CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1: Separate Certifications and Credential Validity

CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 are separate courses, separate assessments, and separate professional certifications.

CDVP2.1 was not created by adding an expiration date to CDVP2.0. The CDVP2.1 course materials were substantially revised and expanded, and the CDVP2.1 certification assessment questions were completely rewritten to evaluate the CDVP2.1 body of knowledge.

A candidate who enrolls in the CDVP2.1 course, completes the applicable CDVP2.1 requirements, and passes the CDVP2.1 certification assessment earns CDVP2.1. That candidate did not earn CDVP2.0 and is not subject to the terms of the legacy CDVP2.0 certification program.

This page explains the distinction between the credentials, why CDVP2.1 has a defined three-year validity period, what expiration means, how historical achievement differs from current certification status, and how each credential may be represented.

Purpose and Effect of This Page

This page documents and clarifies the policies governing CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 credentials.

Publication or revision of this explanation does not add an expiration date to an existing credential, change an existing issue date or expiration date, convert CDVP2.0 into CDVP2.1, or convert CDVP2.1 into a non-expiring credential.

Each credential remains governed by the certification program under which it was issued and by the title, issue date, expiration date, and recorded status contained in the DVA-issued credential record.

Begin With the Complete Comparison

At first glance, a CDVP2.0 credential without an expiration date may appear more favorable than a CDVP2.1 credential with an expiration date.

The difference in validity policies is real. CDVP2.0 credentials were issued without expiration dates. CDVP2.1 credentials are issued with a defined three-year validity period.

The relevant question is not whether the two programs have identical validity terms. They do not. The relevant questions are what each credential represents, why DVA changed its certification model, and whether each credential holder is treated consistently under the program in which the credential was earned.

Two comparisons are therefore relevant:

Within-program consistency: CDVP2.0 holders are recognized according to the legacy CDVP2.0 policy, and CDVP2.1 holders are recognized according to the CDVP2.1 policy.
Cross-program policy differences: DVA changed its certification model prospectively for CDVP2.1 while preserving previously issued CDVP2.0 credentials under their original terms.

The different validity policies are intentional. They do not result from adding an expiration date to CDVP2.0, changing CDVP2.1 after issuance, or applying different terms selectively among CDVP2.1 holders.

Every properly issued CDVP2.1 credential is governed by the same CDVP2.1 validity policy.

The Essential Distinction

CDVP2.0 permanently records achievement under the legacy CDVP2.0 program.

CDVP2.1 is a separate certification that records achievement under the CDVP2.1 program and carries a defined three-year period of current credential status.

CDVP2.0 confirms that the holder met the requirements of the legacy CDVP2.0 program.
CDVP2.1 confirms that the holder met the requirements of the separate CDVP2.1 program.
CDVP2.0 does not include, confer, renew, or convert automatically into CDVP2.1.
To earn CDVP2.1, a professional must complete the separate CDVP2.1 course and certification.

How a CDVP2.1 Credential Is Issued

DataVaultAlliance Holdings LLC, referred to on this page as DVA, issues CDVP2.1 credentials through Accredible after a candidate satisfies the applicable CDVP2.1 certification requirements.

At the moment a CDVP2.1 credential is created, the credential record includes both its issue date and its expiration date. The expiration date is assigned as part of the original issuance transaction, before the recipient first views or accesses the credential.

A CDVP2.1 credential is therefore not issued as a permanent credential and later changed into an expiring credential. The defined validity period is part of the credential from the instant it is granted.

Credential Issuer and Digital Credential Platform

DVA issues the CDVP2.1 credential and establishes the applicable certification policy.

Accredible is the digital credential platform used by DVA to create, host, display, and provide access to the DVA-issued credential record.

Accredible does not independently establish the CDVP2.1 validity policy. The DVA-issued credential record hosted through Accredible is the authoritative record of the credential title, issue date, expiration date, and recorded status under DVA policy.

The credential holder must represent the credential consistently with that DVA-issued record and the applicable DVA credential policy.

