What translation do WES and ECE accept

What WES requires

World Education Services (WES) (opens in a new tab) asks for translations of documents issued in a language other than English when the evaluation is done in the United States. WES writes that in most cases translations aren’t needed: whether you need one is shown in the list of required documents in your WES account.

The translation must be:

• exact and word-for-word: all text in the original language is translated into English;
• clear and legible: the evaluator must be able to read every course title and grade, and the information about the school and about you;
• done by a professional translator, for example one affiliated with a university, a certified translation agency or another professional translation service.

The translator works from the official documents, not from student copies. WES suggests asking the school for two sets: one for WES, one for the translator. Translations don’t need a sealed envelope; you upload them in your WES account.

What ECE requires

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) (opens in a new tab) asks for an English translation of every document issued in a language other than English. You can make the translation yourself, as long as it is word-for-word and in the same format as the original, and the copies are complete and legible. If you add ECE’s paid Translation Waiver to your order, you don’t send translations at all: ECE translates the documents for its report. The waiver isn’t available for NABP orders, which follow their own document rules.

Other evaluators

Each evaluator publishes its own translation requirements. Check them on the evaluator’s site before you order a translation.

Which documents people usually translate

For a credential evaluation, people translate diplomas and diploma supplements with courses and grades, academic transcripts and school certificates. Which documents your evaluation needs is up to the evaluator.

Which translations WES turns down

WES doesn’t accept these translations (wes.org (opens in a new tab)):

• handwritten;
• made from a photocopy, not from the official document;
• made by the applicant;
• incomplete.

An English version of the document issued by the school doesn’t replace a translation either: WES needs an independent translation of the original.