New Student Guide | Complete Guide to WES Credential Evaluation: Documents, Steps, and Processing Times
Prepared by HYP Global, this guide is designed for Chinese students applying to universities in the United States. It explains the World Education Services (WES) credential evaluation process, required documents, application steps, and estimated processing times available at the time of the original article. An increasing number of U.S. universities require applicants educated in China to have their undergraduate or graduate transcripts and degrees evaluated by a third-party credential evaluation organization. World Education Services (WES) is one of the most widely recognized and commonly used credential evaluation organizations in the United States.
Prepared by HYP Global, this guide is designed for Chinese students applying to universities in the United States. It explains the World Education Services (WES) credential evaluation process, required documents, application steps, and estimated processing times available at the time of the original article.
An increasing number of U.S. universities require applicants educated in China to have their undergraduate or graduate transcripts and degrees evaluated by a third-party credential evaluation organization. World Education Services (WES) is one of the most widely recognized and commonly used credential evaluation organizations in the United States.
Because WES does not directly verify the authenticity of academic transcripts and graduation documents issued by Chinese universities, applicants must first complete verification through the China Higher Education Student Information (CHSI) system.
CHSI was operated by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) under China’s Ministry of Education. After completing the verification, CHSI sent the electronic report directly to WES, which then completed the final credential evaluation and Grade Point Average (GPA) conversion.
Note: This article preserves the document requirements, application procedures, and processing times available during the original publication period. Specific interfaces, fees, and requirements may have changed since then.
NACES Organizations and WES
U.S. universities generally specify their accepted credential evaluation organizations on their official admissions websites.
Common evaluation organizations recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) included:
World Education Services (WES): One of the most widely used organizations
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
SpanTran Evaluators
Foundation for International Services (FIS)
Global Education Group
Applicants should confirm which organizations are accepted by each university before purchasing an evaluation.
Required Documents
Before beginning the WES evaluation process, applicants should prepare the required digital and physical documents.
Official Form and Identification
Academic Records Request Form: Download the form from the WES website and complete the applicant information section
Chinese Resident Identity Card: Prepare clear scans of both the front and back
Academic Transcripts and Credentials
Official Chinese and English transcripts printed by the university’s academic affairs office and stamped with the university’s official red seal
Graduation certificate and degree certificate for students who had already graduated
Official English translations of the graduation and degree certificates, with the relevant university seal
Course Information Spreadsheet
Applicants were advised to prepare a complete course information spreadsheet in Excel.
The spreadsheet should include:
Chinese course title
English course title
Credits
Class hours
Grade
Course category
This information was used when completing the CHSI online application.
Two-Stage Application Process
The evaluation process consisted of two main stages: creating and submitting a WES application, followed by completing CHSI verification and sending the report to WES.
Stage One: WES Application
1. Create a WES Account
Visit the WES website and select Sign In / Create an Account to register a personal account.
2. Select the Destination Country
Choose either the United States or Canada as the destination of the evaluation.
Applicants applying to U.S. universities should select U.S.
3. Enter Educational History
Select the relevant Upgrade Report / Graduate Admission option and enter the required educational information.
Applicants who were still studying should select Incomplete. Applicants who had already graduated should select Completed.
After entering all required information, submit the application.
4. Obtain the WES Reference Number
After completing payment, the system generated a unique WES Reference Number for the evaluation case.
This number was essential because WES used it to match academic documents and verification reports with the applicant’s account. Applicants should save it carefully and use it consistently throughout the process.
Stage Two: CHSI Verification and Report Delivery
1. Access the CHSI Application System
Log in to the CHSI website and enter the section for academic credential and transcript verification.
Select the application for a Higher Education Student Transcript Verification Report.
2. Select the Application Purpose
Under the purpose of the application, select WES U.S.
For the verification category, select University Transcript Verification.
3. Enter Course Information
Enter each course in chronological order by semester, including:
Chinese course title
English course title
Credits
Grade
When an English course title appeared automatically, applicants needed to compare it carefully with the official English transcript issued by their university.
4. Upload Documents and Submit the Application
Upload scanned copies of the official Chinese and English transcripts.
Complete the applicant information, review all course details, and pay the CHSI verification fee before submitting the application.
5. Send the CHSI Report to WES
After receiving notification that the CHSI verification had been approved, log in to the My Messages section of the CHSI account.
Select Send Report, choose WES as the recipient, and enter the WES Reference Number accurately.
Select the relevant transcript verification report and submit it for direct electronic transmission to WES.
Processing Times and Report Delivery
The complete evaluation process generally took approximately 30 to 45 days.
Estimated processing times included:
CHSI review: Approximately 18 business days
Transmission from CHSI to WES: Approximately three to five business days by electronic delivery or express service
WES evaluation: Approximately seven business days after WES received and accepted all required documents
After WES completed the credential evaluation and GPA conversion, applicants could log in to their WES accounts, add the U.S. universities that should receive the report, and pay the relevant electronic delivery or mailing fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I enter the wrong WES Reference Number in the CHSI application?
The WES Reference Number is the unique identifier used to match the applicant’s documents with the correct WES file.
If the number is incorrect or omitted, WES may be unable to receive or match the transcript report sent by CHSI. Before sending the report, applicants should carefully compare the number with the Reference Number shown in their WES confirmation email.
Do current students need to submit graduation and degree certificates?
No. Students who had not yet graduated selected Incomplete when completing the WES application.
They only needed to have their completed coursework and Chinese and English transcripts verified through CHSI. Final graduation and degree credentials could be submitted before enrollment or after graduation if required.
Why must Chinese academic credentials be verified through CHSI?
WES did not directly verify the authenticity of documents issued by Chinese universities.
Instead, it required CHSI, the verification platform authorized by China’s Ministry of Education, to issue an official verification report and send it directly to WES. WES then used the verified information to complete the credential equivalency assessment and GPA conversion.
