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What is WES Evaluation? WES stands for World Education Services. It is an organisation that provides credential evaluation to individuals (students or professionals) who want to apply to US or Canadian higher education institutions. Indian students who wish to study in USA and Canada must complete the WES evaluation process to convert their scores to American or Canadian standards. WES offers three types of evaluation for international students: Document-by-document Evaluation, Course-by-course Evaluation, and CPA Supplemental Report. Many academic institutions, licensing bodies, and immigration authorities trust credential evaluations from WES due to their authentic accuracy and validity. With more than 46 years of expertise, they provided evaluations to more than 4 million international students and professionals. WES recognizes more than 48,000 global higher education institutions from over 200 countries and territories. This article elaborates on the WES Evaluation for Indian students, documents required, WES timelines, and the processing time.
There are multiple reasons why WES is a reliable evaluation source in the world. Some of the reasons are listed below.
1. Global Recognition: WES works with more than 48,000 institutions. This means that universities, licensing boards, and government agencies throughout the US and Canada rely on WES evaluations. This means that once WES has assessed your credentials, it gains recognition and respect from a diverse range of institutions, including Ivy League schools and leading employers.
2. Various Evaluation Options: WES provides two primary types of evaluations, the Document-by-Document Evaluation and the Course-by-Course Evaluation. Their website features a helpful tool to guide you in choosing the right evaluation type based on your academic background.
3. Ethical Verification Standards: WES adheres to ethical and fair practices when assessing international qualifications, ensuring that all submitted credentials undergo strict verification processes to confirm their authenticity. This commitment to quality is one of the key reasons why WES evaluations are held in such high regard by both universities and employers.
Make sure to apply for an evaluation as soon as you have chosen the universities you want to apply to, as gathering all your documents and degrees can take some time. WES provides three distinct types of products:
1. WES International Grade Point Average (IGPA) Calculator: This free online tool lets you calculate and convert international grades from over 140 countries into the familiar four-point GPA scale used in the US.
2. Free Degree Comparison: This online tool helps you see how your international university degrees compare against US or Canadian degrees.
3. WES International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP): With this service, WES sends verified transcripts and evaluation reports to universities all in one go. Plus, they keep your documents and information on file for any future academic or professional needs.
Getting your credentials evaluated is the initial step of your study abroad journey. When you are planning which course and college to aim for, you should apply for a WES evaluation. As the evaluation takes around 7-10 business days, applying early for the evaluation will allow you enough time even if your evaluation faces any delays.
Many universities in the United States and Canada accept WES evaluations to enroll international students. Students are advised to verify the specific requirements of the programme before applying for the same.
WES evaluation helps to translate academic qualifications from one country into the equivalent standards of another. It is not always mandatory to provide a WES evaluation; however, it is often a crucial step for Indian students and professionals looking to study in the US and Canada. Many universities, especially for graduate programs like Master's and PhD degrees, generally require a WES Course-by-Course evaluation. This evaluation gives a detailed breakdown of your Indian courses, credits, and grades, converting them into the US grading system (like GPA on a 4.0 scale). Some smaller colleges or specific programs might not ask for a WES evaluation, but they could still request official transcripts and conduct their internal assessments. However, having a WES report can simplify the process. Similarly, for the universities in Canada, they require ECA, which is the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Make sure to always verify the specific requirements of the university, employer, immigration program, or professional licensing body you are dealing with.
WES recognizes over 48,000 higher education institutions worldwide. Among these, several Indian universities have earned recognition from WES as well. Notable institutions include Anna University, Bangalore University, Christ University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, to name a few. However, this does not necessarily mean that you do not require a WES evaluation if you have earned your degree from these institutions. For example, if you have a degree from Delhi University, you will still be required to get your credentials evaluated even though DU is already recognized. This is to confirm that your Indian degree is equivalent to a North American or Canadian one.
The three types of evaluation done by WES are:
Document-by-document Evaluation: It provides the US equivalency of your credential. This evaluation is used for freshman university admissions, employment, and USA immigration.
Course-by-course Evaluation: It offers the US equivalency of your credential and US GPA. It is used for transfer and graduate university admissions, and licensing boards (except CPA).
CPA Supplemental Report: This evaluation process is used to analyse your business and accounting courses for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) boards.
The WES evaluation process for Indian students is pretty straightforward, but it does require some steps. A common challenge for many applicants is contacting their university's Examination or Transcript Department, as each Indian university has its own way of handling official transcripts and sending them to third parties like WES. The following steps elaborate on the WES evaluation application process.
Step 1: Visit the Official WES Website.
Step 2: Create your account. Fill in your personal details to set up your WES online account.
Step 3: Provide your academic information, including full university name, Degree type and specialization, Years of study, and completion.
Step 4: Make the WES payment.
Step 5: WES will give you a unique WES Reference Number. This number is super important and needs to be included on all documents and correspondence sent to WES.
Step 6: Submit your documents.
The documents required for a WES evaluation can vary depending on the country of education and the type of evaluation. WES evaluation for Indian students requirements 2025 include:
Degree Certificate (Provisional or Final)
University Marksheet, or Transcripts
Indian students who are applying for a WES evaluation must review the mandatory required documents, an essential part of the evaluation process. The type of documents will vary depending on the country or territory in which you studied.
