Myth 1: The foreign credential evaluation company will issue another educational certificate or transcript to me

There is an assumption that evaluation company will issue another educational certificate or transcript to the applicant. This is not the case at all. The company doing foreign transcript evaluation has no authority to issue any academic transcript, certificate, or diploma. Only duly U.S. accredited educational institutions have the authority to do so.

The only document evaluation company issue is the credential evaluation report. A report that provides information about the applicant’s academic degree or diploma awarded by non-US educational institution and the equivalent of the credential in the United States.

Myth 2: My academic certificate or degree will be equivalent to the same thing in the United States

It is reasonable to expect a certificate or degree obtained from other countries to be equivalent to the same degree in the United States. However, this is not always the case.

Academic degree obtained in another country may not be equivalent to degree obtained in the United States. For example, three-year bachelor’s degree from India, South Africa or Australia.

The credential evaluation service or the credential evaluator doing the evaluation considers so many factors (not just the number of years the degree take to complete) when evaluating credentials from countries that issue three-year degrees.

The 3-year honors bachelor’s degree from Australia, U.K. or South Africa is mostly equivalent to a 4-year bachelor’s degree in the U.S. These honors degrees require advanced qualifications (such as Cambridge International GCE A & AS Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, Advanced Placement exams, etc.) for admissions.

Myth 3: foreign credential evaluation process is very tedious and time consuming

This might be true in some cases. Document requirements, obtaining academic documents and getting verification of education credentials from overseas educational institutions often make the process time consuming and tedious.

The process of evaluating the credential itself often take less time to complete, especially if the evaluators have access to all the necessary materials and tools to get it done.

Myth 4: The evaluation report prepared by agencies are the same format and are accepted throughout the United States

There is not true at all. Just like transcripts and diplomas issued by colleges and universities are not the same format, evaluation report differs from agency to agency.

There are assumptions also that evaluation report is accepted throughout the United States. This may be true for some companies; however, it is not true for all. Some schools or employers sometime prefer applicant to get evaluation from a specific agency. To avoid confusion and waste money, applicants are advised to check with the educational institutions or employer they are applying to know if they will accept the report.

Myth 5: The evaluation report does not expire (It is issued for life)

Majority of the companies that offer credential evaluation have policy in place regarding validity or expiration of the report. Some evaluation report has a validity of two years. Others have expiration of three years.

Evaluation report by Bruscan Educational Information Services is valid for 5 years.

Myth 6: The credential evaluation companies charge the same fees

Evaluation companies does not charge the same fees. In fact, the fees for credential evaluation vary from company to company. The fees are charged based on the types of credential evaluation applicant selected.

Bruscan Educational Information Services (BEIS) charge $75.00 for general evaluation. World Education Services (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) charge $145.00 and $110.00, respectively.

Myth 7: Foreign credential evaluation is only for education purposes

This is not always the case. While international credential evaluation is used to gain admission into college or university; however, it is also used for employment, professional licensure, and/or immigration purposes.

Myth 8: Only evaluation agencies evaluate foreign education credentials

Evaluation agencies are not the only one performing credential evaluation. It is also done by educational institutions, employers, licensing boards, law offices, etc. It is recommended that the in-house evaluators be a professional with deep understanding and knowledge of education system around the world. The person also needs to have experience in evaluating education credentials from different countries.

Myth 9: Evaluation companies does not provide translation services

This is not true. Many credential evaluation companies are known to provide translation services. Bruscan Educational Information Services, Josef Silny, and Spantran are a few examples of companies that provide certified translation services.

Myth 10: Evaluation companies must belong to a professional organization

There is no requirement which states that a credential evaluation agency or company belong to a professional organization. However, joining professional organization such as Association of International Educators (NAFSA), The Association of the International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP), National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) and following the standards and rules set by these organizations can brings benefits.

It indicates to clients and stakeholders that the evaluation company services are complying with the guidelines set in performing credential evaluation. And that the evaluator is following professional code of conduct. The evaluator is acting in ethical manner while performing the duties or business.

Professional association membership helps to connect with others in the industry. Attending conferences and professional development programs that in turn can prove beneficial in the long run.

Bruscan Educational Information Services is here to answer any questions you may have. The company is reliable, affordable, and trusted with quick and easy application process.

Contact us today.

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