TC, SLC, Character, Conduct or Bonafide: Which Certificate?
Five documents, overlapping names, and admission offices that reject on the heading alone. Here is what each certificate actually proves and when you need which.
Quick answer: Indian schools issue five commonly confused certificates. A transfer certificate (TC) confirms enrolment, class last studied, date of leaving and dues position, and is required to admit a student elsewhere. A school leaving certificate (SLC) is the same document under a different name in most states. A bonafide certificate confirms that a student is currently enrolled, and is used for bank, passport and concession applications. A character certificate confirms moral character. A conduct certificate confirms behaviour and discipline, and is treated as the same document as a character certificate in most states.
The short answer
Three genuinely different documents, two pairs of alternative names. Once you see which is which, most of the confusion disappears.
- Transfer certificate and school leaving certificate - same document, different name in different states
- Character certificate and conduct certificate - same document, different name, sometimes requested together
- Bonafide certificate - genuinely different. Confirms current enrolment, not departure
- Provisional certificate - a temporary stand-in issued while the final document is prepared
- Study certificate - confirms the years and classes studied, used mainly for scholarship and quota applications
Is SLC the same as TC?
In practice yes. Transfer certificate is the more common term in CBSE and north Indian schools, school leaving certificate in several state boards and in Maharashtra and the south. Both confirm the same facts: that the student was enrolled, the class last attended, the date of leaving and whether fees are clear. If a receiving school asks for an SLC and you hold a TC, it is normally accepted. Where a form names one specifically, ask your school to issue it under that heading, because admission clerks reject on the title rather than reading the body.
Transfer certificate - what it proves
The TC is the document that lets another school admit the student. It is a legal record and errors on it follow a child for years, because the next school copies the date of birth and name spelling straight off it.
- Student name, father and mother names, date of birth in words and figures
- Admission number and class last attended
- Date of admission and date of leaving
- Result and promotion status
- Conduct and fee dues position
- Reason for leaving, date of issue, principal signature and seal
What is a transfer certificate number?
The TC number is the serial number the issuing school assigns when the certificate is issued, recorded in a TC register against the student. It is how a receiving school or board verifies the certificate is genuine rather than reprinted. Schools that issue TCs from loose files instead of a numbered register cannot answer a verification request reliably, and duplicate numbers are a common audit finding during school inspections.
Bonafide certificate - the one that is genuinely different
A bonafide certificate confirms that the student is currently studying at the school. It is forward-looking, where a TC is a record of departure. Parents need one for bank accounts, passport applications, visa paperwork, railway and bus concessions, and most scholarship forms. It carries the student name, class, current academic year and a statement of current enrolment, and is usually valid only for the session in which it is issued.
Character certificate and conduct certificate
Same document in most states, different heading. Both certify moral character and discipline rather than academics. Some colleges and employers ask for a character and conduct certificate as a single combined document, which is normal and can be issued as one. Where a form names one specifically, issue under that exact heading.
Which one do you actually need
Match the document to what the receiving institution is trying to establish.
- Changing schools - transfer certificate, or SLC if the new school asks for that name
- Bank account, passport, visa or concession - bonafide certificate
- College admission - usually TC plus character or conduct certificate
- Job application after school - character or conduct certificate
- Scholarship or reserved quota - study certificate, sometimes with a bonafide
- Final document not yet ready - provisional certificate as a temporary stand-in
Why schools get this wrong
The details on these documents must agree with each other. When a TC is typed from the register, the bonafide from a Word file and the character certificate from last year template, the same student ends up with three different spellings of their mother name across three documents, and a bank or a board rejects on the mismatch. Issuing all of them from one student record is what prevents that, and it is also what makes a verification request answerable two years later.
Generate any of them free
Our browser tools produce the standard format for transfer, bonafide and character certificates. Fill in the details, print or save as PDF. Nothing is uploaded and there is no signup. In AcadLynk the same certificates are generated from the student record instead, so every document carries consistent details and a logged serial number.
Frequently asked questions
Is SLC and TC the same?
In practice yes. Transfer certificate is the common term in CBSE and north Indian schools, school leaving certificate in several state boards. Both certify enrolment, class last attended, date of leaving and dues position. If a form names one specifically, ask the school to issue it under that heading.
Is a character certificate the same as a transfer certificate?
No. A transfer certificate records enrolment and departure details and is needed to join another school. A character certificate certifies moral character and discipline. College admissions often require both.
Is a bonafide certificate the same as a character certificate?
No. A bonafide certificate confirms the student is currently enrolled and is used for bank, passport and concession applications. A character certificate certifies conduct. They serve unrelated purposes.
What is the transfer certificate number?
The serial number the issuing school assigns to the certificate, recorded in a TC register against the student. It is used to verify the certificate is genuine.
Is a provisional certificate the same as a character certificate?
No. A provisional certificate is a temporary document issued while the final certificate is being prepared. It is about timing, not about what is being certified.
How long does a bonafide certificate stay valid?
Usually only for the academic session in which it was issued, because it certifies current enrolment. Most banks and passport offices expect one issued within the last three to six months.