Credential assessment for Canada: the educational credential assessment (ECA)

What is the ECA for?

The educational credential assessment (ECA) shows which Canadian level your diploma corresponds to. It is required for the Federal Skilled Worker Program when studies were completed outside Canada, and it earns education points in the Express Entry score.

Designated organisations

IRCC only accepts assessments from the organisations it has designated, for example World Education Services (WES), the Comparative Education Service of the University of Toronto, the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS), the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) or the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS). Doctors, pharmacists and architects use designated professional bodies.

The steps

• choose the organisation and open your file online;
• pay the assessment fees;
• have your institution send your transcripts and certificates, when the organisation requires it;
• provide copies of your diplomas and, if needed, their translations;
• receive the assessment report and enter it in your Express Entry profile.

Common pitfalls

• names written differently from one document to another (order of names, spelling);
• incomplete transcripts or missing years;
• an institution that is slow to respond: this is often the longest step;
• a report that is too old: for Express Entry, the ECA must be less than five years old.

What FTGroup does for you

• choosing the organisation that suits your profile;
• the precise list of documents to gather;
• following up with your institution;
• checking names, dates and translations before sending.