Candidates can submit their necessary documents in two ways: by postal mail or electronically.
1. Sending Documents to WES Electronically: WES has digital partnerships with many institutions. Therefore, students can send their documents through secure and approved digital methods such as online platforms, direct transmission channels, or email.
2. Sending Documents to WES by Mail: Candidates can send their documents for WES evaluation via mail. Ask your institution to send your documents directly to WES and place them in a sealed envelope to ensure it is accurate and trustworthy.
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A few general guidelines for document submission for WES evaluation are as follows:
Do not submit your original copies of documents unless specifically stated in your list of required documents or requested by WES.
Students must complete an application and obtain a reference number before sending any documents. Write this reference number on each document before submitting it to WES. Documents that arrive without a reference number can create delays.
Send your official academic documents to WES from the issuing academic institutions.
Do not attempt to send your required documents via email.
WES does not offer translation services; therefore, translate all the required documents into English before submitting.
Pay the necessary shipping charges if sending through a courier service.
Candidates can upload photocopies of degree certificates and translations in My Account.
Indian students must pay an evaluation fee to get a WES evaluation. The WES evaluation fees for Indian students vary depending on the applicant's application as an undergrad, transfer, or graduate student. The charges for WES evaluation for an Indian diploma are given below:
WES Evaluation Type | WES Evaluation Fee in USA (in USD) | WES Evaluation Fee in USA (in INR) | WES Evaluation Fee in Canada (in CAD) | WES Evaluation Fee in Canada (in INR) |
Document by Document Evaluation (ICAP) | $166 | ₹14,475 | CAD 171 | ₹10,790 |
Document by Document Evaluation (Basic) | $115 | ₹10,030 | CAD 130 | ₹8,200 |
Course by Course Evaluation (ICAP) | $233 | ₹20,320 | CAD 278 | ₹17,545 |
Course by Course Evaluation (Basic) | $182 | ₹15,870 | CAD 237 | ₹14,955 |
Category | Additional Fees for WES | Additional Fees for WES (in INR) |
Standard delivery (tracking not included) | $13 | ₹1,135 |
International courier services (per address) | $84 | ₹7,325 |
1-day shipping (per address, USA only) | $41 | ₹3,575 |
2-day shipping (per address, US only) | $28 | ₹2,440 |
3-5 business day shipping (per address, US only) | $18 | ₹1,570 |
Sealed envelope (per envelope) | $8 | ₹695 |
Duplicate reports ordered at the time of application | $34 | ₹2,965 |
The standard processing time for the WES evaluation procedure for Indian students is about 4 to 6 weeks from receipt, review, and acceptance of all documents by WES, and payment in full. The WES evaluation processing time for the different types of WES evaluation is mentioned in the table below.
Type of WES Evaluation | WES Processing Time |
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA for IRCC Canada) | 4-6 weeks |
Document-by-Document (DxD) | 4-6 weeks |
Course-by-Course (CxC) | 4-6 weeks |
A WES (World Education Services) evaluation report does not have an expiration date and is usually considered valid forever. However, different institutions or organizations, like universities or employers, might have their own rules about how recent the evaluation needs to be. Some may ask for an evaluation that has been done within the last two to five years.
Like WES, several organisations are aiming to evaluate credentials for aspiring study abroad applicants. For the USA, the alternatives are:
For Canadian universities, the alternatives to WES are:
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WES or world education services enables international students, immigrants and refugees achieve social and economic mobility by using their education, skills, knowledge, and experience.
There are two kinds of WES evaluation each having different costs. The first is a Document-by-document evaluation and the other one is a Course-by-course evaluation that costs for graduate admissions. For USA it can cost between $115−$233 however, for Canada it can cost. between CAD 130 - CAD 278.
Yes, a WES evaluation is necessary for Indian students. US and Canadian universities use WES evaluation to compare the student's academic scores and qualifications for admission to various pogrammes. Without a WES evaluation, Indian students will not be apply to top Canada and US universities.
The standard processing time for WES evaluation procedure for Indian students is about 7 working days. The processing time may increase in case of additional verification or information.
WES ECA is valid for up to 5 years from the date of issue. However, the Express Entry profile is valid for one year from the date you submit a profile to IRCC.
There are primarily two documents required for WES evaluation. These are:
Degree Certificate (Provisional or Final)
University Marksheet, or Transcripts
There is no specific eligibility for WES evaluation. If you plan to study in USA and Canada, and have completed your education at an institution outside of Canada or the US, then you can opt for WES evaluation. In addition, you must provide documentation such as academic transcripts and degree certificates.
WES evaluation is a valuable choice if you are planning to work or pursue higher education in USA or Canada. This is because it helps in increasing your chances of acceptance by converting your scores to American or Canadian standards.
No WES does not refund the fees if an individual has cancelled the evaluation.
After your WES evaluation is completed, you will receive the report through email as well as a physical copy. You can use the WES report for applying to universities in USA and Canada.
WES is mainly recognized in USA and Canada for evaluating academic credentials. It reviews documents from almost every country, but its main goal is to help candidates get their international credentials recognized for opportunities in North America.
No, WES does not require your IELTS exam scores before you apply for a credential evaluation. However, if you are planning to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry program, you will be required to submit both your WES evaluation and your IELTS scores.
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