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WES stands for World Education Services. WES is a non-profit social enterprise that helps international students and immigrants achieve their educational and career goals in the US and Canada. WES evaluates international educational qualifications and supports the integration of immigrants into the workforce. Since 1974, World Education Services has provided credential evaluations to around four million students and professionals from more than 200 countries. They have worked with more than 48,000+ global Higher Education institutions. Indian or international students looking to study in US or Canadian universities need to submit their GPA scores. The scores need to be as per the American calculations, whereas Indian universities calculate scores differently, so your scores need to be converted. Here comes World Education Services (WES), it is an organisation that specialises in evaluating international academic qualifications. For Indian students aspiring to study, work, or immigrate to countries like the United States and Canada, obtaining a WES evaluation is a crucial step. WES also provides philanthropic funding to immigrant-serving organizations. WES is a credential evaluation service used by USA and Canadian universities to grant admission to international students. Indian students who wish to study in USA and Canada must complete the WES evaluation process to make full use of the skills, training, and education received in India. 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. In this article, we will inform you about the WES Evaluation for Indian students, documents required, WES timelines, and the WES processing time.
WES evaluation provides credential evaluation to individuals (students or professionals) who want to apply to US or Canadian higher education institutions. WES evaluation compares the students' academic accomplishments to standards in the USA or Canada.
Institutions like schools, employers, licensing boards, or immigration authorities use this report to check the educational background of the students.
WES evaluation for Indian students is a crucial part of their admission to top Canadian and US universities. Here’s a detailed overview of what WES Evaluation involves:
Verify the authenticity of a student’s credentials
Identifies and describes the credentials of the candidates
Evaluates the authenticity of the documents
Include a grade point average (GPA) equivalency
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. More 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, they gain 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.
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.
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.
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 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 Educational Credential Assessments (ECA). Make sure to always verify the specific requirements of the university, employer, immigration program, or professional licensing body you are dealing with.
The WES evaluation process for Indian students is pretty straightforward but 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 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.
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.
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 wish to apply for Master of Education, Master of Engineering, Master of Philosophy, or Master of Technology are not required to send their bachelor’s degree certificate in case of WES evaluation for Indian masters degree.
Candidates who completed a research-based programme can send their degree certificate by postal mail directly to WES in a sealed and stamped envelope.
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.
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.
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.
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 | INR 14,180 | CAD 171 | INR 10,680 |
Document by Document Evaluation (Basic) | $115 | INR 9,825 | CAD 130 | INR 8,115 |
Course by Course Evaluation (ICAP) | $233 | INR 19,905 | CAD 278 | INR 17,360 |
Course by Course Evaluation (Basic) | $182 | INR 15,550 | CAD 237 | INR 14,800 |
Category | Additional Fees for WES | Additional Fees for WES (in INR) |
Standard delivery (tracking not included) | $13 | INR 1,110 |
International courier services (per address) | $84 | INR 7,175 |
1-day shipping (per address, USA only) | $41 | INR 3,500 |
2-day shipping (per address, US only) | $28 | INR 2,390 |
3-5 business day shipping (per address, US only) | $18 | INR 1,535 |
Sealed envelope (per envelope) | $8 | INR 680 |
Duplicate reports ordered at the time of application | $34 | INR 2,905 |
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 |
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.
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:
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
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.
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