Process of confirmation by an authorised body that an individual has acquired knowledge, know-how, information, values, skills and competences measured against a predefined standard.

Comment
  • Validation consists of four distinct phases:
    • identification of the learning outcomes through dialogue with the person;
    • documentation to make visible the person’s learning outcomes;
    • assessment of those outcomes;
    • certification which may lead to a partial or full qualification;
  • some countries define validation as the confirmation by a competent authority that the learning outcomes acquired by an individual in a formal, non-formal or informal setting have been assessed against a validation standard, and may lead to certification.
Source

Cedefop; Council of the European Union, 2012.