A Guide To WES Evaluation

Understanding the significance of a WES examination is crucial if you're an international student or professional hoping to pursue educational or professional opportunities in the US or Canada. This blog will walk you through the complicated WES review procedure, including its goal, necessary paperwork, turnaround times, and benefits. Join us as we explore how a WES evaluation can open doors to success in North American academia and business.

What is WES evaluation?

When evaluating a student's credentials, WES compares their academic achievements to benchmarks in the US or Canada. Institutions like schools, licencing agencies, employers, or immigration authorities can better grasp educational requirements thanks to this study.

The WES report will accomplish the following tasks in brief:

1. Confirms the accuracy of your credentials.
2. Specify your credentials and provide them.
3. It might contain an equivalent grade point average (GPA).
4. Make sure the documents' veracity is assessed.

Is WES mandatory for Canada masters?

You must submit a WES-approved evaluation if your university has requested one, no matter what. The majority of Canadian colleges won't request an ECA from WES. However, some colleges will demand an ECA from WES. It is typically suggested that students complete their ECA. Additionally, you must have an ECA if you plan to use Express Entry to apply for permanent residence in Canada. More organisations are working in ECA besides this. Various other organisations are:

1. Comparative Education Service - School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto
2. Canadian organisation International Credential Assessment Service
3. IQAS, an organisation that assesses international qualifications
4. British Columbia Institute of Technology's International Credential Evaluation Service
5. The following organisations offer ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) in the USA:
6. Evaluators of Educational Credentials (ECE)
7. WES Educated Choices, LLC American Education and Translation Services (AET) Josef Silny & Associates International Education Consultants (JS&A)

How to apply for a WES evaluation?

Step 1: Complete an online application and get a reference number.

Step 2: Compile all necessary documentation and send it to the organisation in the format outlined on the website in a sealed envelope, together with the full payment in the form of a DD. WES does not accept student, agency, or third-party submissions of documents. The team examines and verifies the documents as soon as they are delivered. After verification, they move on to the review process.

Step 3: After the evaluation is finished, the organisation distributes the report to the institutions you select.

What is the cost of the WES evaluation?

1. For Freshman Admissions, the document-by-document basic evaluation will cost $107.
2. For transfer admissions, the basic course-to-course examination will cost $170.
3. For graduate entrance, a basic course-to-course evaluation will cost $170.

Top Universities that accept WES-approved Evaluation

We shall look at how WES credential evaluation happens soon. But before that, as international students, it is key that you check out which universities in the US and Canada accept the evaluation as a barometer of the student’s achievements. This can help you plan out the universities to apply to better:

1. The University of British Columbia (Canada)
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)
3. University of Toronto(Canada)
4. Yale University (USA)
5. University of Alberta (Canada)
6. Chicago State University (USA)
7. Harvard University (USA)
8. Princeton University (USA)
9. University of Pennsylvania (USA)
10. University of California (USA)

WES credentials evaluation

If you wish to study or work in the United States or Canada after completing your studies elsewhere. A credit assessment will inform you of how your academic credentials are perceived in the United States and Canada, assisting you in making the best choice in that situation. With the help of this information, applying to the university that fits your academic background will be a piece of cake. This evaluation will help you to look for jobs in which you have the relevant degree if you're looking for employment in these nations.

Documents required for WES evaluation

The list of required documents in the United States and Canada varies depending on your country of education, type of education, and other variables. Visit the WES website for a list of the necessary documents based on your requirements or jobs in these countries.

Here are a few of the crucial documents:

1. Degree certification, either provisional or final.
2. Yearly performance review.
3. If you have a Master of Engineering, Master of Education, Master of Technology, or Master of Philosophy, you do not need to send proof of your undergraduate degree.
4. If your master's degree does not fall under one of the above categories, you must also provide proof of your bachelor's degree.
5. The college's designated authenticity officer must date, seal, and stamp the documents across the back flap of a sealed envelope.
6. The organisation will reject an envelope immediately if it is not sealed and has no stamp or signature on the back flap.
7. The Academic Records Request form, which is contained in the same sealed package as your transcripts, also needs the college registrar's signature.

What does a WES report contain?

If you’re wondering how long does WES evaluation takes, the answer would be, the answer would be around 7-10 days. However, if you are curious about the evaluation process as well as what is inside the reports, you’ve come to the right place. It provides two different types of reports, which are:

1. Document-by-document report: this report contains the equivalency of all your academic transcripts. This is done by identifying and analysing your documents.
2. Course-by-course report: This report provides US equivalency to all the courses you have completed, be it within your academic year or outside of it. The report lists all your corresponding grades in US-accepted GPA-equivalent terms. 

Types Of WES evaluation

WES offers three different types of evaluations, they are:

1. Document-by-document: This assessment contains an overview of your academic background, including your name, the name of the university you attended, the year you graduated, and your primary field of study. It also provides each credential's equivalent in the United States and Canada.

2. Course-by-course Evaluation: This evaluation includes a list of all post-secondary courses, their related value in US/Canada grade equivalents, and all the information from the Document-by-Document appraisal.

3. Evaluation for CPAs: Candidates taking the Certified Public Accountant test will find this evaluation useful.

How long does it take to receive the WES evaluation?

Depending on the type of service the student requests, it typically completes the evaluation process in 7 business days. For additional verification, investigation, or correspondence, reviewing the organisation can take longer. In order to ensure that your evaluation report is delivered on time, it is typically ideal to start the process as soon as feasible.

WES evaluation process 

Evaluation reports for courses and papers are shared seven business days after the documents have been assessed. The Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report is delivered to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in around 35 days.

The four stages of the evaluation procedure are as follows:

1. Document imaging: Each document is scanned and entered into the WES system by the evaluators. The documentation may frequently be sent from your university.
2. Examine: Evaluators examine the documents to make sure they are genuine and provided by reputable organisations. The records are either accepted or refused at this point.
3. Equivalency evaluation: The evaluators, who are experts in their respective countries, determine if the US or Canadian educational records are equivalent. The documents have been verified again. Application status "In progress" indicates that the application is being evaluated, and "On hold" indicates that additional verification is needed.
4. Report on the final evaluation of credentials: The evaluators will present their report on the final evaluation of credentials. Notifications regarding the application being evaluated for the final stage are updated on your accounts.

WES provides WES Products Three different product categories:

1. An online tool called Free Degree Equivalency compares degrees from foreign universities to degrees from the US or Canada. The student can use this information to determine whether they qualify for higher education.
2. It is a service that distributes verified transcripts and evaluation reports to colleges in one bundle. WES International Credential Advantage bundle (ICAP). The information and papers are kept by the company for use in the future by students and professionals.
3. The WES International Grade Point Average (IGPA) Calculator is a free online tool that computes and translates grades from over 140 different nations into the four-point GPA scale that is typically used in the US.
4. As soon as you determine which institutions to apply to, you should request an evaluation because you could need some time to gather all the necessary credentials.

A WES examination, in a nutshell, is a game-changer for those with international credentials who want to rock their academic and professional careers. It functions like a magic wand that evaluates your credentials uniformly, assisting you in obtaining admission to universities, finding employment, and even navigating complex immigration procedures. You'll walk through the North American school and job landscape like a boss after you understand the goal, conditions, and benefits of an evaluation, opening up amazing prospects to realise your academic and professional goals.