• Education
• Evaluate My Credentials
• Credential Evaluation

Where can I get my international credentials evaluated for education?

Generally, elementary and secondary (high) schools can evaluate your child's education themselves. However, each college and university has its own process for evaluating your previous education. Contact each college or university to find out what their process is.

Before you start to study in Canada, you might need to have your educational documents evaluated. If your educational documents are not in English, you may need to get them translated. Some schools may accept documents in French.

Elementary or Secondary School

Generally, publicly-funded schools - both public schools and Catholic schools - can evaluate your child's education themselves. When you enrol your child, bring your child's educational documents, such as report cards, with you. Your child may take some tests that help the school determine what they have learned before. The school will place your child into the appropriate grade.

Colleges, Universities and Institutes

Each college, university and institute has its own process for evaluating your previous education and deciding whether to admit you as a student. Some may evaluate your previous education themselves. Others may ask for a report from an evaluation service.

Contact the admissions office or department to find out what you need to do. You may want to ask:

• Do you evaluate my credentials, or do I need an evaluation from another organization?
• If you do the evaluation, is there a fee?
• What types of documentation do you require? (transcripts, diplomas, letters)
• Does the former school have to send you the documents directly? Or can I give you the documents?
• Can I submit photocopies or do they have to be originals?
• Do the documents need to be translated into English? If so, what are the school's guidelines for choosing a translator?
• If I need an evaluation from another organization, which organizations do you accept?

Some Organizations That Evaluate Credentials for Education

• Comparative Education Service (CES) at the University of Toronto – Evaluates academic credentials that you earned outside of Canada. CES assessment letters can help Canadian employers, academic institutions, immigration officials, settlement agencies and professional licensing bodies understand the equivalency of your academic credentials.  You should contact the specific organization where you need to send your evaluation in order to confirm any specific requirements.
• International Credentials Assessment Service (ICAS) of Canada - Evaluates credentials from secondary school, post-secondary school and technical qualifications. Their reports describe the education you did outside of Canada and compare it to education you can get in Canada.
• World Education Services (WES) - Canada - Evaluates secondary school and post-secondary school diplomas and degrees that you completed outside of Canada. WES has a contract from the Ontario government to perform evaluation services. You can use WES evaluation reports for 5 purposes: employment, education, immigration, post-secondary education, licensing and apprenticeship training.

If you need to evaluate your credentials for employment, go to Where can I get my international credentials evaluated for employment?

For More Information

• Getting Your Credentials Assessed – Information about why you may need to get your credentials assessed and how you can do this. From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) - Provides information about international credentials for people from other countries who want to study or work in Canada and to Canadians who want to study abroad.
• International Students - This webpage has information about coming to Ontario as an international student, and working while you study and after you graduate. It is from the Ontario Immigration website.