A member asked three common Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) questions: whether original certificates need to be sent, whether correspondence/distance-mode degrees are eligible, and which body to use (WES or IQAS).
What the thread clarified:- Original certificates generally aren't required unless the assessment body specifically asks for them. Transcripts, on the other hand, are typically sent directly from the university to the assessment body, not couriered by the applicant.
- Correspondence/distance-learning degrees can be evaluated, but the equivalency may come out lower than a comparable full-time degree. One member's experience with WES was that a distance-mode Master's was evaluated as equivalent to only a 4-year bachelor's, rather than being credited at the full Master's level — worth factoring into your CRS score expectations before you apply.
- WES was described as broadly reliable and accepted for most universities, unless your specific institution is blacklisted or found to have issued fraudulent credentials. Members were less certain about IQAS's track record with distance-learning credentials specifically, and didn't have a strong recommendation either way.
The practical takeaway: for correspondence-mode degrees, budget for the possibility that WES (or IQAS) may assess your Master's as equivalent to a lower-level credential — get your ECA done early so you know your real CRS-eligible education level before finalizing your Express Entry profile.