A set of learning outcomes following established standards, whose achievement was formally certified by a competent body.

The above definition refers to the definition included in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008.

Formal certification of the acquired competences consists in the issuance by a competent body of a relevant document (a diploma, certificate, etc.) upon assessment of the learning outcomes and stating that they correspond to the given standards of a given qualification (validation).