When the CDVP2.1 Validity Period Is Disclosed

The required Welcome Students orientation materials provided to CDVP2.1 students expressly state that CDVP2.1 credentials expire three years from the date of issue and recommend recertification every three years to remain current on new trends.

This information is provided before the student completes the CDVP2.1 certification examination and before the credential is issued.

When the credential is granted through Accredible, its issue date and expiration date are assigned as part of the original credential record. The expiration date is present before the recipient first accesses the issued credential. It is not added later to a previously permanent credential.

Additional student-facing information is available on the DVA University Student Help page:

Review DVA University Student Help.

Is Recertification Optional?

A holder may choose not to recertify and allow the credential to expire. Recertification is not required merely to preserve the historical fact that the individual earned CDVP2.1.

Recertification is required, however, if the holder wishes to maintain current CDVP2.1 certification status after the original credential expires.

CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 Are Not Interchangeable

The version number identifies more than the date on which a credential was earned. It identifies the course, body of knowledge, assessment, and certification policy associated with that credential.

The CDVP2.1 course materials were substantially revised and expanded.
The CDVP2.1 certification assessment questions were completely rewritten.
CDVP2.0 does not establish completion of the CDVP2.1 curriculum.
CDVP2.0 does not establish completion of the CDVP2.1 assessment.
CDVP2.0 does not establish current CDVP2.1 certification status.
CDVP2.0 cannot be represented as CDVP2.1.

Comparable Knowledge Does Not Make Separate Credentials Equivalent

Two professionals may possess comparable knowledge or experience at a particular point in time while holding different credentials, or while one holds no credential at all.

Present knowledge alone does not determine which certification an individual earned.

A professional credential identifies the certification program completed, the body of knowledge addressed, the assessment passed, and the credential terms under which the certification was issued.

Accordingly:

A CDVP2.0 holder earned CDVP2.0.
A CDVP2.1 holder earned CDVP2.1.
An informal or assumed comparison of current knowledge does not convert one credential into the other.
Professional experience does not automatically alter the title, issue date, expiration date, or status of an issued credential.

A person who wishes to hold CDVP2.1 must complete the separate CDVP2.1 course and certification.

Why CDVP2.1 Has a Defined Validity Period

A professional certification records that an individual satisfied specified requirements at a particular point in time. A certification may also carry an active or current status for a defined period.

These are related but distinct facts:

The individual earned the credential.
The credential is currently within its defined validity period.

The first fact is historical. The second is a current credential status.

A single assessment can establish that a candidate met the applicable requirements when the assessment was completed. It cannot, by itself, establish indefinitely that the same knowledge has been retained, practiced, refreshed, or applied in later professional environments.

The CDVP2.1 validity period prevents a one-time assessment from being represented indefinitely as current certification status.

The validity period does not guarantee job performance, continuous professional practice, or competence in every circumstance. It also does not state that knowledge disappears on a specific date. It defines the period during which the credential is recognized as current under the CDVP2.1 certification policy.

Why the CDVP2.1 Validity Period Is Three Years

The three-year period is a certification-policy interval. It is not a claim that professional knowledge disappears exactly three years after a credential is issued.

DVA selected a three-year validity cycle to:

Provide a meaningful period during which the issued credential is recognized as current;
Avoid relying indefinitely on one historical assessment as evidence of current certification status;
Provide a periodic opportunity to address changes in course materials, terminology, professional practices, and the environments in which Data Vault is applied; and
Place CDVP2.1 within the general professional-certification model in which current status is maintained periodically.

The three-year interval is a policy judgment intended to balance credential currency with a reasonable period of professional use. It is not presented as a scientifically exact measure of individual knowledge retention.

What DVA Learned From the Legacy CDVP2.0 Model

CDVP2.0 credentials were issued without expiration dates. Experience with that model demonstrated a material limitation.

A non-expiring credential may continue to be presented many years after it was earned. The credential itself does not disclose whether the holder has practiced Data Vault, continued relevant learning, or retained the assessed knowledge during the intervening period.

