On a Russian transcript, 5 is the top mark. On a German one, 5,0 is a fail. A translator who "helpfully" turns either into a Canadian letter grade has made your transcript say something it never said, and the evaluator comparing it with the official record from your university will see the gap.
That is the first rule of academic transcript translation in Canada: the translation reproduces the document, it does not interpret it. The second is less obvious. The bodies that read transcripts disagree on who may translate them, and a translation one accepts, another refuses.
Below: each assessor's rule, who sends what, what the translation must show and what universities ask for.
Do I need a certified translation of my transcript for an ECA?
Yes, if your transcript is not in English or French, and for IQAS, if it is not in English. An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) tells IRCC what your foreign education is worth in Canadian terms. You need one to qualify as a principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or to earn points for foreign education, and "in most cases, you only need an assessment for your highest level of education."
Most people use one of five designated organizations: World Education Services (WES), the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS), Alberta's International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS), BCIT's International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) and the University of Toronto's Comparative Education Service (CES). Doctors use the Medical Council of Canada (MCC); pharmacists and architects who need a licence use the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), the latter designated on May 20, 2024. Our step-by-step ECA guide covers the process.
The ECA must be less than five years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application, and IRCC warns: "If you apply with an expired ECA, we'll refuse your application."
Who may translate your transcript? Each assessor's rule
| Assessor | Who may translate | Rule that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| WES Canada | A professional translator, for example at a university or a certified translation agency | No translations by applicants; you upload them yourself |
| ICAS | "Certified translations" with the translator's full contact details | Approximately the same format as the original |
| IQAS (Alberta) | A qualified professional translator, not necessarily certified in Canada | French documents need translating too |
| ICES (BCIT) | A Canadian-certified translator; from abroad, if none is available, an official translator in your home country | Translator's stamp on every copy |
| CES (U of T) | A certified professional translator, or university officials | Literal and in the same format |
| PEBC | An official, certified translator; in Canada, a member of a listed provincial association | The original translation, never a copy |
| MCC | Only ITC Global, NATIONS Translation Group or Straker | Submit the provider's file exactly as received |
| CACB | A professional translator or the university | Sent directly by the translator or university |
WES Canada
WES wants translations that are "Exact and word-for-word" and "Completed by a professional translator". It cannot accept "Translations completed by applicants", incomplete or handwritten translations, or "Translations of photocopies", so give your translator a clear scan of the official document itself. French documents need no translation for Canadian evaluations, and translations "do not need to be sent to WES in a sealed envelope": you upload them in your WES account. WES does not translate documents.
ICAS
ICAS asks for "photocopies of certified translations" that are "complete, accurate and in approximately the same format as the original document", and the translator "must provide complete contact information including an e-mail address." Its FAQ does not say what it means by a certified translator, so if yours is not a provincial association member, confirm with ICAS before ordering.
IQAS
IQAS is the most open: "Translations need to be completed by a qualified professional translator who does not need to be certified in Canada," and "Translations do not need to be certified or notarized." But it wants "all non-English educational documents" translated, French included.
ICES (BCIT)
ICES wants a "complete word-for-word (literal, not interpretive) English translation" from a Canadian-certified translator, meaning a member of a provincial association such as STIBC. Applicants abroad who cannot obtain one may use "an official translator in your home country", but if that translation is inaccurate, ICES "will require a new translation from a Canadian certified translator."
CES (University of Toronto)
CES asks for a translation "completed by a certified professional translator", "literal, word-for-word, and in the same format as the original." It does not require notarization, and "Translations issued by appropriate university officials are also acceptable."
PEBC, the MCC and the CACB
PEBC requires "an official, certified translator"; a translation made in Canada must come from a translator appointed by one of the bodies it lists (ATIA, STIBC, ATIM, ATIO, OTTIAQ, ATIS, CTINB, ATINS or CTIC), and "Copies of translations are not accepted, even if certified." The MCC says credentials "must be translated by one of the translation service providers" it lists; see our MCC documents guide. The CACB wants translations "sent directly from the translator to the CACB office," or from the university that issued them.
Who sends the transcript: you, your school or the translator?
Usually the school sends the official transcript and you supply the translation:
- WES: "Official academic documents need to be sent to WES by the issuing academic institutions", electronically or in a sealed envelope.
- ICAS: official documents come straight from the institution, which may send them untranslated; "If translations are required, ICAS will contact you to provide a translation."
- IQAS: your school mails the transcript with IQAS's Request of Academic Records Form, and translations of those transcripts "must be included when the document package is sent." Get the translation done before the school seals the envelope.
- CES: records arrive "in a sealed institution envelope"; you upload the translation with your application.
