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Sixteen Tosa digital skills certifications are recognized on South Carolina's Tiered Certification List, providing CTE programs across the state with SCDE-aligned credentials eligible for Career Ready accountability and Perkins V and state CTE funding. Tosa certifications span four career clusters: Management & Entrepreneurship (M&E), Digital Technology (DT), Arts, Entertainment, & Design (AE&D), and Financial Services (FinServ).
Download the 2025–26 Tiered Certification List (PDF) +"CTE is most successful through partnership with business and industry to design and provide high-quality, dynamic programs. … CTE programs in secondary and postsecondary institutions are developing South Carolina's and America's most valuable resource—its people; helping them gain the skills, technical knowledge, academic foundation, and real-world experience they need to prepare for in-demand, high-skill, high-wage careers."
— South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education
The 2025–26 list marks South Carolina's first year operating under its new three-tier certification framework, unanimously approved by the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) in June 2025. The list organizes all approved industry certifications into Tier 1 (Introductory), Tier 2 (Intermediate), and Tier 3 (Career Ready), with each tier assigned a point value for Career Ready accountability purposes. Cluster transition: South Carolina is moving from 16 traditional career clusters to 14 modernized clusters in 2025–26 (full transition in 2026–27).
CATE Programs (SCDE) +
South Carolina's tiered certification system applies to CTE programs at the following levels:
| Category | South Carolina Eligibility |
|---|---|
| School Types | South Carolina public high school districts, career centers, and secondary CTE programs. The Career Ready designation is a high school accountability measure tied to 9th grade cohort entry. |
| Grade Levels | High school (grades 9–12). The OCTE broadly serves grades 6–12, but the approved certification list and Career Ready designation apply to secondary CTE completers at the high school level. |
| Cohort System | Students who entered 9th grade in 2022–23 or 2023–24 (9GR23/9GR24) are evaluated under the previous single-tier system. Students entering 9th grade in 2024–25 or 2025–26 (9GR25/9GR26) are evaluated under the new three-tier system. |
| Certification Alignment | To count toward Career Ready status, a student's earned certifications must align with their designated program of study and career cluster. Certifications earned outside the student's cluster or program do not count. |
In June 2025, the SC Education Oversight Committee implemented a three-tier framework. Each tier carries a point value for the Career Ready designation.
| Tier | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 – Introductory | 1 point | Entry-level certification earned early in a CTE program sequence. Validates foundational competencies; regionally recognized. |
| Tier 2 – Intermediate | 2 points | Industry-aligned certifications valued by employers. Provides employment advantage and job readiness. |
| Tier 3 – Career Ready | 3 points | High-demand certifications required for employment in priority, high-wage occupations. |
Career Ready requirements (9GR25/9GR26 cohorts): one Tier 3 certification (3 pts); or two Tier 2 certifications (4 pts); or a Tier 2 + Tier 1 (3 pts); or a Universal Certification (e.g., OSHA 10) paired with a Tier 2 or Tier 3 — all aligned to the student's cluster. Students cannot combine multiple Tier 1 or multiple Universal certifications. For 9GR23/9GR24 cohorts, one certification carrying the "Currently CR Approved: Yes" designation meets Career Ready — all 16 Tosa certifications carry this designation.
The 16 Tosa certifications below are confirmed on the South Carolina Tiered Certification List. The "CR Approved" column indicates Career Ready approval under the previous single-tier system, applicable to the 9GR23 and 9GR24 cohorts.
| Tosa Certification | ID | Tier | Career Cluster | CR Approved | Required Level & Min. Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 2 – Intermediate | |||||
| Tosa DigComp | 442 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Illustrator | 444 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Photoshop | 445 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa CyberCitizen | 519 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Google Docs | 520 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Google Sheets | 521 | Tier 2 | M&E, DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Google Slides | 522 | Tier 2 | M&E | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Microsoft PowerPoint | 523 | Tier 2 | M&E | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Microsoft VBA Excel | 524 | Tier 2 | M&E | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Microsoft Word | 525 | Tier 2 | M&E | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Microsoft Excel | 585 | Tier 2 | M&E, FinServ | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Web Developer | 527 | Tier 2 | DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa JavaScript | 528 | Tier 2 | DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa WordPress | 529 | Tier 2 | DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tosa Python | 592 | Tier 2 | DT | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
| Tier 3 – Career Ready | |||||
| Tosa for Autodesk AutoCAD | 584 | Tier 3 | AE&D | Yes | Productive · min. 551 / 1,000 |
About the required level & score: Tosa certifications are scored on a 1–1,000 adaptive scale. South Carolina applies Tosa's standard Productive cut score for all certifications.
South Carolina CTE certification attainment feeds into three accountability mechanisms: State Report Cards, CTE Technical Skill Assessments, and Perkins V performance indicators. Under the new tiered system, certifications generate points toward the Career Ready designation, creating a structured incentive for students to pursue stackable, higher-value credentials.
| Reporting Element | South Carolina Details |
|---|---|
| Lead Agency | South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), Office of Career Readiness (OCR). Contact: careerreadiness@ed.sc.gov |
| Reporting System | Districts report certification attainment through PowerSchool. The district PowerSchool Administrator submits data to SCDE and is responsible for the data collection process. |
| What Is Reported | CTE certifications earned by CTE Completers (students who earned all required units in a state-recognized CTE program identified by CIP code). The certification must appear on the approved list for the year earned, using the Cert ID (SRPG code). |
| Accountability Uses | State Report Cards; CTE Technical Skill Assessments under Perkins V; Career Ready designation for state accountability. |
| Guidance | Full reporting procedures are published annually in the CTE Student Reporting Procedures Guide (SCDE). |
25–26 CTE Student Reporting Procedures Guide: SCDE CTE Data Collection and Reporting
Tosa certification costs may be covered through the following sources in South Carolina.
| Funding Source | South Carolina Details |
|---|---|
| Perkins V – Basic Formula Grant | Federal CTE funding under Perkins V. Available to eligible secondary and postsecondary CTE programs for certification exam costs, curriculum, equipment, and related program expenses. |
| State CTE Funding (GAPS) | The approved CTE Local Application establishes eligibility for state and federal fund reimbursement. The CTE Local Plan is submitted through SCDE's Grants Accounting Processing System (GAPS) in the Member Center. |
| Local District / Center Budget | District and career center CTE budgets and local program funds may also be used to purchase certification exams. |
SCDE CTE Performance Accountability: ed.sc.gov — Performance Accountability
Empower your students with SCDE-approved, industry-valued digital credentials that count toward Career Ready accountability — 16 certifications across Management & Entrepreneurship, Digital Technology, and Arts, Entertainment & Design, all requiring a minimum Productive score (551/1,000).
Talk to a South Carolina Education Specialist +