The purpose of our assessments
ICES compares education earned outside of Canada to the general education ladder in Canada; the reports offer a general comparability of the years and levels of study.
ICES recommendations are set by considering several factors including:
- The minimum academic credential one must hold in order to be admitted to the program.
- The level and duration of the program.
- The program of study to which the credential provides access in the country of origin.
- The recognition of the institution and program.
The scope and limits of an ICES report
ICES does not evaluate course content or make a judgment on the quality of individual credentials. ICES offers a service which authenticates documents, conducts research based on well-established methodologies, and then issues an evaluation report that provides a recommendation of the comparability of education earned outside of Canada to the Canadian education system. ICES is a government-mandated service in British Columbia, but serves the interests of all internationally educated applicants throughout Canada.
Please note that evaluations completed by ICES are advisory in nature and do not guarantee, replace or supersede the assessments required by professional or trade associations or for admission to educational institutions or organizations. The evaluation reports are designed to support and facilitate hiring or admission decisions made by employers, regulatory bodies, educational institutions and government bodies.
We do not provide preliminary assessments prior to formal application. Only once a complete application, fees and documents are received, will we review the file to determine if all necessary information has been received. For more information about requirements, please visit our requirements page. You can choose to receive the completed evaluation report by regular mail or by courier only. Regular mail is not traceable nor does it require a signature for delivery. Due to security reasons, we do not provide the report electronically; reports are provided in hard copy format only.
Many people who come to live and work in Canada bring with them very high levels of education. Unfortunately, this education may not be recognized by those who don’t understand how international credentials compare to our provincial and national systems.
The International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) was established in 1995, with start-up funding from the provincial government of British Columbia, to help people gain the recognition they need to pursue their career and educational goals in Canada.
Using well-established evaluation methodologies, ICES evaluates the credentials of people who have studied in other provinces or countries and determines comparable levels in British Columbia and Canadian terms. The results of an ICES assessment are provided in evaluation reports that are objective, consistent, and reliable.
Who Benefits from ICES Evaluation Reports?
- Individuals who have completed their education outside of BC and/or Canada
- Licensing bodies
- Educational institutions
- Employers and employment agencies
- Government services
- Immigration organizations
Why are ICES Evaluation Reports so useful?
- They help individuals pursue a variety of goals: career planning, job search, education, professional recognition, licensing, immigration, and more.
- They help licensing bodies, employers, and educational institutions determine if and individual’s credentials meet requirements for licensure, employment, or admission.
- They save organizations time and money by eliminating the need for extensive resources and research time to complete their own evaluations.
ICES is a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada
ICES is a founding member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (the Alliance). The Alliance ensures that individuals have access to fair and credible credential assessment services. Members of the Alliance follow principles of good practice that are consistent with international standards. The International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) will provide individuals possessing educational credentials from outside BC or Canada with accurate, equitable, affordable, and reliable evaluations of their educational documents (Per Alliance agreement: Pan-Canadian Quality Assurance Framework for the Assessment of International Academic Credentials (QAF).
A Service of the British Columbia Institute of Technology
ICES, a service of the British Columbia Institute of Technology, brings together a variety of innovative educational assessment services, allowing individuals to receive recognition and credit for studies they have completed elsewhere. Further information can be found on the BCIT website.