What is credential evaluation?

Most boards reviewing candidates holding international credentials require that they submit a credential evaluation to demonstrate their academic preparation and determine their eligibility for licensing or certification. World Education Services (WES) offers a range of special services to meet the needs of licensing boards that receive applications from internationally educated candidates.

A WES credential evaluation enables boards to understand the exact nature and equivalency of the foreign academic credentials submitted. Importantly, it also provides verification of the authenticity of the credentials submitted.

WES is the leading credential evaluation service in the United States. It employs over 100 professionals, from more than 30 countries around the world who are sensitive to concerns of its foreign-trained clientele and the boards that work with them. The WES evaluators have extensive experience and training in US and international education systems and are recognized authorities in their fields.

How does a credential evaluation work?

A board refers an applicant with a degree from outside the U.S. to WES for an evaluation.
A WES evaluator is assigned who then verifies all required and relevant documents.
The credentials are then evaluated through various criteria including:
- Admissions requirements
- Education level
- Type of institution
- Objective of educational program
- Information measured against U.S. standards
- All grades and courses converted to U.S. equivalents
Evaluation reviewed by senior evaluators.
Completed evaluation sent to applicant and board within 7 days from receipt of all required documents, fees and application
Board can make its decision regarding eligibility with confidence, knowing that the WES evaluation report accurately reflects the candidate’s academic performance.

WES conducts extensive research on education systems and evaluation methodology and is part of a global network that assures access to up-to-date information on international higher education. WES maintains an evaluation database of 45,075 foreign academic institutions, one million courses and 1600 grading scales from around the world. It’s our mission to be your source for international education intelligence.