Blog article submitted by: International Education Evaluations (IEE)

Essential Documents Required for International Credential Evaluation

When a student is applying for international credential evaluation, the first question is “What documents will I need to proceed with an evaluation?” The short answer: evaluation agencies will require a diploma or a certificate confirming the qualification awarded and the completion date, as well as a transcript including the name and grades received for all courses taken. The long answer is not so straightforward. Each country has a unique education system, and your evaluation will be tailored to ensure an accurate assessment based on these distinctions. Further, there are many different evaluation products, and requires a different set of evidence upon which the analysis rests.

Types of Evaluations and Their Requirements

Document Report

Document-by-document (also referred to as standard) reports are the most basic type of evaluation and have the fewest required documents. This evaluation will include a US equivalency, institutional or programmatic accreditation/recognition, standard program duration, and program entrance criteria. For this type of report, you will need to provide the following:

• Diploma/Degree Certificate that confirms the name of the credential or qualification awarded and a program completion or graduation date. In many cases, this information is available on a transcript. Usually, if your transcript confirms the qualification title awarded and date of graduation, a diploma may not be necessary.

Course Report

Course-by-course (also referred to as comprehensive) evaluations are a more comprehensive view of the academic program. These reports contain all the same information as a document report but also may include a cumulative GPA calculation, a course listing with individual grade equivalencies and credit conversions. To receive a course-by-course evaluation, you will need to provide the following:

• Diploma/ Degree Certificate (if you’ve completed the program)
• Transcripts/ Grade Reports/ Examination Certificates that include all the courses completed or subjects examined along with the grades or results received for each. Some transcripts list coursework by years or academic terms.  Other documents simply include a consolidated list without reference to when individual subjects were studied.

Specialized Course Report

Some credential evaluation organizations will provide highly specialized reports that help individuals access certain professions. These types of evaluations include certification and licensure-specific information for healthcare professions, teaching, accounting, and engineering.  Often you will need to provide standard academic documents such as the ones described above (diplomas and transcripts) in addition to items like course syllabi/descriptions, clinical hours/rotations, internship information, employment evidence, licensure verification, or even English proficiency data. Check with the organization’s customer support staff and carefully read the application to see exactly what additional documentation you may need to gather.

Provisional/Unofficial vs. Official Evaluations

In addition to the different types of evaluations, some organizations may allow students to submit unofficial documents for various purposes.

• Provisional (sometimes called unofficial) evaluations are based on scans or photocopies of your documents. Provisional evaluations can be most commonly used for employment, immigration, and military enlistment purposes. While the credential evaluation organization will still verify that the scans of your documents are consistent with what is typically issued by your school or university and will check for any red-flags which might indicate the document has been altered or forged, there isn’t a requirement that the school or university needs to issue the document directly to the evaluation organization. You will be able to either upload, email, or fax these documents.  Be aware that your evaluation report will indicate that your documents were unofficial and not verified directly with the issuing school or university. Most US licensing boards, schools, and universities will not accept unofficial or provisional reports. If you are trying to become licensed, certified, or admitted to a US educational program, be prepared to arrange for submission of official documents (see below).

• Official evaluations are based on official academic records provided directly from an educational institution, government authority such as a Ministry of Education, examination board, or an approved, third-party verification partner. Some evaluation agencies will allow students to mail their own original documents to them as long as they pay for return shipping when the evaluation is complete. Check with the evaluation agency you’ve chosen to ensure they allow for this option. While the process of obtaining official documents can be challenging or costly, official evaluations will include a statement verifying the authenticity of your documents for any intended recipient, so these are far more useful. Be advised that it is your responsibility as the customer to arrange for official documents to be sent to the evaluation organization. Evaluation companies almost never obtain documents on your behalf. 

Determining Which Documents to Send

While determining which documentation is required for an evaluation, there is no universal answer that fits every situation. To provide accurate assessments and avoid delays, please check to see if the evaluation organization has a country-specific list of documentation requirements. This is often found embedded in the online application or on their website.

Secondary School Documentation

For secondary school credentials, determining the proper issuing authority can be difficult. Many students can contact their high schools for a transcript, but in some cases, this will not suffice for a full equivalency or grade point average determination. For example, in exam-based secondary systems (such as West African, Caribbean, and British-pattered curriculum) your evaluation should be based not (solely) on internal mark sheets or grade reports from the school you attended, but rather/also the official examination results you’ve received from the exam board. Please check before you arrange for documents to be sent to avoid unnecessary delays and confusion. If you’ve not yet finished high school, a school-issued transcript may work just fine.

Higher Education Documents

In general, documents issued by (postsecondary) colleges and universities are sufficient for evaluations of tertiary-level studies. Notable exceptions arise in countries such as India, where an evaluation organization may be unable to accept documentation from affiliated colleges (and require official documents from the umbrella university), or China, where CSSD-issued documentation is usually required. You’ll find that most universities are able to send documents digitally which may save you time and money. However, evaluation organizations carefully investigate email addresses and message data to ensure that the person or entity sending the document is legitimate. If an unverifiable or unofficial email address is used, it cannot be accepted.  In those cases, your school or university may need to send the documents via post. Evaluation organizations will need to confirm that the documents were sent to them directly. In other words, your university should not mail documents to you that you, in turn, mail to the evaluator. Give your school or university the organization’s mailing address.

In conclusion, international credential evaluations can be an overwhelming process, but NACES organizations strive to make documentation requirements as clear as possible. Read the application materials or the website information and/or ask in advance about what you should submit, and how you should submit it! By fully understanding what the evaluators need in advance, you can ensure a smooth and timely process.