certification
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certification
The formal process in which an independent body checks and confirms that a product, service, system, or person meets certain defined requirements or standards.
Die Zertifizierung des Unternehmens nach ISO 9001 dauerte mehrere Monate.
The company's certification according to ISO 9001 took several months.
'Zertifizierung' (certification) is a noun derived from the verb 'zertifizieren' (to certify). The ending '-ung' makes the word feminine ('die') and can refer both to the process itself and to its result (the document).
Die Zertifizierung als Bio-Bauer ist ein langer Prozess.
Certification as an organic farmer is a long process.
Whether the process or the document is meant is often revealed by the verb in the sentence. Verbs like 'dauern' (to take/last), 'beantragen' (to apply for), or 'durchführen' (to carry out) point to the process. Verbs like 'erhalten' (to receive), 'vorlegen' (to present), or 'aushängen' (to post/display) refer to the document.
Die Zertifizierung dauert sechs Wochen.
The certification takes six weeks.
When referring to the process, the standard according to which certification is carried out is often mentioned. The typical preposition for this is 'nach': 'Zertifizierung nach DIN-Norm' (certification according to a DIN standard) or 'Zertifizierung nach den Richtlinien' (certification according to the guidelines).
Unser Unternehmen strebt eine Zertifizierung nach dem neuen Umweltstandard an.
Our company is aiming for certification according to the new environmental standard.
exam / inspection
'die Prüfung' and 'die Zertifizierung' can both be part of an official checking process. In a 'Prüfung', it is determined whether something meets certain requirements or is in order. 'die Zertifizierung' goes one step further: an independent body checks something and then officially confirms that standards are met. Learners may confuse the words because certification always involves checking. But not every inspection leads to certification.
Für den Verkauf in Europa braucht das Gerät eine offizielle Zertifizierung.
For sale in Europe, the device needs official certification.
Die Prüfung der Unterlagen ist noch nicht abgeschlossen.
The review of the documents has not yet been completed.