How do you list certifications on a resume?

In a “Certifications” section, one per line with the name, issuing organisation and year earned, plus the expiry date if it has one.

Where should certifications go on a resume?

Near the top for cloud, security, networking and IT roles, where they're often requirements. Near the bottom for software engineering, data and ML roles.

Should I put certifications in progress on my resume?

Only if the exam is scheduled or you're close. Write “expected” with the month and year.

Are Udemy or Coursera certificates worth listing?

Usually not on their own. Show what you built with the skill instead. Proctored professional certificates are worth more.

How to list certifications on a software engineer resume

By Mubeen Jawed, founder of ResumeForDev · Updated November 7, 2026

Short answer

List certifications in their own section titled “Certifications”, one per line: the certification name, the issuing organisation and the year earned (and expiry if it has one), such as “AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Amazon Web Services, 2025”. Put the section near the top for cloud, security, networking and IT roles where certs are hiring filters, and near the bottom for software engineering roles where experience matters more. Only list current, relevant certifications.

Key points

Format: name, issuer, year. Add credential ID only if asked.
Near the top for cloud, security, networking and IT roles.
Near the bottom for most software engineering roles.
In progress? Write “expected Month Year” and only if you're close.

The format

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Amazon Web Services, 2025
CompTIA Security+, CompTIA, 2024 (expires 2027)
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), The Linux Foundation, 2025
Google Professional Data Engineer, Google Cloud, expected Jan 2027

Spell out the full name and add the common abbreviation in brackets if people search for it (CKA, CISSP, CCNA). Recruiters may search either. If you have a public verification link (Credly and similar), you can link the certification name in the PDF.

Where certifications go

Where to place certifications by role
Role	Placement	Why
Cloud, DevOps	Near the top or with skills	AWS, Azure, GCP and Kubernetes certs are common filters
Cyber security	Near the top	Security+, CySA+, CISSP and OSCP are often required
Networking	Near the top	CCNA and CCNP are standard requirements
IT support	Near the top	A+ and Network+ often stand in for experience
Software engineering	Near the bottom	Projects and experience carry more weight
Data and ML	Near the bottom, unless entry level	Portfolio projects usually matter more

Certifications worth listing in tech

Cloud: AWS Certified (Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect, Developer, DevOps Engineer), Microsoft Azure (AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-204), Google Cloud (Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Data Engineer)
Containers and infrastructure: CKA, CKAD, HashiCorp Terraform Associate
Security: CompTIA Security+, CySA+, CISSP, OSCP, CEH
Networking: CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+
IT support: CompTIA A+, Microsoft 365 certifications
Data: Google Data Analytics, Databricks, Snowflake SnowPro

Certifications in progress

List a certification you're working toward only if your exam is booked or you're close: “AWS Certified Developer – Associate (expected March 2027)”. Don't list ones you've only thought about. Interviewers ask, and an expected date that has passed raises questions.

Certifications vs. experience

For software engineering roles, a certification rarely beats a bullet that shows the skill in use. “AWS Certified Developer” plus a bullet about moving 30 services to ECS is much stronger than the certification alone. Put the evidence in your experience and projects, and use the certification as support. See the skills section guide for how they fit together.

Frequently asked questions

How do you list certifications on a resume?: In a “Certifications” section, one per line with the name, issuing organisation and year earned, plus the expiry date if it has one.
Where should certifications go on a resume?: Near the top for cloud, security, networking and IT roles, where they're often requirements. Near the bottom for software engineering, data and ML roles.
Should I put certifications in progress on my resume?: Only if the exam is scheduled or you're close. Write “expected” with the month and year.
Are Udemy or Coursera certificates worth listing?: Usually not on their own. Show what you built with the skill instead. Proctored professional certificates are worth more.