A revoked credential is one the issuing institution has withdrawn. It was genuinely issued, but the institution has since declared it should no longer be relied on, so verification reports it as revoked rather than valid.
Why an institution revokes a credential
- It was issued in error, for example to the wrong person or with wrong details.
- It was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation.
- A disciplinary or academic-integrity decision withdrew the award.
- A newer corrected version has replaced it.
What a verifier sees
When you verify a revoked credential, the result is clearly marked as revoked, with a reason and date where the institution provided them. Unlike a tampered file, the signature itself may still be intact; the point is that the institution has formally withdrawn the credential, so it should not be accepted as current.
Why revocation is permanent
Revocation is recorded permanently and cannot be quietly reversed through the application. This protects verifiers: once a credential is withdrawn, it stays withdrawn on the record, so a revoked credential cannot later be made to appear valid. If a corrected credential is needed, the institution issues a new one.