Experience Verification – Certn

Employment education and gap verification in one check

Learn how Experience Verification works, how to configure it, and why new gaps may appear after an applicant submits their information.

Overview

Experience Verification combines employment, education, and gap verification within one configurable check. It reviews an applicant’s history over a selected lookback period and creates a separate verification for each employer, education entry, and detected gap that falls within scope.

Experience Verification must be ordered using an active template. It is available through the applicant invitation flow and is not available through QuickScreen. It cannot be ordered in the same case as standalone Employment Verification or Education Verification.

How Experience Verification works

The client selects an Experience Verification template when ordering the check.
The applicant provides their identity and contact details, employment history, education history, and any required information about gaps.
Certn creates separate verification checks for each in-scope employer, education entry, and detected gap.
Employment and education checks are completed independently using the appropriate digital data source or manual verification process.
After those checks finish, Certn recalculates gaps using verified dates and completes any additional gap reviews before finalizing Experience Verification.

Configure an Experience Verification template

Templates are managed in the Client Portal under Settings > Experience Verification Templates. The selected template controls the scope of every order placed with it.

Setting	What it controls
Lookback period	How far back the applicant’s employment, education, and gaps are reviewed. The supported range is generally 1 to 10 years.
Education scope	Which education entries are verified, such as all education, the highest completed level, post-secondary education, or education within the lookback period.
Gap detection	Whether gaps are identified and verified. When disabled, applicants are not asked to complete gap history.
Gap threshold	The minimum length a gap must reach before it is included. The threshold may use months or days, depending on the template.
Gap verification type	Whether each gap requires a statement, a referee, or supporting documentation.
Cumulative gap detection	Whether multiple shorter gaps are included when their combined duration reaches the threshold.
Digital employment verification	Whether eligible employment may be verified through an available digital data source.

Template settings cannot be changed after the template is created, although the template can be renamed, activated, or deactivated. Create a new template when different verification settings are required.

Information the applicant provides

The applicant may be asked to provide:

Their name, previous names when applicable, date of birth, and contact information.
Employment history covering the required lookback period.
Education history based on the template’s selected scope.
Gap explanations, referee details, or documents when gap detection is enabled.
Employment documents when required for a specific employer or verification route.

The applicant must account for the full lookback period through employment, education, and declared gaps before submitting the form.

How gap detection works

Gaps are evaluated twice. This two-stage review helps identify differences between the dates declared by the applicant and the dates confirmed during verification.

Stage	Dates used	What happens
During the application	Applicant-declared employment and education dates	The form identifies gaps that meet the template threshold and asks the applicant for the required gap information.
After verification	Dates confirmed by employers and education institutions	Certn recalculates the timeline. New or extended gaps may require additional information before Experience Verification can complete.

A new gap after submission is expected when verified dates differ from the applicant’s original dates. For example, a confirmed employment start date may be later than the date the applicant entered.

Experience Verification remains in progress until any newly identified gap is reviewed.

Gap verification options

Option	What the applicant provides	How it is reviewed
Statement	A written explanation for the gap	A statement entered during the application can be processed without further outreach. A newly detected gap may require follow-up.
Reference	The gap explanation and a referee’s contact details	The referee is contacted to verify the gap. Reference fees apply per gap.
Documentation	The gap explanation and supporting documents	The documents are reviewed to confirm coverage. Documentation fees apply per gap.

Results and reports

Experience Verification acts as a container for its individual employment, education, and gap checks. Each individual check displays its own outcome, and the report shows the checks in date order, with the most recent items first.

Outcome	What it means
Verified	The information was successfully verified.
Unable to verify	The information could not be verified and requires review. This does not necessarily mean the applicant provided incorrect information.
In progress	One or more employment, education, or gap checks still require completion.

Gap reports compare applicant-provided information with verified information. Gaps found after submission are identified in the report.

Fees

Experience Verification includes a fee based on the selected lookback period. Separate fees may apply for each employment verification, education verification, gap reference, gap documentation review, third-party data source, and optional CV review. Gap statements are generally provided at no additional charge.

The template price shown when ordering may not include every individual verification or third-party fee. Review your current pricing agreement or contact your Certn representative for current rates.

Frequently asked questions

Why did a new gap appear after employment or education was verified?

Certn recalculates gaps using verified dates. If those dates differ from the applicant’s declarations, the verified timeline may reveal a new or longer gap. Additional information may be required before the check can be completed.

Can gap detection be turned off while keeping employment and education verification?

Yes. Create or select a template with gap detection disabled. The applicant will still need to provide employment and education history covering the required lookback period.

What is the difference between statement and reference gaps?

A statement gap uses the applicant’s written explanation. A reference gap requires referee details and outreach to verify the gap. Reference verification is billed per gap.

What is cumulative gap detection?

Cumulative gap detection considers the combined length of multiple shorter gaps. When their total reaches the selected threshold, each contributing gap is included for review.

Can the applicant edit a gap after submitting?

No. The form is locked after submission. If verified dates reveal a new or changed gap, Certn manages the required follow-up through the verification process.

Why did an employment verification not complete digitally?

Digital verification is available only for eligible employment when the template permits it and the applicant completes a matching digital verification session. Otherwise, the employment is routed for manual verification.

Why were multiple education checks created?

The selected education scope and lookback period may place more than one education entry in scope. A separate check is created for each applicable entry.

How is Experience Verification priced?

Pricing includes a lookback-based Experience Verification fee plus applicable per-check fees for employment, education, gaps, third-party data sources, and optional CV review.