The legacy credential still establishes an important historical fact: the holder met the CDVP2.0 requirements when the credential was earned.

It does not independently establish:

Continued Data Vault practice;
Retention of all originally assessed knowledge;
Familiarity with later course materials or terminology;
Completion of the CDVP2.1 curriculum;
Completion of the CDVP2.1 assessment; or
Current CDVP2.1 certification status.

This limitation is inherent in a non-expiring, point-in-time credential. It is not a judgment about any individual CDVP2.0 holder. Many CDVP2.0 holders remain active, experienced, and knowledgeable practitioners. The legacy credential itself, however, does not distinguish active practice from an extended period without practice or continuing learning.

Why Currency Matters

Data Vault principles remain durable, but the environments in which those principles are applied continue to change.

Professional practice may involve evolving architecture patterns, platform capabilities, data formats, integration methods, governance requirements, security expectations, implementation choices, and business demands.

CDVP2.1 was developed as a substantially revised and expanded course and certification for that environment. Its assessment was rewritten to evaluate the CDVP2.1 body of knowledge rather than reuse the CDVP2.0 assessment.

The defined validity period is therefore based on two considerations:

The CDVP2.1 credential represents a distinct and expanded body of knowledge.
Current certification status should not be presumed indefinitely from a single historical assessment.

Professional Certification Commonly Distinguishes Current Status From Historical Achievement

Defined validity periods and continuing certification requirements are established practices in professional and technical certification programs.

For example:

AWS Certification requires holders to demonstrate continued expertise periodically to maintain AWS Certified status and provides defined renewal or maintenance periods.
Microsoft credential expiration policies apply defined validity periods and renewal requirements to specified certifications.
Project Management Institute certification maintenance uses continuing certification requirements and renewal cycles.

These organizations operate independent programs with different eligibility, assessment, renewal, and governance requirements. DVA does not claim that CDVP2.1 is identical to any of them.

The relevant common principle is that earning a credential and maintaining its current status are separate matters.

Professional Certification Is Not the Same as a Degree or Course-Completion Record

A university degree generally records completion of an academic program. A course-completion certificate records completion of a particular educational course or its stated learning requirements.

A professional personnel certification is a different type of credential. It is awarded through an assessment against the requirements of a defined certification program and may include rules governing current status, expiration, renewal, suspension, or recertification.

The ANSI National Accreditation Board describes personnel certification as being granted following an assessment of an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. It separately describes an educational certificate as being granted upon completion of a training or educational program and accomplishment of its intended learning outcomes.

Review the ANAB explanation of personnel certification and certificate programs.

DVA provides this reference only to explain a generally recognized distinction between professional certification and educational completion credentials. DVA is not representing that CDVP2.1 is accredited by ANAB or that DVA’s program is identical to an ANAB-accredited program.

The fact that a degree or course-completion record does not expire does not require a separate professional certification to use the same validity model.

Why CDVP2.0 Was Not Given a Retroactive Expiration Date

CDVP2.0 was issued under a legacy certification model that did not assign an expiration date.

Adding an expiration date after issuance would retroactively change the recorded terms of that legacy credential. DVA instead preserves the credential as it was granted.

Preserving CDVP2.0 does not convert it into CDVP2.1 and does not establish current status under the CDVP2.1 program.

CDVP2.0 remains:

A record that the holder met the CDVP2.0 requirements;
A legacy CDVP2.0 credential;
Separate from CDVP2.1; and
Limited to the certification title and scope actually awarded.

Why the Two Policies Are Not Being Made Identical

Making the policies identical would require one of two actions:

Adding an expiration date retroactively to CDVP2.0 credentials; or
Removing the defined validity period from CDVP2.1 credentials.

DVA does not use either approach.

CDVP2.0 remains the legacy credential originally issued. CDVP2.1 remains a separate certification with a defined validity period.

