MotaWord's Essential Guide to Transcript Evaluations

If you have a degree and you want to move to another country, foreign transcript evaluation services might help you considerably. Pursuing higher education or career opportunities abroad is an exciting reality for many individuals. However, achieving your academic and professional goals may be complex because of the different education systems and grading methods. This is where transcripts or course-by-course evaluations become excellent tools, offering a clear roadmap to success.

In this guide, we’ll explain transcript evaluations, course-by-course evaluations, their differences, uses, benefits, and how they can change your future and options abroad. Additionally, we’ll guide you through the process of choosing a transcript evaluation service. Let’s get right into it!

Course-by-Course Evaluation vs Transcript Evaluation

In the industry of academic evaluations, the terms may vary, but the principles remain the same. Whether you know them as course-by-course or transcript evaluation, these terms describe the same process. International transcript evaluations offer a more comprehensive analysis of your academic coursework. It delves into the details presented in your transcripts while also providing US equivalencies for your degrees.

It’s important to note that transcript evaluations are different from diploma evaluations. Diploma evaluations focus solely on assessing completed degrees and providing US equivalencies

Purposes of Transcript Evaluation

Transcript evaluation serves multiple purposes, spanning academic, employment, and immigration contexts. Each of these areas relies on the accurate assessment of foreign qualifications to facilitate various processes and decisions.

Academic transcript evaluation purposes

• Credit transfer: Students moving from one educational institution to another, especially across international borders, often need to have their previous coursework and grades evaluated. An international student transcript evaluation helps determine which credits can be transferred, ensuring that students do not have to repeat courses unnecessarily and can continue their education smoothly.

• Admissions: Colleges and universities use transcript evaluations to understand the academic background of international applicants. This helps admissions officers make informed decisions about an applicant's eligibility and proper placement within their programmes.

• Graduate studies: Transcript evaluations are crucial for students applying to graduate programmes, especially those with undergraduate degrees from foreign institutions. They help graduate schools determine whether an applicant has the necessary academic background and has completed prerequisite courses.

Professional purposes

• Job qualifications: Employers often require a clear understanding of a candidate's educational background, especially for positions that require specific degrees or coursework. Transcript evaluation translates foreign academic achievements into local standards, helping employers assess a candidate's qualifications.

• Professional certifications: Many professions, such as engineering, nursing, or teaching, require specific academic credentials for certification or licensure. Transcript evaluations ensure that foreign-educated individuals meet the educational standards necessary to practice their profession in a new country.

Immigration purposes

• Educational equivalence: Immigrants may need to prove that their foreign qualifications are equivalent to those of their new country. Evaluating transcripts is essential as it can significantly affect their eligibility for various immigration programmes, including skilled worker categories.

• Professional qualifications: For those wishing to work in regulated professions, it is essential to demonstrate that their international degrees and certificates are comparable to local qualifications. Transcript evaluation plays a key role in this process, helping individuals to gain recognition of their professional skills and knowledge, thereby facilitating smoother integration into the workforce.

In each of these contexts, transcript evaluation is a critical step in recognising and validating your academic and professional achievements across international boundaries. It not only supports educational and career progression but also contributes to cultural and intellectual diversity within academic and professional environments.

The Transcript Evaluation Process

Now let's talk about the process we use at MotaWord to evaluate transcripts. The process is a detailed and systematic approach to ensuring that foreign academic qualifications are accurately understood and equated with local standards. This section outlines the typical stages of the process. If you decide to use our transcript evaluation services, you’ll receive documents in very short turnaround times.

1. Submission of documents

The first step in the transcript evaluation process requires individuals to submit various documents, which may include:

• Official transcripts: Detailed records of all courses, grades, and credits earned, ideally sent directly from the issuing institution to ensure authenticity.
• Degree Certificates: Proof of degree completion, including diplomas and graduation certificates.
• Course descriptions: Course syllabi or detailed course outlines to help evaluators understand the content and level of study.
  • Identification documents: Valid identification to verify the applicant's identity, such as passports or national identity cards.

These documents provide the basic information needed for a thorough evaluation and usually need to be translated into the language of the evaluating country.

2. Verification of the documents

Verification is a critical step in ensuring the authenticity of submitted documents. This may involve:

• Anti-fraud measures: Conducting checks to detect forged or altered documents.
• Consistency checks: Ensuring that the information provided matches records available through official databases or through direct correspondence with issuing institutions.

3. Assessment of documents and other information

During the assessment phase, the assessors analyze the academic documents according to several criteria:

• Grading scales: Understanding the grading system used in the original educational context and comparing it with local grading scales.
• Course content: Assessing the depth and breadth of the curriculum covered, including hours of instruction and level of study.
• Accreditation status: Considers the accreditation of the issuing institution and its recognition in the country of origin.

The assessment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of academic achievement in the local education system.

4. Equivalence

The final step is to establish equivalence, which involves:

• Comparing educational standards: Aligning foreign academic qualifications with those of the local educational framework and determining the closest equivalent degree or level of study.
• Credit equivalency: Calculating how foreign credits translate into local credits or hours of study.
• Outcome Documentation: Providing a report or certificate outlining the equivalence of the foreign education in terms familiar to the local academic or professional context.

Once we’re done, you’ll receive a highly detailed evaluation you can use for any official process.

Customizable Course-by-Course Evaluations from MotaWord

At MotaWord, we offer customizable Course-by-Course Evaluations tailored to your specific needs. These evaluations encompass three essential components:

• Credit Conversion: For Credit Conversion, our expert evaluator will convert your foreign credits into their US equivalents to show how many US credit hours your degree is worth. This requires research into the foreign country’s academic systems and the foreign institution’s specific curricula, combined with the expertise of an experienced evaluator who is familiar with credit conversion methods.
• Grade Conversion: For Grade Conversion, our expert evaluator will convert your foreign grades into their US equivalents on a US letter grade scale. Our evaluation team relies primarily on the AACRAO EDGE database for grade conversion, but is also informed by extensive research into the foreign country’s grading systems.
• GPA Calculation: For GPA Calculation, our expert evaluator calculates your GPA based on the US equivalent grades and credit hours earned. This means that to get a GPA Calculation, the evaluation must also contain a Credit and Grade Conversion. MotaWord uses a standard 4.0 GPA scale for GPA calculations.

Our Course-by-Course Evaluation service can be ordered as per your requirements, including Credit Conversion, Grade Conversion, or GPA Calculation (which includes both Credit and Grade Conversion). This service is priced at $120, with delivery in three days or less.

Have questions about whether our Course-by-Course Evaluation service will meet your specific requirements? Chat with us!

MotaWord’s Transcript Evaluation Services Can Help You Thrive

At MotaWord, we embrace the power of education and the importance of worldwide qualification recognition. We constantly strive to help our customers, whether they’re students, are pursuing work-related visas, and more, achieve success. We also have extensive experience working with and meeting USCIS requirements, so you can rest assured that our evaluations are recognized. Our customizable evaluations can cater to your specific needs. We've outlined Credit Conversion, Grade Conversion, and GPA Calculation services to ensure your qualifications align with US standards. MotaWord's Course-by-Course Evaluations have you covered. We're here to simplify your journey and help you achieve your academic and professional aspirations confidently. Are you ready to start? Reach out to us today!

Mark Rogers - Head of Evaluation Services at MotaWord

Mark is a credentials evaluator expert with over five years of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, Mark has demonstrated a keen attention to detail and a thorough understanding of international education systems, contributing to his reputation as a trusted authority in the field of credentials evaluation.