Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
ACEI receives many inquiries from around the world about the evaluation service. This section provides answers to many of the questions we receive. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for, please email us at acei@acei-global.org and we will answer your questions promptly.
General Credential Evaluation Questions:
What is a credential evaluation?
A credential evaluation is the process by which an individual’s international education is compared and converted into its approximate U.S. equivalence. The results of this conversion are provided in a report which recommends the U.S. educational equivalence of the international studies. The ACEI evaluation is advisory and designed to assist academic institutions, licensing boards and employers in the U.S. to recognize and understand international credentials.
Why do I need to have my credentials evaluated?
If you completed your education outside the U.S., you will find that you need to have your credentials evaluated so that educational institutions, licensing and certification boards and employers in the U.S. can understand and recognize your credentials. An ACEI evaluation report will provide you with the U.S. academic equivalents for your international credentials so that you may continue with your education, or seek employment or qualify for a professional license in the U.S.
Does the U.S. government evaluate credentials?
In the U.S., there is no government agency that evaluates international credentials. Credential evaluations are provided by universities and by private organizations such as ACEI. Some academic institutions do their own evaluations of international credentials, but many colleges and universities rely on the expertise of private organizations such as ACEI for assistance with evaluations. In addition, ACEI evaluates international credentials for professional/licensing certification with state boards, employment in the public or private sector.
What is your procedure for evaluation my credentials?
The requirements for evaluating your credentials are available on our website at click here. You must complete an application form and submit it to us, along with all required documentation and all applicable fees. If, after reviewing the instructions and application for, you have additional questions about our requirements, please CONTACT US for assistance.
Are ACEI evaluations recognized throughout the U.S.?
ACEI evaluations are recognized and accepted by a significant number of schools, colleges, universities, licensing boards, government agencies and employers throughout the U.S. If you were not referred to ACEI directly by an institution/employer/licensing board, we recommend that you first contact the institution(s), licensing board or employer to which you will be submitting the evaluation report to determine whether an evaluation from ACEI is required and if so, which type of report is required for your purposes.
Credential Evaluation Reports:
What type of evaluation report do I need to request?
Please contact the institution (school/college/university/licensing board/employer) to which you will apply to find out what type of report they require. If you are not able to obtain this information from the institution, you may CONTACT ACEI for assistance.
Which evaluation report should I choose?
The Basic Report (Document-by-Document) tends to be sufficient for employment (but not if you plan to teach, where a Comprehensive Report is required) or immigration, schools, colleges, universities, and professional licensing boards (except for the State of California, Board of Accountancy) require the Comprehensive Report as it provides detailed breakdown of courses, units of credit, grades, grade point average and course levels. Some colleges and universities may require additional information such as a course match which is offered in the Comprehensive Report with Course Match evaluation.
What is a basic report (Document-by-Document)?
This evaluation report is suitable for employment, immigration, or any purpose where a course-by-course with grades is not required. This report provides the following information: Sample Reports
- Identifies and describes each transcript, grade report, examination record, marks sheet, certificate, diploma, or degree submitted for evaluation
- Identifies the institution(s) attended and location(s)
- Confirms the status of the institution(s) attended, entrance criteria, duration of studies and purpose of program
- Recommends the U.S. educational equivalent of each level of study and credentials earned
What is a Comprehensive Report(Course-byCourse with Grades)?
This evaluation report is suitable for individuals who wish to continue their studies at a school, college, university or learning institution, professional licensing/certification with a state regulatory board, or any entity which requires the U.S. academic equivalence of the level of education completed and any certificate/diploma/degree earned with U.S. semester units of credits (for post-secondary/university-level studies), grades, overall Grade Point Average, and subject/course levels. This reports provides the following information: Sample Reports
- Identifies and describes each transcript, grade report, examination record, marks sheet, certificate, diploma, or degree submitted for evaluation.
- Identifies the institution(s) attended and location(s).
- Confirms the status of the institution(s), entrance criteria, duration of studies and purpose of program.
- Recommends the U.S. educational equivalent of each level of study and credentials earned.
- Provides a list of courses/subjects studied per academic year.