This preserves the scope and terms of each credential rather than treating two different certifications as though they were identical.

Why DVA Does Not Use a Permanent Unqualified Title With a Separate Active Designation

DVA recognizes that another possible model would allow a credential holder to use the unqualified certification title permanently while reserving an additional term such as “active” or “current” for holders who complete periodic requirements.

DVA considered that distinction and selected a different model for CDVP2.1.

Under the CDVP2.1 model:

The fact that the individual earned CDVP2.1 remains permanently recordable.
The issued credential remains available online as a historical record.
The issue date, expiration date, and recorded status remain available to the holder and visible through the hosted credential record.
The unqualified present-tense representation of current CDVP2.1 certification is limited to the credential’s defined validity period.

After expiration, the individual may continue to state accurately that CDVP2.1 was earned. The individual may not represent the credential in a manner that states or materially implies that it remains currently active.

This is a deliberate certification-policy decision. It applies consistently to properly issued CDVP2.1 credentials and is not modified according to an individual holder’s preferred credentialing model.

Formal Fairness and Consistency Analysis

The difference in validity policies can appear unequal when the comparison is limited to the presence or absence of an expiration date.

The complete comparison includes the course, body of knowledge, assessment, credential title, issuance terms, and certification policy.

Under that complete comparison, consistent treatment means:

All CDVP2.0 holders are recognized according to the legacy CDVP2.0 credential they earned.
All CDVP2.1 holders are recognized according to the CDVP2.1 credential they earned.
Every properly issued CDVP2.1 credential includes its expiration date at the time of issuance.
No CDVP2.0 holder is represented as having earned CDVP2.1 without completing CDVP2.1.
No CDVP2.1 holder is granted a non-expiring CDVP2.1 status that is unavailable to other CDVP2.1 holders under the same policy.
The DVA-issued credential record and the applicable DVA policy determine the title, issue date, expiration date, and status that may be claimed.

The policies are different between two different certifications, but each policy is applied consistently within the certification program it governs.

The Legacy Difference Is Preserved, Not Denied

DVA does not claim that the CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 validity policies are identical.

They are intentionally different because DVA changed the certification model prospectively for CDVP2.1 after identifying limitations in the non-expiring legacy model.

DVA did not apply the later model retroactively to CDVP2.0 credentials that had already been issued without expiration dates.

This creates an observable difference between the legacy and current programs:

CDVP2.0 remains a non-expiring record of achievement under the legacy CDVP2.0 program.
CDVP2.1 remains a credential with a defined three-year period of current certification status.

Preserving the original CDVP2.0 terms does not make CDVP2.0 equivalent to CDVP2.1 and does not establish current status under the CDVP2.1 program.

The existence of a different legacy policy does not require DVA to repeat that policy in a separate certification program.

Can a Personal Expectation Override the Issued Credential?

No. The DVA-issued credential record identifies what DVA granted.

A CDVP2.1 credential issued with an expiration date is an expiring credential, regardless of whether a recipient personally expected that it would operate like the legacy CDVP2.0 credential.

DVA may correct a verified administrative or data error in a credential record. A properly issued CDVP2.1 credential is not converted into a non-expiring credential based solely on an expectation that CDVP2.1 would follow the former CDVP2.0 policy.

What Expiration Means

Expiration changes the current status of the CDVP2.1 credential.

It means that the defined validity period shown on the DVA-issued credential has ended.

The hosted credential remains available as a record of the credential that was earned and is identified with its recorded status. The credential holder must represent that status accurately.

Accredible explains that an expired credential remains available to view and is visually identified as expired:

Review Accredible’s explanation of expired credentials.

What Expiration Does Not Mean

Expiration does not mean that:

The individual never earned CDVP2.1;
The original assessment result has been erased;
The course-completion record has disappeared;
The individual’s professional experience has disappeared;
Every item of knowledge became incorrect on the expiration date; or
The historical achievement may no longer be disclosed.

Expiration governs current credential status. It does not rewrite professional history.

