Translation requirements for credential assessment

Assessment bodies are specific about translations, and their requirements are narrower than general immigration rules.

Word for word

They ask for a literal rendering, not a summary and not an interpretation. Course titles are transferred as they appear; they are not replaced with the nearest Canadian equivalent. Substituting a familiar course name for an unfamiliar one destroys exactly the information the assessor is looking for.

The translator’s declaration

The translation carries the translator’s name, contact details, signature, date and a statement that it is a true rendering. Where the translator is not certified in Canada, a sworn statement is commonly required as well. Some bodies accept translations produced abroad; others require one from a member of a recognised Canadian association. Ask before ordering — this single question decides whether we are the right party for your file.

Grades are not converted

A grade of 3.2 out of 4, or 78 out of 100, is transferred exactly as it appears. Converting it into a Canadian scale would be an assessment decision, and making it inside a translation both exceeds the translator’s role and removes the assessor’s ability to do their own work. Make sure your transcript carries an explanation of its grading scale: without it, a number alone cannot be interpreted.

Stamps and seals are translated

University seals, signature blocks, security markings and any handwritten annotation are part of the document. Rendering only the typed text produces an incomplete translation, and incompleteness is a defect.

Credits are not converted either

Credit systems differ and there is no fixed multiplier a translator could apply. The figures and units are transferred as printed. See cycle and credits.

If the transcript is already in English

No translation is needed. Confirm with the body that it accepts the institution’s own English version, and you have removed a step. See how Turkish universities must send documents.

What we say plainly

Translators we work with have sworn an oath before a Turkish notary office. They are not members of a Canadian professional association. If your assessment body requires that membership, we are not the right choice for the translation, and we will tell you at the first exchange rather than after invoicing. We can still handle document retrieval, the Turkish certification chain and courier. See where should you have it translated.

Consistency across the whole file

A file usually contains several documents from different Turkish institutions. If the same faculty name, degree title or job function is rendered two different ways across them, the assessor cannot tell whether they refer to the same thing. We fix a term list at the first order and reuse it for everything that follows, which is why sending us the whole file at once produces a better result than sending it document by document.