---
url: /certificates/conditional-certificates.md
description: >-
  Award a RootWright LMS certificate only when a student meets your rules, such
  as a score of at least 70% on every quiz, using the Certificate tab in the
  course builder.
---

# How to set conditional certificates in RootWright LMS

A conditional certificate is awarded only when a student meets rules you set. Completing the course is not enough on its own. For example, you can require a score of at least 70% on every quiz.

You set this for each course in the course builder, on the **Certificate** tab.

## Before you start

* The course has the quizzes, exams or assignments that your rules will check.
* You can edit the course.

## Choose when a certificate is awarded

::: steps

1. Open the course in the course builder and click **Certificate**.
2. Open **Award a certificate** and choose one of the options below.
   :::

| Option | When a student gets the certificate |
|---|---|
| **No certificate** | Never. Students finish the course without earning anything. |
| **Automatically, on completion** | As soon as they complete the course. |
| **Only when an instructor issues it** | When an instructor issues it. |
| **Automatically, if the student meets my criteria** | When the rules below are met. This page covers this option. |

![The Certificate tab with No certificate selected](/images/certificates/conditional-certificates-00-course-tab.jpg)

*The Certificate tab of a course. The default is **No certificate**.*

## Add a rule

When you choose **Automatically, if the student meets my criteria**, the page shows **The student must meet** with a drop-down set to **all**, and an empty criteria area.

![The criteria option with no rules yet](/images/certificates/conditional-certificates-01-criteria-mode.jpg)

*Until you add a rule, nobody can earn this certificate.*

Rules are arranged in groups. A group has its own rules, and the groups are joined together.

::: steps

1. Choose whether the student must meet **all** or **any** of the groups.
2. Click **Add group** to add a group. A new group opens with one rule.
3. In **Meet**, choose **all** or **any** of the rules below.
4. Set the rule. Choose a measure, such as **score a percentage of**, then a comparison such as **at least**, and a value such as `70` %.
5. Choose what the rule counts, such as **Quizzes**, and which attempts count.
6. Click **Add rule** to add another rule to the group.
   :::

![A criteria group with one rule: score at least 70% on every quiz](/images/certificates/conditional-certificates-02-rule.jpg)

*A group with one rule. The sentence under the rule shows how it reads to a student: "Score at least 70% across every quiz."*

### What a rule can measure

* **Measure**: **score a percentage of**, **earn marks across**, **pass every one of**, or **pass a number of**.
* **Comparison**, for a percentage: **at least**, **more than**, **exactly**, **at most** or **less than**.
* **What it counts**: **Quizzes**, **Exams**, **Assignments**, **Quizzes, exams and assignments**, **Course grade**, **Checkpoints** or **Recall**.
* **Which items**: **all of them**, or **only the ones I pick**.
* **Attempt**: **best attempt**, **latest attempt** or **first attempt only**.

## Show the criteria to students

Turn on **Show these criteria to students** to show the rules to students in words. Leave it off to keep the rules private.

## Choose the certificate design

Under **Certificate design for this course**, choose one of these:

* **Site default**: follow the design set in **Settings → Certificates**.
* **Sky — Portrait**
* **Sky — Landscape**

The design you choose here applies to this course only.

## Sign the certificate

The **Who signs this certificate** box lists the instructors who sign. If your name is not there yet, click **Add your signature**.

## Save the course

Click **Update** in the top bar. The certificate is not live until you save. The top bar shows **1 change not live yet** while you have unsaved changes.

## Messages you may see

* **"No criteria yet. Until you add one, nobody can earn this certificate."** Add at least one group with one rule.
* **"Completing the course is not enough on its own — the rules below decide."** This note is shown under the option when rules decide the award. It is not an error.

## Related

* [Course builder](/courses/course-builder)
* [Certificate studio](/certificates/certificate-studio)
* [Grading and results](/quizzes/grading-and-results)