- Converts instruction (lecture & laboratory) hours into equivalent U.S. Semester Units of Credit for all post-secondary/university-level courses.
- Converts grades/marks/final examination results into equivalent U.S. grades of A, B, C, D, F for each subject/course evaluated
- Calculates an overall Grade Point Average (G.P.A.).
- Identifies course levels as lower/upper division/graduate/professional level for each post-secondary course evaluated.
What is the California State Board of Accountancy Special Report?
This evaluation is exclusively prepared for those individuals applying to the California State Board of Accountancy for CPA. This report is NOT suitable for any other entities as it is prepared in accordance with the specific requirements of the California Board of Accountancy. This report provides the following information: Sample Reports
- Identifies and describes each transcript, grade report, examination record, marks sheet, certificate, diploma, or degree submitted for evaluation
- Identifies the institution(s) attended and location(s)
- Confirms the status of the institution(s), entrance criteria, length of study and purpose of program.
- Recommends the U.S. educational equivalent of each level of study and credentials earned
- Provides a course-by-course listing of courses/subjects studied by classifying and identifying them under their appropriate course headings (e.g. Accounting courses will be reported under course heading ‘Accounting,” Business and related courses will be reported under ‘Business Administration,” Economics and Finance courses will be reported under “Economics and Finance,” Languages under language headings, and so on.)
- Converts instruction (lecture & laboratory) hours into equivalent U.S. Semester Units of Credit for each course completed and recognized as post-secondary/university-level.
Credential Evaluation Cost & Methods of Payment:
How much does an evaluation cost?
How can I make a payment to ACEI?
Payment must be in U.S. dollars, and be made by the following credit cards: Discover, MasterCard, American Express and Visa. Debit Cards are also accepted.
All fees are subject to change without notice.
Credential Evaluation Processing Timelines:
How long does the evaluation process take?
The standard processing time to complete an academic evaluation is minimum of 7-10 business days after receipt, review and approval of all documents and payment in full. We also offer two types of RUSH services (such as one business day/24-hour and three business days) to expedite the processing time. See section RUSH Service.
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday (except for Holidays) – 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST. Phone & Live Chat Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM PST.
What do you mean by RUSH Service?
By selecting one of our two RUSH Services, your evaluation will be completed within that time frame chosen.
Academic Documents/Transcripts, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees:
What documents do I need to send for evaluation?
Please review and follow the detailed instructions in
“Required Documents” for your country of education.
What if my documents are not issued in English?
If your academic documents are issued in a language other than English, you must provide accurate word-for-word, line-by-line English translations together with your official/original documents. ACEI provides translations of select languages. Please visit “translation” service. Translations prepared by the school or university you attended or by authorized translators in your home country are acceptable. If you need to find a translator in the U.S., you may wish to contact Language Clarity Translations or visit the American Translators Association www.ata.org to locate an authorized translator near you. This information is provided for your convenience only. ACEI is not responsible for any arrangements you enter with a translator/translation agency of your choice.
What is the difference between Official and Original documents?
Official documents are issued by the source institution where you completed your institution when requested. Official documents are reissued by the source institution each time you place an order. Original documents are issued to you once you exit the institution.
What happens to my application if it takes me a long time to get all the required documentation for evaluation?
ACEI will keep your file active for two months. You may request an extension at any time. If we don’t hear from you within 2 months, we will inactivate your file. To re-open and re-activate your file after 2 months, there will be a $50.00 re-activation fee.
What happens to my application if the documentation I submit is insufficient?
ACEI will contact you by email and if email is not provided, by telephone (for domestic/U.S.) or by post, if additional documentation is needed to prepare your report. Your file will remain open for 2 months pending receipt of the additional documentation. After 2 months, your file will be inactivated. See previous question regarding reactivating a file after 2 months.
ACEI already evaluated my documents and now I need a new type of report. What should I do?
If you are requesting a different evaluation report from the one you had previously requested, you would need to submit a new ACEI Application with fees along with official documents, Click here for further instructions.
ACEI already evaluated my documents and now I need it re-issued. What should I do?
If you are an existing applicant whose case file is valid and current and has not yet expired and requesting additional/extra or official copies of their evaluation report/s click here.