How a CDVP2.1 Credential May Be Claimed and Used

A credential holder may publicly claim and use only the title, dates, and status that accurately correspond to the DVA-issued credential record and applicable DVA policy.

While the CDVP2.1 Credential Is Current

The holder may use the CDVP2.1 certification title and badge as shown by the DVA-issued credential record and may represent the certification as current.

After the CDVP2.1 Credential Expires

The holder may continue to disclose the historical achievement accurately. Accurate descriptions include:

Earned CDVP2.1 on [issue date].
Previously held CDVP2.1 certification.
CDVP2.1 certification issued [issue date], expired [expiration date].
A link to the hosted credential record showing its recorded expired status.

After expiration, the holder must not represent the credential as currently active or use wording that states or materially implies current CDVP2.1 certification when the DVA-issued record shows an expired status.

An expired badge or credential link may be shared as a historical record when its expired status remains visible and is not obscured or misrepresented.

If a resume, profile, biography, proposal, social post, badge display, or other representation is unclear or inconsistent, the DVA-issued credential record and applicable DVA policy determine the credential title, dates, and recorded status.

How a CDVP2.0 Credential May Be Claimed and Used

A CDVP2.0 holder may accurately claim the specific legacy CDVP2.0 certification that was earned.

The holder must not describe CDVP2.0 as CDVP2.1, imply completion of the CDVP2.1 course or assessment, or claim current CDVP2.1 certification without earning that separate credential.

Course Completion, Assessment, Experience, and Credential Status

These concepts are related, but they are not interchangeable.

Course Completion

Course completion records that an individual completed the applicable educational program.

Assessment Achievement

Assessment achievement records that the individual met the applicable assessment requirements at a specific point in time.

Professional Experience

Professional experience reflects the individual’s actual work and application of knowledge.

Current Credential Status

Current credential status means that the credential remains within the validity period shown in the DVA-issued credential record hosted through Accredible.

Current credential status is not a warranty of job performance, continuous practice, or competence in every circumstance. Professional experience also does not automatically alter the issue date, expiration date, or recorded status of the credential.

Authoritative Credential Information

For purposes of determining the credential awarded, its title, issue date, expiration date, and recorded status, the following should be reviewed together:

The DVA-issued credential record hosted through Accredible; and
The applicable credential policy published by DVA.

Descriptions published by an instructor, Authorized Training Organization, employer, social-media user, or other third party do not change the title, dates, or status of the DVA-issued credential.

If a credential holder believes that the DVA-issued record contains a factual or administrative error, the holder may contact DVA and identify the specific information believed to be incorrect.

A disagreement with the standard CDVP2.1 validity policy is not, by itself, an administrative or data error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 the same certification?

No. They are separate courses, separate assessments, and separate certifications governed by different certification policies.

If I enrolled in CDVP2.1 and passed the CDVP2.1 assessment, did I earn the same certification as a CDVP2.0 holder?

No. You earned CDVP2.1. A CDVP2.0 holder earned the legacy CDVP2.0 credential.

Was CDVP2.1 created by adding an expiration date to CDVP2.0?

No. CDVP2.1 uses substantially revised and expanded course materials and a completely rewritten certification assessment.

Was the expiration date placed on my CDVP2.1 credential after it was awarded?

No. The issue date and expiration date are assigned as part of the original credential issuance process before the credential is first made available to the recipient.

Does this page create a new expiration requirement?

No. This page documents and clarifies the CDVP2.1 validity policy. It does not add an expiration date to an existing credential or change the dates already assigned to a DVA-issued credential record.

Why do CDVP2.0 credentials not have expiration dates?

They were issued under the legacy CDVP2.0 certification policy, which did not assign expiration dates.

Does a non-expiring CDVP2.0 credential establish current CDVP2.1 knowledge?

No. It establishes that the holder met the CDVP2.0 requirements when that credential was earned. It does not establish completion of CDVP2.1 or current status under the CDVP2.1 program.

Can two professionals have comparable knowledge but different credential status?