Some countries add a step. ICAS has Ukrainian diplomas, supplements and their translations verified by the Information and Image Centre of Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science, which sends the package itself; the Centre translates on request or accepts translations "certified by a notary public or by a seal of the translation agency". For Chinese degrees, ICAS wants verification reports from China Credentials Verification, and "Notarial certificates are not acceptable." For India, "Documents sent by the college are not acceptable": the university must send them.
What must a transcript translation show?
Everything on the document, in the same order and layout:
- Institution, faculty and program as printed.
- Your name exactly as in your passport, with student number and dates of study.
- Every course title, word for word. "Strength of Materials" stays "Strength of Materials", not "Engineering".
- Hours and credits in the original units: ECTS credits, academic hours, xuefen (学分), never recounted.
- Every grade as written, numbers and words, including pass marks such as zachteno (зачтено, "pass").
- The grading legend, often on the back, plus averages and honours as stated.
- Stamps, seals and signatures, described in brackets, and any duplicate mark.
- Unreadable entries marked [illegible], never guessed.
| Country | Transcript usually called | Grading to keep as issued |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | приложение к диплому (diploma supplement) | 5 (excellent) down to 2 (unsatisfactory), plus pass/fail |
| Ukraine | додаток до диплома (diploma supplement) | Often national grade, 100-point score and ECTS letter |
| China | 成绩单 (chengjidan) | Usually percentages, with credits per course |
| Brazil | histórico escolar | Usually 0 to 10 |
| Germany | Transcript of Records, Notenspiegel | 1,0 (best) to 4,0 (pass); 5,0 is a fail |
| Iran | ریز نمرات (riz-e nomarat) | 0 to 20 |
Should the translator convert grades to the Canadian system?
No. Conversion is the assessor's job, and every assessor asks for literal translation: WES "Exact and word-for-word", ICES "literal, not interpretive", CES "in the same format as the original." A decimal comma may become a point (1,7 becomes 1.7), but 1.7 never becomes "B+". A translator's note may explain a scale, never replace a grade.
What do Canadian universities ask for?
Each university sets its own rule:
- University of Toronto (undergraduate): "If your documents are in a language other than English or French, you will also need to provide notarized translations."
- York University: "an official translation from certified translator is required and must be submitted with the transcript."
- UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: a "certified literal English translation" from your home university's translation service or a certified English translator. After admission, if your university cannot translate, the translator seals the original-language copy and the translation in one envelope, signs across the seal and sends it to UBC.
- McGill (medicine): "Transcripts written in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation."
More in our guide to university admissions documents.
Why transcript translations get sent back
- Grades converted, so the translation no longer matches the official record.
- Course titles paraphrased or merged, which defeats a course-by-course assessment.
- The back page skipped, taking the grading legend and registrar's stamp with it.
- The wrong translator: the applicant for WES, an uncertified translator for PEBC, anyone outside the MCC's list.
- A copy where an original was required (PEBC), or an applicant-sent translation where it had to come from the translator (CACB, and NNAS for nurses).
- Names that drift between transcript, diploma and passport.
Checklist: before you order a transcript translation
Questions people ask
Does WES accept certified translations of transcripts?
Yes. WES Canada needs an exact, word-for-word English or French translation by a professional translator, such as a university or a certified translation agency, and lets you upload it in your WES account. It does not accept translations made by the applicant, and its published rules do not ask for notarization.
Can I translate my own transcript?
No. WES refuses translations completed by applicants, NNAS refuses translations by the applicant or anyone related to them, and the CACB refuses applicant translations. Universities want certified, notarized or official translations.
Do I need a notarized translation or an affidavit for an ECA?
Usually not. IQAS says translations do not need to be certified or notarized, and CES does not require notarization. Some universities, such as the University of Toronto for undergraduate admission, ask for notarized translations, and IRCC needs a sworn affidavit when the translator of a document you upload to IRCC is not a certified member of a translators' association.
Does a French transcript need to be translated?
Not for WES, ICAS, ICES, CES or PEBC, which all work in English or French. IQAS wants all non-English educational documents translated, and UBC's graduate school asks for English translations of documents issued in any other language.
Does the translation have to come straight from the translator?
It depends on the body. WES and CES let you upload translations and ICAS takes photocopies from you, while the CACB and NNAS want translations sent by the translator and PEBC wants the original translation, not a copy.
Which pages of the transcript need to be translated?
All of them, front and back, including the grading legend, stamps and handwritten notes. ICES requires transcripts and diplomas to be translated in their entirety, including the reverse side, but for course descriptions or syllabi only the pages describing your courses.
How much does a transcript translation cost and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges CA$39.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words. A one-page transcript is usually delivered as a signed PDF within 24 hours, and a long supplement takes one to three business days. The sworn affidavit, CA$24.95 per document, is only needed if the translation goes to IRCC.
