certificates.
- Learning Paths provide a single certificate upon completing all the courses in the path.
So in summary, the majority of LinkedIn Learning courses provide certificates, but there are some exceptions. Keep reading for more details.
Breakdown by Course Type
To understand which LinkedIn Learning courses offer certificates, it helps to look at the three main course types:
Standard Courses
This covers the majority of LinkedIn Learning’s course library – individual, self-paced video courses focused on a specific skill or topic. Examples include courses on Excel, project management, photography, web development, and more.
Most standard courses will provide a completion certificate when you finish the course. The certificate documents that you’ve completed the course material. It showcases your learning achievement and can be easily shared on your LinkedIn profile.
However, some standard courses still do not offer completion certificates. This seems to depend on the course creator. For example, courses by LinkedIn itself tend to provide certificates, while some third-party creators may choose not to include them.
So for standard courses, the general rule is that they provide certificates, but check before enrolling to be sure.
Practice Tests
LinkedIn Learning also offers practice tests designed to help prepare for professional certification exams, such as CompTIA, PMI, and Microsoft certs.
These practice tests do not come with LinkedIn Learning certificates. They are focused on prepping for the actual professional exam.
Learning Paths
Learning paths package together individual courses around a skill or certification goal. For example, there are learning paths for Six Sigma, Adobe Photoshop, and web development.
For learning paths, you can earn a single completion certificate once you finish all the courses in the path. The certificate signals you’ve completed all the material needed to reach that learning goal.
Benefits of Certificates
For courses that do provide completion certificates, what are the benefits?
- Document your skills – Certificates give you an official record of the skills and knowledge you’ve gained.
- Share your achievements – Certificates let you showcase your accomplishments on your LinkedIn profile and resume.
- Earn badges – Some certificates come with badges you can display on your professional profiles.
- Get noticed – Completion certificates stand out to potential employers and clients.
- Motivate learning – Having a certificate goal can help motivate you to finish courses.
In summary, certificates provide valuable recognition of your learning efforts. They make it easy to share that you’ve invested the time to complete intensive training from industry experts.
How to Get Certificates
Wondering how you access completion certificates for eligible LinkedIn Learning courses? Here are the steps:
- Finish watching all the course videos and modules – you must view 100% of the content.
- Pass any end-of-course assessment with a score of at least 70% (if required by the course).
- Click the “Certificate” link on the course page to access your certificate.
- The certificate will open as a PDF that you can view, print, save, and share.
For learning paths, you’ll follow the same process after completing all courses in the path to access the single certificate.
You can access your completion certificates any time under the “Certificates” section on your LinkedIn Learning account homepage.
No Certificate Options
What if you finished a course that doesn’t offer a certificate? Here are some options:
- Add the course details to your LinkedIn profile’s Accomplishments section.
- List the course on your resume’s professional development or education section.
- Post about the course completion on your LinkedIn activity feed.
- Email the certificate URL to potential employers as needed.
While not as standardized as a certificate, you can still showcase your learning in other ways.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn Learning offers a wealth of courses to choose from, not all come with completion certificates. Here are the key takeaways:
- Most standard courses provide certificates, but some still don’t.
- Practice tests do not include certificates.
- Learning paths offer a single certificate upon 100% completion.
- Certificates provide valuable validation and recognition of your learning achievements.
- You can still showcase course completion without a formal certificate.
So while it’s not a 100% guarantee, the vast majority of LinkedIn Learning courses will reward your effort with a completion certificate. Just double check before enrolling if certification is a priority for your learning goals.