Yes. Credential status is determined by the certification program completed and the recorded status of the credential issued. It is not determined by an informal comparison of two individuals’ present knowledge or experience.

Why not add expiration dates to CDVP2.0 now?

Doing so would retroactively alter the recorded terms of already-issued legacy credentials. DVA instead preserves CDVP2.0 as the separate credential originally granted.

Why not remove the CDVP2.1 expiration date so that it matches CDVP2.0?

CDVP2.1 was intentionally established as a separate certification with a defined validity period. Removing that requirement would eliminate the distinction between historical achievement and current CDVP2.1 credential status.

Will DVA make the CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 validity policies identical?

No. CDVP2.0 remains governed by the legacy policy under which it was issued. CDVP2.1 remains governed by the separate CDVP2.1 validity policy.

Why does DVA not allow the title to remain permanent and use “active” as a separate designation?

That is a possible credentialing model, but it is not the model DVA selected for CDVP2.1. DVA reserves an unqualified representation of current CDVP2.1 certification for credentials that remain within their defined validity period.

Can the expiration requirement be removed from an individual CDVP2.1 credential?

A properly issued CDVP2.1 credential is not converted into a non-expiring credential based on an individual expectation or preference that it should follow the CDVP2.0 policy.

DVA may correct an actual administrative or data error. That is different from removing the standard validity requirement from a correctly issued credential.

Is earning CDVP2.1 permanently part of my professional history?

Yes. The fact that an individual earned CDVP2.1 remains part of that individual’s professional history. The expiration date governs current credential status; it does not erase the historical achievement.

Does expiration mean that the holder failed the certification?

No. Expiration does not change the original assessment result. It means that the validity period recorded on the credential has ended.

Does expiration mean that the holder’s knowledge has no value?

No. Credential status and the value of an individual’s knowledge or experience are not the same issue.

Can the holder still access an expired CDVP2.1 credential?

Yes. The hosted credential remains available online as a record of the credential and its recorded expired status.

Can the holder still state that CDVP2.1 was earned?

Yes. The holder may accurately state that CDVP2.1 was earned, identify the issue date, state that the certification was previously held, or state the expiration date.

Can an expired holder continue to say only, “I am CDVP2.1 certified”?

Not if that wording states or materially implies that the credential is currently active. After expiration, the statement must accurately disclose the historical or expired status shown by the DVA-issued credential record.

Does professional experience automatically extend the credential?

No. Professional experience does not automatically change the expiration date or recorded status of the credential.

How can a CDVP2.0 holder earn CDVP2.1?

The professional must complete the separate CDVP2.1 course and certification.

The Governing Principle

DVA recognizes the credential that an individual actually earned under the terms attached to that credential when it was issued.

DVA also distinguishes permanent historical achievement from current credential status.

CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 therefore retain separate titles, separate scopes, separate assessments, and separate validity policies.

Summary

CDVP2.0 and CDVP2.1 are separate certifications.
A candidate who completes CDVP2.1 earns CDVP2.1, not CDVP2.0.
CDVP2.1 includes substantially revised and expanded materials.
The CDVP2.1 certification assessment questions were completely rewritten.
Every properly issued CDVP2.1 credential includes an expiration date from the moment it is granted.
The expiration date is present before the recipient first views the credential.
The three-year validity period is disclosed in required student orientation materials before the certification examination is completed and before the credential is issued.
CDVP2.0 remains a legacy credential issued without an expiration date.
CDVP2.0 does not represent CDVP2.1 certification.
CDVP2.1 uses a defined validity period to distinguish historical achievement from current credential status.
Expiration does not erase the original achievement or assessment result.
An expired credential may be disclosed accurately as a historical or expired credential.
The DVA-issued credential record hosted through Accredible and the applicable DVA policy determine the title, dates, and status that may be claimed.
To earn CDVP2.1, a professional must complete the separate CDVP2.1 course and certification.

References

Policy clarification last reviewed: August 6, 2026