Trades certificate or diploma: Obtained through apprenticeship (journeyman's) training and/or in-school training in trades-level vocational and pre-vocational courses at community colleges, institutes of technology, and similar institutions where the minimum entrance requirement is less than secondary school, junior or senior matriculation, or its equivalent.

Other non-university certificate or diploma: Obtained in a community college, CEGEP, institute of technology, or any other non-degree granting educational institution. Also included in this category are teaching certificates awarded by provincial departments of education, with the exception of teachers' qualifications at the bachelor level obtained at university-affiliated faculties of education.

University certificate or diploma: These are normally connected with professional associations in fields such as accounting, banking or insurance. If a bachelor's degree is a normal prerequisite for a university certificate or diploma course, then the latter is classified as a university certificate above the bachelor level.