Schools certificates

The school-leaving certificates in North America are fairly uniform as a result of the school system. In the US, students are awarded the High School Diploma. In Canada, the university entrance qualification is known as the Leaving Certificate.

High School Diploma/Leaving Certificate

In North America, the high school years (9th – 12th class) are among the most important years a student spends at school. No certificate is awarded at age 16, so the four high school years alone decide whether a student can embark on a university career or not. During this time students must acquire a certain number of credit points in order to gain the final diploma.

Recognition

Recognition of the various certificates is subject to different regulations in every country. For this reason it is best to find out in advance whether a particular certificate is recognised in your country.