Effective July 1, 2025, the Washington State Library in Tumwater is closed to the public due to a loss of funding. Limited access will be available by appointment only on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. To request an appointment, please email [email protected].
Earn industry-recognized certifications and build career skills online for free with a library card.
The Washington State Library works with libraries across the state to provide online training and certification resources through the Learn, Practice, Certify! program.
Learn about certifications and digital skills you can get through the library.
Practice your skills and prepare for exams.
Get certified in a variety of valuable fields to grow or start a new career.
Through the Washington State Certification Portal, you can prepare for and access free exams for industry-recognized technical certifications including:
A certification is a non-degree credential that is widely acknowledged and respected by employers within an industry or field as a valid assessment of a person’s knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Certifications teach you skills that prepare you for roles in administration, finance, small business, and IT support from entry-level through career advancement certifications.
At retail, certifications can cost from $300-$800 for the course, practice test, exam, and proctoring, but all this is free with your library card through the certification portal.
Check if your local library already provides access to the Washington State Certification Portal from dropdown menu on the login page. If your local library is not on the drop-down list, you can sign in with a virtual Washington State Library card. Sign up for a virtual card from the Get a library card page.
The library offers certifications that prepare you for success and upward mobility in your career.
Cisco Certified Support Technician certifications can lead to internships and apprenticeships to start a tech career. They are also the first step in earning more advanced certifications.
CompTIA certifications prepare you for entry-level and more advanced IT support roles.
These certifications prepare you for administrative office work in any sector.
This suite of certifications prepares you for entry-level IT support specific to Microsoft platforms.
These support accounting, payroll, and small business roles.
Anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Washington can request free exam vouchers for certifications currently offered by the library.
Visit our certification exam guide for more details.
Through the Washington State Certification Portal, you can access courses, practice exams, and learning resources to prepare for certification exams or build skills with software commonly used in workplaces, schools, and healthcare environments.
The length of the course varies by certification. Some take as little as 15 hours, while others can take up to 60 hours to complete. All courses are self-paced, and you set your own schedule.
LinkedIn Learning offers standalone video tutorials, courses, and full learning paths that prepare learners for a wide variety of professional, technical, and creative skillsets.
Visit our LinkedIn Learning guide for more details.
With GMetrix, learners can prepare for certification exams with hands-on, real-world simulations of the software applications, including timed practice exams.
Visit our GMetrix guide for more details.
Free, self-paced, certification-aligned courses in topics like cybersecurity, networking, and Python, hosted on netacad.com.
Access 24 courses aligned with certification preparation through Washington State Library.
Visit our Cisco guide for more details.
Visit our Microsoft Learn guide for more details.
Visit our Northstar Guide for more details.
Browse the Washington State Certification Portal to learn what interests you. To get started on a course, log in with your local or state library card, and request the course code you’d like. You can get a new course code every 24 hours. Take as many classes as you like to explore if a certification is a good fit. You can read more about the skills you can learn and how to apply them to advance in your career from our certification guide.
Earning an industry-valued certification can help reduce or remove barriers to entry into business, clerical, and IT sectors. A certification can help you transition into a living wage career in business, IT, or bookkeeping in a matter of weeks. Research shows jobseekers with a certification are more likely to get an interview and earn more on average.
Need help or have questions?
Contact Joyce Abbott, Workforce Development Librarian
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (360) 570-5578
Funded in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).