In the appraisal profession, there are various levels or designations that an appraiser achieves throughout his/her career.  Following is the explaination by the NC Appraisal Board:

What is the progression of “stages” or “ranks” of the appraisal profession?

Step 1: Registered Trainee
Step 2: Licensed Residential (sometimes referred to as "Licensed")
Step 3: Certified Residential (sometimes referred to as "Certified")
Step 4: Certified General (sometimes referred to as "General"). 

Along with helping buyers understand someone's qualifications, these different designations govern the constraints on what kind of appraisal can be performed.  Appraising Charlotte encourages education for appraisers to keep up with the latest in techniques, technology, and valuation modeling.  A Certified General appraiser is assigned to each of our appraising assignment.