The purpose of our assessments
ICES evaluates education completed outside Canada and compares it to the Canadian education system. The report provides a general assessment of the level and length of study. When determining a credential’s Canadian equivalency, ICES considers:
• The admission requirements for the program
• The program’s level and length
• The educational opportunities the credential provides in its home country
• The recognition status of the institution and program
The scope and limits of an ICES report
The International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) helps people understand how education completed outside Canada compares to the Canadian education system.
ICES verifies documents, reviews educational credentials, and prepares evaluation reports using established assessment methods. The report provides a recommendation on the Canadian equivalent of your education. ICES does not evaluate course content or judge the quality of a credential. Instead, it compares your education to similar levels of education in Canada.
ICES was established in 1995 with support from the Government of British Columbia and serves internationally educated applicants across Canada.
Important Information
ICES evaluation reports are advisory only. They do not guarantee employment, professional licensing, or admission to a school or program. Employers, regulatory bodies, and educational institutions make their own decisions and may have additional assessment requirements.
ICES does not provide preliminary assessments. An evaluation can only be completed after a full application, payment, and all required documents have been received and reviewed.
For document requirements, please visit the ICES requirements page.
Receiving Your Report
Completed reports are issued in hard-copy format only and can be sent by:
• Regular mail
• Courier
Regular mail is not tracked and does not require a signature upon delivery. For security reasons, reports are not sent electronically.
ICES evaluations are designed to provide objective, consistent, and reliable information to support decisions made by employers, regulators, educational institutions, and government organizations.
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). As a member, ICES follows national and international standards to ensure evaluations are fair, accurate, consistent, and reliable.
ICES provides evaluations for education completed outside British Columbia or Canada, helping individuals understand how their credentials compare to Canadian educational standards. Please see: Pan-Canadian Quality Assurance Framework for the Assessment of International Academic Credentials (QAF).
A Service of the British Columbia Institute of Technology
ICES is a service under the British Columbia Institute of Technology, that helps people get recognition for education completed outside of Canada. ICES is here so individuals can have their studies evaluated and compared to Canadian standards. More information is available on the BCIT website..