What do I need to send if the name I use is different from the name on my academic documents?
ACEI issues the evaluation report under the name indicated on your ACEI Application form. If your name is different than the name that appears on your education credentials, you must submit proof of your name change (e.g. marriage certificate, passport, court-ordered or other official documents) for identity verification purposes. In the event of a name change, the name shown your documents will also be declared on your evaluation report.
Will you return my documents?
All electronic documents and any original/official paper/hard copy documentation received by ACEI from the source institution will become the property of ACEI and will not be returned. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS BY MAIL UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY ACEI. If ACEI has contacted you to mail in your original/official or other supporting credentials/documents to our mail center; mail pickup is limited to once a week. You may incur delays to the processing of your file. Once your mail has been collected it will be added to your file for review and processing. Mail fee is required for the return of any original documents, and you will be notified by email for payment. ACEI is not responsible for the retention/storage of any original documents.
How long will you keep my documents once my evaluation has been completed?
All current applications and documents received electronically remain in ACEI’s digital records indefinitely.
Evaluation Report Types:
What type of evaluation report is needed for the State of California Board of Accountancy Certified Public Accountancy examination?
ACEI prepares the Course-by-Course for the State of California Board of Accountancy only. This report is exclusively designed and prepared for the State of California Board of Accountancy and will not satisfy requirements of other State Boards of Accountancy which typically require additional information such as grades, course level and overall grade point average. Requests to order extra official sets of this report for purposes other than the State of California Board of Accountancy will not be processed. A new application and fees must be submitted if an evaluation is intended for other regulatory boards, or colleges/ universities/employers.
What type of evaluation report is needed for the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) boards?
With the exception of the State of California, Board of Accountancy CPA, all other State boards require the Comprehensive (Detailed) Evaluation Report. Unless you were referred to ACEI directly by the CPA State Board or found ACEI listed on the CPA State Board’s directory, ACEI recommends contacting the state board to which you intend to apply to confirm that an ACEI evaluation report is acceptable, and if so, what type of evaluation report is required.
What type of report is needed for further education or admission to a school, college or university?
Generally, a detailed evaluation of your studies is required for admission to a school or institution of higher education. We provide the Comprehensive Report which provides a detailed analysis of your studies. ACEI recommends contacting the institution to which you intend to apply to confirm that an ACEI report is acceptable and, if so, which type of evaluation report is required.
What type of report is needed for the California Department of Real Estate?
Depending on which real estate license you are planning to qualify, you may need to apply for the Basic or Comprehensive Report. ACEI recommends that you contact the California Department of Real Estate to confirm which type of evaluation report is required for your purpose.
What type of report is needed for teacher certification?
Generally, a detailed evaluation of your studies is required for teacher certification. We provide the Comprehensive Report which provides a detailed analysis of your studies. If you completed a teacher training program, your academic transcripts must include information on your practical teaching (number of hours/weeks of practical training and final grades received). Although ACEI provides its evaluations to a number of state boards for teacher certification, ACEI recommends contacting the state board to which you intend to apply to confirm that an ACEI report is acceptable and, if so, which type of evaluation report is required.
Does ACEI evaluate work experience?
At this time, ACEI provides the Experiential Learning evaluations only for military personnel with training completed outside the U.S. for select institutions where experienced-based learning is acceptable. We do not provide Experiential Learning evaluations for immigration purposes.
Contact Information:
How may I reach a representative of ACEI directly?
You may reach an ACEI representative by email, online-chat or mail.
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday (except for Holidays) – 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST. Phone & Live Chat Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM PST.
What do I do if I have questions about my completed evaluation report?
After the evaluation has been completed, any questions regarding the evaluation report, based on the documents provided to ACEI with the initial application, must be submitted in writing to ACEI within the first thirty (30) days of the completion date (“Grace Period”). Requests for review of the evaluation or questions concerning the evaluation submitted after expiration of the “Grace Period” shall be subject to a $50.00 review fee. Please note that the results of the evaluation will not be released or discussed on the telephone with you or a third party.
May I stop by your office and drop off my documents in person?
No. ACEI does not offer walk-in services. All applications and documents are to be submitted online or by mail.