What Is ECE?
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) is a nonprofit credential evaluation organization that evaluates education completed outside the United States and provides U.S. educational equivalencies for foreign academic credentials.
ECE evaluations are used for purposes such as college and university admission, employment, professional licensing, immigration, and military service. ECE is also a charter member of NACES and has been a member since the association was founded in 1987.
What Types of Credential Evaluations Does ECE Offer?
ECE offers several evaluation report types. The institution, employer, licensing board, or other organization receiving your evaluation should determine which report you need before you place an order.
General Evaluation
A General evaluation provides the U.S. equivalency for each educational credential submitted.
It does not include an evaluation of individual courses, grades, or a grade point average.
This report may be used for purposes such as:
- Employment
- Immigration
- Professional licensing
- Military service
General with Grade Average
This report includes the U.S. equivalency of each credential and a grade average for university-level credentials.
It may be appropriate when an institution requires an overall academic average but does not need a detailed course-by-course analysis.
Course by Course Evaluation
A Course by Course evaluation provides a more detailed analysis of academic study.
Depending on the level of education evaluated, the report may include:
- U.S. equivalency of each credential
- Courses completed
- U.S. credit equivalents
- Grade equivalents
- Grade average
- Identification of upper-level undergraduate or professional courses
ECE identifies Course by Course as its most commonly ordered report, but applicants should still confirm the required report type with the receiving institution.
High School and University Level Course by Course
This report provides detailed evaluation of both high school and university-level academic work.
It may include:
- U.S. equivalency of each credential
- High school units
- University credits
- Grade equivalents
- Grade averages
- Upper-level course identification
ECE also offers specialized reports for certain professional licensing and institutional purposes.
What Documents Does ECE Require?
ECE documentation requirements vary by the country where you studied and the type of academic credential being evaluated.
Depending on your educational history, documents may include:
- Diploma or degree certificate
- Academic transcript
- Mark sheets
- Statement of marks
- Graduation certificate
- Secondary school records
- University academic records
- Other country-specific educational documents
Some documents may need to be issued or transmitted directly by the educational institution, while other documents may be submitted as copies.
ECE determines document requirements primarily according to the country and institution that issued the credential.
Always check the
official ECE Documentation Requirements before submitting your documents.
Does ECE Require English Translations?
If you do not purchase the ECE Translation Waiver, ECE requires an English translation for documents issued in a language other than English.
Translations should be:
- Complete
- Legible
- Word-for-word
- Presented in the same general format as the original document
The translation accompanies the original-language academic document and does not replace it.
What Is the ECE Translation Waiver?
ECE offers a Translation Waiver that allows applicants to submit required educational documents without arranging English translations in advance.
When the Translation Waiver is added to an eligible evaluation order, ECE handles the English translation needed to prepare the evaluation report. The waiver applies to several ECE report types, including General, General with GPA, Course by Course, High School and University Level Course by Course, and Subject Analysis.
However, there is an important limitation:
Translations prepared under the ECE Translation Waiver are used only for ECE's evaluation process. They are not provided to the applicant or to the institution receiving the evaluation report.
The Translation Waiver is also not available for NABP orders.
Can You Translate ECE Documents Yourself?
For a standard ECE evaluation, ECE states that applicants may prepare their own English translations as long as they are complete, word-for-word, and presented in the same format as the original document.
However, this does not mean that a self-prepared translation will necessarily be suitable for every other organization where you may later need to use the same documents.
Universities, licensing boards, immigration authorities, employers, and other institutions may have their own translation requirements.
A professional certified translation can therefore be useful when you need a translation that can also be submitted separately from the ECE evaluation.
Certified Translation for ECE
Carolina Translation Center provides professional certified translations of academic documents for credential evaluation and other official purposes.
We translate:
- Diplomas
- Degree certificates
- Academic transcripts
- Mark sheets
- Diploma supplements
- Graduation certificates
- Academic records
- Grading scales
- Other educational documents
Our translations include the information appearing on the original documents, including:
- Stamps and seals
- Signatures
- Tables
- Course names
- Grades
- Handwritten entries
- Notes and additional markings
A Certification of Translation Accuracy is included with certified translations.
Special Translation Requirements for NABP and FPGEC
Applicants using ECE for certain pharmacy-related applications should pay particular attention to the separate NABP and FPGEC documentation requirements.
For these applications:
- The ECE Translation Waiver is not available.
- Applicants may not prepare their own translations.
- Non-English documents must be accompanied by an official, word-for-word English translation.
- Translations must be prepared and certified as correct by an acceptable translator.
- Foreign-language stamps and seals must also be translated.
NABP/FPGEC also specifies requirements concerning translator identification, signatures, dates, certification statements, and translator credentials.
Applicants applying through NABP or FPGEC should always follow the specific instructions for that application rather than the general ECE translation rules.
How to Prepare Documents for an ECE Evaluation
Before submitting your documents to ECE:
- Confirm that the institution receiving your evaluation accepts ECE.
- Ask which ECE report type is required.
- Review ECE's country-specific documentation requirements.
- Determine how each required academic document must be submitted.
- Decide whether you will submit English translations or use the ECE Translation Waiver, if eligible.
- Make sure all translations are complete and correspond to the original documents.
- Follow any additional requirements for licensing boards or specialized applications.
- Submit your application and documents according to ECE instructions.
ECE cannot complete an evaluation until the required documentation has been received and accepted.
ECE Insignia
ECE also offers an optional package called ECE Insignia.
The package can include a digital credential that allows eligible applicants to share their evaluated education online, as well as access to discounted official report copies.
ECE Insignia is an optional addition to an evaluation and does not replace the underlying credential evaluation report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ECE a NACES member?
Yes. Educational Credential Evaluators is a charter member of NACES and has been a member since March 1987.
Does ECE require translations?
If you do not purchase an eligible ECE Translation Waiver, documents issued in a language other than English require English translations.
Can I translate my own documents for ECE?
For standard ECE evaluations, ECE permits applicants to prepare their own translations if they are complete, word-for-word, and in the same format as the original documents. Different rules apply to certain specialized applications, including NABP/FPGEC.
Does ECE provide translations?
ECE can handle translations internally when an eligible applicant purchases the ECE Translation Waiver. Those translations are used only to prepare the ECE evaluation and are not provided to the applicant or report recipient.
What is the difference between a General and Course by Course ECE evaluation?
A General evaluation provides the U.S. equivalency of the academic credentials evaluated. A Course by Course report provides additional analysis such as courses, credits, grades, and grade averages.
Which ECE report do I need?
The receiving institution should tell you which report it requires. ECE itself recommends confirming the report type with the school, employer, licensing board, or other organization requesting the evaluation.
How long does an ECE evaluation take?
ECE currently states that most orders are completed in around five business days after all required documents have been received. Processing times may vary and do not include document delivery time, weekends, or holidays.
Need Your Academic Documents Translated for ECE?
If you need a professional certified translation of your diploma, transcript, degree certificate, mark sheets, or other academic documents, send us clear copies for a free quote.
Our translations can be used for credential evaluation and can also be retained for other institutions or official purposes where a separate certified English translation is required.