The document you receive when you graduate from an Australian university is formally called a testamur, though most people just say degree certificate. Here’s what the word means, what a testamur certificate usually shows, and how it differs from the academic transcript that goes with it. At the end, we explain how PhonyDiploma makes novelty replicas of both, for display, gifts and props.
What is a testamur?
A testamur is the certificate an Australian university presents when it confers your degree. It’s the single, formal page that records that you’ve been admitted to the degree: the one most graduates frame and hang on the wall. The word is Latin for “we testify”, because the university is bearing witness that the degree was conferred. In everyday speech most people simply say “degree certificate”, and the two mean the same thing.
What a testamur usually shows
Every university has its own layout, but most testamurs include:
- your full name
- the degree, for example Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Commerce, sometimes with honours
- the university’s name and crest
- the date the degree was conferred
- signatures, usually of senior university officers such as the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor
- a seal, often embossed or printed in gold
What a testamur doesn’t show is your marks. That’s the job of the academic transcript.
Testamur vs academic transcript
The academic transcript is the record of your studies: each unit you took, when you took it, the grade you received and the credit points it carried. Many transcripts also show an overall result, such as a grade point average (GPA) or a weighted average mark (WAM). Side by side:
| Testamur (degree certificate) | Academic transcript | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The certificate that your degree was conferred | The record of the units you studied and your results |
| What it shows | Your name, the degree, the university, the date, signatures and a seal | Units, grades, credit points and often an overall result |
| Length | One page | One page or more |
| Where it ends up | Framed and on the wall | Kept with your records |
Why people often want both
The testamur is the piece people look at; the transcript tells the story of the study behind it. That’s why many people who order a replica want a matching set: a framed degree certificate for the office or a graduation party, with the transcript alongside it as a keepsake, or both on a film set where the camera gets close.
Why people order a replica degree certificate
Most people looking for a fake degree certificate in Australia want something to look at, not something to use: a piece to hang in the office, a gift for a graduation party, a gag for a friend, or a prop for a film, TV or stage production. A replica gives them the look of a testamur, personalised with the name, degree and date they choose, and it never pretends to be anything more.
How we make your replica
- Choose your document. A degree certificate (the Precise Match University Diploma), an academic transcript made from a reference scan you upload (the Custom Transcript From Your Scan), or the Precise Match Diploma & Transcript Bundle, made as a matching set. Each product page shows its options and price.
- Fill in the guided form. Enter the name, university, degree, dates and wording you want printed, then choose digital, printed or combined delivery. Depending on the design, you can choose the paper stock and finishes such as gold foil and raised or embossed seals.
- Check your preview. A designer prepares a digital preview, usually within 1–2 business days. The preview is free on all Match orders. Production starts only after you approve it, so names, dates and layout are confirmed first.
- Receive it. Printed documents ship in plain, unmarked packaging with tracking. Standard and express options and their prices are shown at checkout.
Not sure which layout suits you? Browse our Australian samples, or request a free watermarked digital sample before you order. We’ve made replica documents since 2001.
Novelty replicas only
A PhonyDiploma testamur is a novelty replica. It isn’t issued by any Australian university, PhonyDiploma isn’t affiliated with any university, and no replica confers a degree or carries any accreditation. Use yours for display, keepsakes, gifts and props, and never present it as a real qualification.
Ready to design yours? Start with our fake degree certificate range for Australia.