Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about credential evaluation. If you have a question that is not addressed below, don’t hesitate to contact us.

What is a credential?

A credential is a document that shows the educational achievement from a particular institution or a specific level of study. For instance, if you are from India, and you are applying for admission to a bachelor’s program in the U.S., your previous credential is your completion of secondary school, or more specifically, your exam results from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). Even though you would be submitting two certificates, this is considered as one credential. You can find out more details about the specific documents from your country by visiting our requirements page.

What is a credential evaluation?

A credential evaluation is a document which compares the educational credentials from one country to the credentials of another country. Ucredo specializes in credential evaluations as they relate to the educational system of the United States.

Why do I need a credential evaluation?

A credential evaluation helps prospective university admission officers, employers, or immigration officers to better understand your overseas credentials in U.S. terms.

Can my credentials be evaluated by a U.S. government agency?

There is no agency in the U.S. government that handles evaluation and certification of foreign credentials. The evaluation process is done either internally by colleges or universities, or by external evaluators such as Ucredo.

What does a credential evaluation include?

A credential evaluation includes elements that assess the level, scope, intent, and equivalence of educational credentials. You can view samples of credential evaluations on our services page.

How do I apply for a credential evaluation?

The Ucredo application process is entirely electronic. Simply fill out the online application, upload your documents, and pay for the service at the end.

What documents do I need to apply?

Please upload all the documents that you have including consolidated transcripts and individual mark sheets indicating the courses pursued, grades earned, and time spent studying each course (in hours or credits, as applicable and available). Also include any certificates or diplomas awarded by the institution upon completion of the program. If you have questions about the specific requirements for your country, please email us.

Why do you require proof of identity?

Ucredo is committed to protecting our students and partner institutions from fraudulent activity. We require each applicant to upload proof of identity, such as a scan of the first page of the passport or government issued photo ID. If the name on the educational documents does not match the applicant’s current legal name, we require a proof of name change, most commonly in the form of a marriage certificate. Having proof of identity or name change makes it easier for us to authenticate the submitted documents, and makes our evaluation reports more accurate.

How soon will I get my credential evaluation?

Our processing time for general evaluations is 5-7 business days from the receipt of all materials and payment. Course by course evaluations take 7-10 business days. If you require a paper copy to be mailed to your address in addition to an electronic copy, please add 1 extra business day for processing. Please note that these are good faith average processing time estimates; actual times may vary depending on your situation.

How will I receive my evaluation?

Ucredo’s default delivery method is a secured PDF file sent directly to the email address you indicate. If you are applying for university study, you may request that we send the evaluation directly to the institution by email. You can also order paper copies to be sent for an additional charge.

Are Ucredo reports recognized?

Ucredo is an Endorsed Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). You can check our endorsed status on the AICE memberships page. AICE is a professional association for credential evaluation service providers founded in 1998. There are only two professional associations in the U.S. providing credential evaluation services that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education: AICE and NACES. Both associations require a lengthy application and screening process including a site visit. Only companies with exceptional competence in credentialing are allowed to join AICE. Credential evaluation reports prepared by AICE members are widely accepted for undergraduate and graduate admissions, employment, immigration, or licensure purposes.

What if my documents are not in English?

If your documents are not translated into English, you must submit a translation from a certified and licensed translator. Alternatively, you may order a translation package along with your evaluation from Ucredo. You cannot translate your own documents.

Do you offer translations?

Yes. Currently, translations are offered for Spanish, Portuguese and French. You can apply for a translation online.

How much does a translation cost?

We charge a flat rate of $40 per page for a translation. Each page cannot be larger than a standard U.S. letter size (8.5 in x 11 in) or A4 size (210 mm × 280 mm or 8.27 in × 11.02 in). An average page has approximately 250 words on it. If you have a more complicated project, please submit your documents for a free consultation in order to get an estimate of the cost.

What is the processing time for a translation?

Processing times vary depending on the number of pages. For most academic and essential documents, the average processing time is 2 business days.

Are your translations accepted?

Ucredo is a member of the American Translators Association (ATA), the most prominent organization for translators and interpreters. Our translations are accepted for any academic or legal purpose. Every translation comes with a certificate of translation accuracy. We do not notarize individual documents.

Do I need to mail my original documents?

Ucredo does not require you to send your original documents by mail in order to process your evaluation. All official, original documents need to be scanned and uploaded during the time of application. Please refer to the upload requirements for details on how to upload your documents. Ucredo reserves the right to request the original documents as part of the verification process. If we find that the documents submitted for evaluation are fraudulent, we will immediately cancel the evaluation process and notify the proper authorities. No refunds can be issued such cases. If we receive any documents from you by mail, we will ensure that the same are returned to you by certified mail upon completion of the evaluation.

What are your document upload requirements?

We require our applicants to use a large flatbed scanner to scan all of their credentials in high resolution and in color. Documents must be scanned; photos taken with a camera or smartphone are not acceptable for evaluation purposes. The scanned images should be clear, sharp, and accurate representations of the source document, and should show all the stamps, seals, and signatures of the original. We require images to be at least 100 dpi (dots per inch), but documents up to 300 dpi are accepted. The maximum file size is 32 MB. We prefer PDF files, although we accept .jpg and .png file formats.

Clients who are only getting a translation may use the Adobe Scan app to scan their documents as described above. Clients who need credential evaluations should follow the aforementioned instructions.

What does the evaluation report look like?

You can view sample reports on our services page.

What if I don’t agree with the results of the evaluation report?

Ucredo performs all evaluations using the most up-to-date professional literature and research in the field of comparative international education. Our primary duty is to provide accurate and truthful evaluations in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards.

We understand that sometimes the client may not agree with the result of the evaluation. Feel free to write to us stating your reasons for disagreement. Please note that Ucredo cannot change an evaluation based on a customer’s specific need; all evaluations are done with the use of professional literature only. Because the evaluation is advisory in nature, the client is free to seek an opinion from another source. No refunds are issued after the documents have been submitted for review. If you would like to get a preliminary review of your credentials prior to applying, please fill out a free consultation form.

Will I get a refund if I don’t agree with the evaluation?

Unfortunately, Ucredo does not offer any refunds once we have started processing your application.

Can I request for my documents to be re-evaluated?

Any requests for a re-evaluation will be treated as new applications. This means that the applicant would have to go through the regular online application, submit the documents, and pay the applicable fees again. Ucredo does not guarantee that the results of any re-evaluation will be different from the opinion rendered in the original evaluation.