GAP Certificate: A gap certificate is an affidavit that can be represented as evidence or proof, which declares that a person has taken a breach for a year or more during his/her academic years. Many students take a gap or a break from their education for some personal reasons for one or more years. But if they need to continue further studies, they have to show a gap certificate. The certificate should include the genuine reason for which they have taken a breach.
The gap certificate should be provided by the legal authorities signed by the official person. The certificate is a non-judicial stamp paper that a candidate can get by visiting the district court or contacting any lawyer. There will be nominal charges that candidates have to pay to the judicial.
GAP Certificate Format
A gap certificate is a self-declaration form that states why the student has taken a gap between his/her education. It is also called a gap affidavit, in legal terms. This declaration is given in a non-judicial stamp paper in which the time duration and cause for taking the gap are mentioned. This paper should be signed by the concerned judicial of the court.
Individuals can get the stamp paper directly from the court or else they can contact any lawyer to get it. The court lawyers will help them to create the declaration papers. After they have received the gap certificate from the court signed by the authority, they can show this document as proof to the school or colleges where they need to get admission.
Details Mentioned on GAP Certificate
The format of the gap certificate consists of the following details
- Name of the candidate
- Age
- Residential address
- Most recent educational qualification
- Institute Name (from where he/she have received education)
- Date from which candidate has taken a gap or Gap durations
- Reason for taking the gap
- Name of the college/university where the candidate want to take admission
- Date of application
- Signature of candidate
- Signature of advocate
Reasons for Taking Gap Certificate
Any student or an individual who has taken a gap during his/her studies needs to apply for a gap certificate. This document will help them to prove that because of some reason they have to take a breach during their educational years. Here are some of the reasons students usually mention while applying for a gap certificate.
- Personal reasons
- Health issues
- To do the job and support family financial status
- To prepare for any competitive exams
- To follow a passion or hobby
- To rewrite an exam and get better marks
- To start their own business
- To apply overseas
Documents Required to Apply for GAP Certificate
To apply for a gap certificate, a candidate has to submit some crucial documents as proof of their individuality. A copy of these documents should be submitted along with the application form for the gap certificate. The documents required are listed below:
- ID Proof (PAN Card/Aadhar card/Voter ID/Driving license)
- School/College leaving certificate
- A letter from the last educational institute (Authentication declaration)
- Residential address proof
- Citizenship proof
- Marksheet of last qualifying exam
- The reason behind the Gap
Gap Certificate Uses
The gap certificates are for those individuals who have taken a pause between his/her educational session. Hence, it is required for them to take a gap certificate along with them to apply for admission for further studies in school/college/university. Let us see some of the uses of gap certificate here:
- It helps in continuing your education
- It acts as a bridge for your further studies
- Helps to get a job in future
- Helps to compensate for the education crisis
- It helps to explain your education loss
How to Apply for a Gap Certificate?
To apply for a gap certificate the candidate has to go to the district court or contact any lawyer/advocate. A legal affidavit will be issued by the court which will be considered as proof for the reason for which the student has taken a gap in his/her education years. After getting the gap certificate in a stamp paper the candidate has to submit it with the supporting documents in the college or university where they are applying for admission. The documents required are:
- Mark-sheet
- Transfer Certificate
- Certificate of previously acquired degree
- Identity proof
- Birth certificate
What is a Gap Certificate?
A gap certificate is an affidavit or a legal document that can be represented as evidence or proof, which declares that a person has taken a breach for a year or more during his/her academic years. It is provided and signed by the official judiciary of the court in stamp paper.
Character Certificate for Gap Year Students
Most of the universities accept the character certificate you received from your school even after a gap year. However, some universities may have a problem with that. Some universities and certain colleges in Delhi University accept gap year certificates that are no older than 6 months while some go for a year.
In such a case, you can apply for a new character certificate by applying to the school you last studied. The application should mention your situation, the reason behind the gap, and request a new character certificate.
Key Elements
As this affidavit is legally enforceable, each piece of information must be true, verified, and sworn by the student. Mentioned below are some important points of inclusion for this certificate:
- Candidate’s Name and Age
- Father/Mother/Guardian’s Name
- Residential Address
- Highest Qualification Achieved
- Period of Gap Taken
- Reasons for the Gap
- A declaration that the candidate was not involved in any illegal activity during that time.
- A declaration that all provided information is true and authentic.
- Is It Necessary?
There are many benefits of owning this document, a few of them are enlisted below:
- Bridges your academic break
- Helps you in completing the education after taking a break
- Helps you in managing the crisis
- Explains the loss of education
- Helps in job interviews
- Reduces the pressure of not being able to complete studies
- Puts a good image in front of the recruiters