Requirements

In preparation for CPA Evolution, candidates planning to test for BEC must apply with NASBA International Evaluation Services (NIES) and submit all appropriate educational documents to NIES by August 4, 2023. This will allow the completion of the international evaluation report by October 1, 2023.

October 1, 2023, is also the latest date candidates must apply for the CPA Examination and have all necessary documents and forms submitted to their respective board of accountancy or CPA Examination Services to receive their Notice to Schedule (NTS) on or before November 15, 2023.

The last day of testing in 2023 is December 15. The NIES international evaluation report is immediately available to the boards of accountancy and boards that use CPA Examination Services.

NASBA International Evaluation Services provides an online application for applicants. We do not have a paper-based application available for use. Along with your online application for an international credential evaluation, you are required to provide the following:

• To see what the documentation requirements are from a specific country, select the country from the dropdown menu below:

• Application fee
• Copy of passport or government issued identification (You can upload the ID to your NIES user account instead of mailing or emailing).
• NIES will not accept transfer study on another transcript.
• NIES requires documentation for each year of international post-secondary education.
• Please note that completion of a higher degree is not acceptable as proof of prior study.
• If your school requires a request from our office to issue the necessary documentation, please fill out and submit the Transcript Request Form.
• Complete set of official English translations for non-English documents
• Please Note: all mail must be addressed to NASBA International Evaluation Services. Failure to add International Evaluation Services to the address will result in the delay of your application being processed.
• Transcripts and degree certificates (diplomas) may be submitted electronically provided they are official. Some schools do not offer this service. Contact your Registrar or academic record’s office for additional information. If an email address is required for electronic delivery, use etranscriptnies@nasba.org. Electronically delivered transcripts must be submitted directly from the institution(s). Please DO NOT send general questions or other requests to etranscriptnies@nasba.org. This inbox is only intended to receive official educational documents from your institution.

Currently, NASBA International Evaluation Services evaluates only for the CPA profession.

Official documents must be received via postal service directly from the issuing institution in an unopened university sealed envelope in order for the evaluation to be released to the requested Board of Accountancy. NIES destroys official transcripts regularly. A scanned image of all documents received will be maintained indefinitely. Please note that we no longer accept irreplaceable original documents.

Education Verification Option

In order to focus on international evaluation reports we are NOT accepting new education verification applications from August 1 – September 30. We are dedicating as many resources as possible to assist with the completion of international evaluation reports to give candidates an opportunity to take the CPA Examination in 2023. We will begin accepting education verification applications again on October 1. Please have your school(s) send your educational documents to NIES if you are applying now.

If you are not able to have your university issue official educational documents, NASBA International Evaluation Services (NIES) offers an alternative option called Education Verification. Education Verification will allow you to submit copies of your original documents via email. NIES will then confirm if these documents are authentic, saving you the inconvenience of obtaining official educational documents. NIES realizes that some universities may have a difficult process to release official educational documentation.

The education verification option is an additional fee that will need to be paid separate from the international evaluation fee. Obtaining the Education Verification does not have a standard turnaround time. The time to complete the authenticity verification will depend on the country of your education and your institution’s responsiveness.

Syllabi and Course Descriptions

In order to prepare an evaluation report for the CPA examination, we may request an official syllabus or course description for all accounting and business courses at the post-secondary level (university level). A syllabus or course description may be required to assess your accounting and business studies at the post-secondary level for the CPA examination. An official syllabus or course description may be obtained from your university or college. Official syllabi or course descriptions must be on university or college letterhead or published on the university’s website. Please contact our office if you have any questions about providing syllabi or course descriptions for your accounting and business courses.

Professional Organizations

We will evaluate coursework from accounting professional organizations on a case-by-case basis. If you have coursework from the Institute of Chartered Accountants or a similar organization, please have your official certificates and examination information along with study plans, syllabi, or course descriptions sent in a sealed envelope from the issuing organization

Certified English Translations

If your official transcript and/or diploma is not in English, you must have the document translated before our office can process your application. NIES offers translation services for documents in most languages. Fees vary by language and are charged on a per-page basis. If there are significantly more than 250 words on one page then an additional payment may be required.

In addition to these translations, you must provide us with your original or official transcripts issued directly from your university.

Certified English translations of transcripts, certificates, or diplomas must be provided by any member of the American Translators Association (ATA), your university, or the ministry of education of the documents issuing country. The following standards will apply to English translations:

• All information listed on the document must be translated verbatim
• All translations must be prepared using the same format as the original document
• No interpretation or evaluation of information should be included
• All translations must be typed, signed and dated by the translator
• Contact information for the translator must be listed, including address, phone and fax number, and email address
• Translations from private providers outside the United States will not be accepted

Fraudulent Documents

The applicant will be held responsible for submitting falsified or fraudulent documents. In the event that NASBA International Evaluation Services determines that documents submitted have been forged, the applicant will be denied an evaluation, all fees will be forfeited, and the appropriate boards will be notified.