WES vs ECE: Translation Requirements Compared
WES and ECE credential evaluations require certified English translations of diplomas and transcripts; Certified Translation Center prepares them for $25 per page certified or $35 notarized (some universities ask for the seal), delivered within 24 hours. Updated September 26, 2026.
The two largest credential evaluators take opposite positions on who may translate your diploma. Here is what each one actually says, including the cheaper option we do not profit from.
The two big credential evaluators take opposite positions on who may translate your diploma. One forbids you from doing it yourself. The other explicitly permits it — and sells you a way to skip translation altogether. Knowing which one you are dealing with can save you money, or save your evaluation.
The difference in one table
| WES | ECE | |
|---|---|---|
| May you translate your own documents? | No | Yes — ECE states you may prepare the translations yourself |
| Who may translate | A professional translator affiliated with a university, a certified translation agency, or another professional translation service | Any word-for-word translation in the same format as the original |
| Style required | Exact and word-for-word | Word-for-word, matching the original’s layout |
| Handwritten translations | Rejected | Not accepted as a substitute for a proper document |
| Translations of photocopies | Rejected | — |
| A way to skip translation | None | Translation Waiver, $85, so no English translations need be submitted — not available on NABP orders |
We will tell you when not to buy from us. If you are filing with ECE, ECE’s own $85 Translation Waiver may be cheaper than translating a diploma plus a multi-page transcript supplement, and ECE permits you to translate the documents yourself in any case. We would rather you knew that from us than found it out afterwards. Check the current terms with ECE directly before deciding — and note the waiver does not apply to NABP orders.
When WES is the one you are dealing with
WES is where a third-party translation stops being optional. WES will not accept a translation you prepared yourself, it will not accept handwritten translations, and it will not accept a translation made from a photocopy rather than the document. Its standard is “exact and word-for-word” — which for a Central Asian transcript means every subject line, every credit-hour figure and every grade, not a tidy summary of the qualification.
What an Uzbek or Russian academic set actually contains
| Document | What it is | Typical pages |
|---|---|---|
| Diplom | The degree certificate itself — usually a single page | 1 |
| Diplomga ilova / приложение | The transcript supplement: the full subject and grade table, and the part that actually matters to an evaluator | 1–3 |
| Attestat | Secondary school certificate | 1 |
| Academic reference (spravka) | Issued for incomplete study, and titled differently from a diploma — the translation must keep that distinction | 1 |
A diploma with a two-page supplement is three pages: $105, certification included at $25 a page, notarization on the $35 tier, delivered in 24 hours.
The check we run that most translators do not
On any transcript we translate, we add up every score cell and match the total against the printed overall rating on the document. If they do not reconcile, something has been misread and we find it before the packet is signed rather than after an evaluator does. On one recent Uzbek diploma that check validated seventy handwritten entries in a single pass. An evaluation is decided on that grid; it is worth the extra half hour.
Frequently asked
Will WES accept a translation I did myself?
No. WES requires the translation to be completed by a professional translator affiliated with a university, a certified translation agency, or another professional translation service. It also rejects handwritten translations and translations made from photocopies rather than the document itself.
Will ECE accept a translation I did myself?
Yes. ECE states that you may prepare the translations yourself as long as they are word-for-word and in the same format as the original document. This is the opposite of the WES position, and it is the single most useful thing to know before you spend money.
Is there a way to avoid submitting translations to ECE at all?
ECE offers a Translation Waiver for a fee of $85, under which you do not need to submit English translations. It cannot be applied to NABP orders. For a diploma plus a long transcript supplement that may cost less than translating. Confirm the current fee and terms with ECE before relying on it.
What does “word-for-word” actually mean for a transcript?
Every subject line, every credit-hour or academic-hour figure, every grade, plus the seals, the registration number and anything printed on the reverse. Not a summary of the qualification and not a selection of the important courses. The grade table is the document, as far as an evaluator is concerned.
How many pages is a typical Uzbek diploma set?
The diploma itself is one page and the supplement (diplomga ilova) is usually one to three. So three pages is typical — $75 certified, or $105 with notarization if the evaluator asks for it. A secondary school attestat is one page.
Do credential evaluators require the translation to be notarized?
Neither WES nor ECE requires notarization; what they care about is who translated it and whether the translation is word-for-word. Notarization is available at $35 a page if a university or board asks for it.
My document is a spravka, not a diploma. Does that matter?
Yes, and it must be translated as what it is. A spravka issued for incomplete study is a different record from a diploma, and rendering its title as “certificate” or “diploma” misrepresents the qualification to the evaluator. We keep the document’s actual title.
Do you check the transcript arithmetic?
Yes. We sum every score cell and reconcile it against the printed overall rating before the packet is signed. If the numbers do not agree, something has been misread, and we would rather find it than have an evaluator find it.
Last reviewed 29 August 2026. Every rule quoted on this page links to its primary source. If a figure here is out of date, email orders@certifiedtranslationcenter.com and we will correct it.
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Who you are trusting with your document
Every translation is prepared, checked and signed by a named person — not a marketplace, not a bot.
Otabek Obidov — owner and translator (Uzbek · Russian · English), Certified Translation Center / Fire Up LLC, Brooklyn, New York. Commissioned New York Notary Public, No. 01OB0050820.
- ✓Signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy on every job, worded to 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) — the exact standard USCIS checks.
- ✓Independent notarization. New York law does not allow a notary to notarize his own signature, so notarized translations are sealed by a separate commissioned New York notary.
- ✓Acceptance guarantee. If USCIS, a court, WES/ECE or any agency rejects a translation because of our work, we fix it free — or refund in full.
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