When applying to U.S. universities, WES credential evaluation is an essential step that students from non-U.S. institutions must undergo.
However, despite being a well-known standard procedure, many students still stumble over it each application season, delaying their online application progress.
Today, CheersYou（清柚教育） once again compiles and answers common questions in the WES evaluation process, hoping to help all students.
01
What Are WES and WES Evaluation?
World Education Services (WES) is a widely recognized third-party credential evaluation agency accepted by U.S. universities.
On one side is the non-U.S. school; on the other is the U.S. school you are applying to. WES, as an intermediary, evaluates and converts your grades for submission to U.S. institutions.
Through WES evaluation, GPA conversion standards are unified. As a result, international students are often required to undergo WES credential evaluation when applying to U.S. schools.
Source: Columbia
Before applying to a university program, be sure to check the official website requirements or consult a professional advisor. The latest information on university websites prevails.
02
Why Is WES Evaluation Necessary?
Standardizing GPA Calculation for International Students
Undergraduate GPA calculation methods vary among international students. For example, universities in mainland China may use a 5-point or 4-point system; Canadian institutions may use a 4.33-point, 9-point, or percentage system; the UK uses a classification system; Australia uses a 7-point or percentage system.
Source: UBC
When admitting students, U.S. universities need a unified calculation standard to fairly evaluate the academic abilities and performance of international applicants from different countries and regions.
Thus, U.S. universities entrust a third-party agency (WES) to recalculate each international student's average score using the American GPA calculation method, producing a GPA score based on the same algorithm for merit-based admission.
Further Verifying the Authenticity of International Students' Academic Backgrounds
For universities, they can accept an applicant with weaker academic ability. But if a student has issues with academic integrity, that violates a fundamental ethical boundary.
Schools want to strictly prevent such incidents from the very beginning of admissions, hence the requirement for WES evaluation.
03
Why Does WES Evaluation Take So Long?
WES credential evaluation does not start immediately after payment on the official website.
First, WES must review all received documents and verify their authenticity before beginning the evaluation. This process alone usually takes at least 2 weeks and can take up to 4 weeks.
Source: WES
Adding up to 4 weeks for the evaluation work, conservatively, the entire WES evaluation process typically takes at least 1 month. And if certain common special situations arise, the time may be further extended, for example:
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Some universities can only send paper transcripts, adding international mailing time.
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Students from Chinese universities need to first complete CHESICC verification, adding CHESICC processing time.
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During holidays or peak application periods, waiting time increases.
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Unexpected events such as postal strikes can cause delays.
Source: WES
Therefore, it is quite common for WES evaluation to take 6-8 weeks without results. WES evaluation should always be done as early as possible to avoid wasting valuable application time. If the wait is excessively long, please contact WES immediately for assistance.
04
Why Do Chinese Mainland Students Need CHESICC Verification First?
For Chinese mainland students, completing WES credential evaluation involves two steps: CHESICC verification + WES evaluation.
Since WES cannot directly verify the authenticity of transcripts, it partners with CHESICC, the authoritative education credential verification institution in China, to conduct the first step of verification, confirming the authenticity of mainland Chinese university transcripts and degree certificates before proceeding with further review.
05
What Types of WES Evaluation Are Available?
For study abroad applications, WES offers two evaluation types:
- Course by Course Evaluation
- Document by Document Evaluation
As for the ICAP and BASIC options, we generally choose ICAP because once documents are archived in the system, you can simply place another order on the website to send evaluations to additional schools.
Source: WES
For graduate school applications, the most commonly chosen option is Course by Course Evaluation ICAP. Requirements may vary by school, so it is recommended to confirm with the school officials before selecting the evaluation type.
06
How Do Non-Chinese Mainland University Students Complete WES Evaluation?
Students from non-Chinese mainland universities should place an order on the WES website and note the WES reference number.
All envelopes and correspondence must bear the WES reference number; otherwise, WES will not process them. Do not send original documents unless explicitly required by WES.
Source: WES
07
Can International Summer Program Courses Be Evaluated?
Both WES and CHESICC have clearly stated: Chinese international summer program courses are not evaluated.
Source: WES
Source: CHESICC
08
Which Courses Have Changed Weights After WES Evaluation?
Courses with Reduced Weight After WES Evaluation
▼ Physical Education, Military Training: These courses generally do not count for credit (unless the student is a sports major).
▼ "Red" courses: Such as Deng Xiaoping Theory, Mao Zedong Thought, etc., are reduced in weight.
▼ General foundational courses: Especially those with low relevance to the major, "non-technical" foundational courses may see reduced weight. For example, if you major in English, a course like Principles of Political Economy may have slightly reduced weight.
Courses with Maintained or Increased Weight After WES Evaluation
▲ "Technical" public courses: Courses such as mathematics and computer science, which are tools for your future development, generally do not have their weight reduced.
▲ Major foundational courses: Those highly aligned with your major, for example if you are in journalism and communication, courses like Chinese Culture or Western Culture usually are not reduced.
▲ Major and pre-major courses: Clearly, these are the knowledge you learn in your field, and their weight generally increases or at least stays the same.
*For reference only; actual results are subject to the WES evaluation outcome.
With this latest WES credential evaluation guide covering all your questions, CheersYou（清柚教育）'s FAQ session ends here.
A new application season is in full swing. We wish everyone the best of luck in securing offers from your dream schools!
