Before spending money on a certification, first verify whether it appears in the National Vocational Qualification Catalogue or in the list of evaluation agencies registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

8. Before spending money on a certification, first verify whether it appears in the National Vocational Qualification Catalogue or in the list of evaluation agencies registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Cost: No cost at all. It takes just a few minutes to check once.

In plain terms: Some organizations run training programs, charge fees, and issue certificates under the guise of new occupations or skill levels, while others even impersonate authoritative institutions. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has taken targeted actions to curb such practices. Before enrolling, follow three steps: confirm whether the occupation is listed in the National Vocational Qualification Catalogue; verify that the issuing agency is registered with the Ministry; and check whether the certificate number can be found on the official platform. If any of these checks fail, any money spent on enrollment is essentially wasted.

Benefit: The Ministry has launched nationwide efforts to address these issues. Official documents specifically identify the problematic practices as “some organizations and entities arbitrarily running training, evaluation, and certification activities under the banner of new occupations, skill levels, etc., charging excessive fees and issuing certificates indiscriminately; others making false or exaggerated claims, even impersonating authoritative institutions to organize training, evaluation, and certificate issuance.” Related measures include joint crackdowns with authorities such as Cyberspace Administration, public security, and market regulation to “severely punish any evaluation or certification activities conducted by unregistered agencies or those not approved by the Ministry.” Illegal promotional content on websites and social media is also shut down per law. Additionally, the Ministry urges the public to learn how to verify certificate legitimacy and value.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China (2022). Notice on carrying out special management of "copycat certificates" in technical skills. <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2022-03/18/content_5679641.htm>

Notes: Follow this exact sequence for verification. First, check whether the occupation appears in the National Vocational Qualification Catalogue; if not, it is not a nationally recognized qualification. Next, confirm that the issuing agency is registered with the Ministry. Finally, use the official platform for skilled worker qualification certificate queries to see if the certificate number returns a valid result. Do not enroll if any step fails. Certificates bearing terms such as “International”, “Advanced”, “Registered”, or those promising “guaranteed passing results” or “income from certificate registration” carry the highest risk.