Free Certificate of Achievement Templates

What Is a Certificate of Achievement? 

A Certificate of Achievement is a written statement that acknowledges the success of an individual or group of people in a certain industry or after completion of a project or victory in a contest. Use this certificate to recognize the achievement at any level - elementary school, college, or workplace - and boost the mood of the recipient by showing them their efforts have not remained unnoticed and motivating them to strive for more in the future. 

You can see a full list of Certificate of Achievement templates if you check out our library below.

What to Write in a Certificate of Achievement?

Follow these steps to prepare an Achievement Certificate:

1. Traditionally, this document does not exceed the usual A4 format - it would be impossible to fit all the details on a smaller piece of paper, and if the certificate is formal, the recipient would want to frame it and hang it on the wall, so it has to be big enough to be visible from a distance. 
2. Write down the words "Certificate of Achievement" on top of the page. The main Certificate of Achievement wording depends on the reasons to award someone in the first place - you can be vague and praise the person's accomplishments saying they "successfully completed the course" or presenting them with a document that confirms their "excellence and superior achievement" in a certain field. Alternatively, you can directly speak about the individual's contribution to a certain project or mention the idea they have shared with the others improving the company, raising funds for a charitable cause, or succeeding in athletic competition. In case you are preparing a certificate for several individuals that excelled working together or achieved the same goal, it is better to award a certificate to every one of them instead of making a document they will have to share. 
3. Include the name and signature of the individual responsible for organizing the event or project in question - it can also be the director or leader of the institution that awards the accomplished individual. Even if you choose to print out an Achievement Certificate and there are dozens of them, every signature should be handwritten to show respect and gratitude to every recipient. 
4. If you are making a certificate to acknowledge the achievement of a child, you can use a bright color palette, drawings, pictures, stamps - anything you can think of to decorate an informal document. However, when it comes to a more official setting and circumstances, do not go overboard with embellishment: a white or pale yellow background with words in black, red, dark blue would be perfect and a minimalistic border would do just fine.
5. Consider keeping a copy of an editable Certificate of Achievement on your computer leaving blank space for the name of the future recipient - this will save you time when you are asked to design new certificates for the upcoming event or ceremony. 

Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Certificate of Recognition Template;
• Award Certificate Template;
• Training Certificate Template.