Certified Transcript Translation

Schools record results in different ways. Many US and UK universities issue a single consolidated transcript. Schools in South Asia often issue a separate mark sheet for each year or semester, and a consolidated mark sheet at the end. Universities in the European Higher Education Area usually add a Diploma Supplement that describes the degree and the grading system.

A complete translation covers every page you send, including the back of each page where grading keys and notes are often printed. If your evaluator asks for every year's mark sheet, translate them all in one order so names and course titles stay consistent.

If a document is already issued in English, it usually does not need translating. Send only the pages that are in another language, and tell us which ones they are.

Grading systems vary widely. France and many French-speaking countries grade out of 20. German universities use a scale from 1.0 to 5.0 where 1.0 is the best grade. Russia and several neighboring countries use a 5-point scale, and Indian universities report percentages with a class or division.

A translator who "helps" by converting these numbers creates problems. Evaluators such as WES and ECE work from the original scale and apply their own conversion rules, so a converted grade can contradict their report.

Our translations keep every grade exactly as printed and translate the scale and its labels, such as "très bien" or "First Division", so the evaluator has everything needed to do the conversion.

Course titles are translated by meaning, not word by word. A literal translation can turn a standard subject into something an evaluator does not recognize, so translators use the accepted English name of the subject wherever one exists.

Abbreviations are expanded once where the meaning is clear, and kept as printed when it is not. Institution names keep their official form, with an English rendering where the school uses one.

Your name is spelled exactly as it appears in your passport, if you give us that spelling. This matters when a transcript, a diploma and an identity document must match in the same application.

A certified translation turns your transcript into English. A credential evaluation, done by an organization such as WES or ECE, states what your studies are equivalent to in the US or Canada. Many applicants need both, but not always.

WES says that in most cases translation is not necessary, and it bars self-translation when one is needed. ECE accepts the applicant's own word-for-word translation and also sells a Translation Waiver. Universities and licensing boards set their own rules and often want a certified translation.

Before you order, check your evaluator's document list and your university's admissions page. If one translation must serve several recipients, tell us and we prepare it to the strictest requirement.