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Which education level to select in your Express Entry profile for a 2-year postgraduate diploma

Canada • Express Entry • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

    WES/other assessors evaluate your credentials against Canadian equivalency, but the Express Entry profile itself only offers 4 standard education-level options.

Step-by-Step

If you're unsure which education level to select in your Express Entry profile after completing a bachelor's degree plus a 2-year postgraduate diploma that required the bachelor's as a prerequisite:

  1. Know that Express Entry only has 4 standard education levels to choose from — there is no separate 'postgraduate diploma' category, so don't expect your ECA equivalency wording (e.g. 'master's equivalent') to map to a distinct option.

  2. Select the '2 or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees' option if you hold both the bachelor's and the postgraduate diploma — this reflects having multiple credentials and can increase your education points compared to selecting just one.

  3. Don't rely on your ECA's wording alone to pick a level. Even if your ECA suggests near-equivalency to a master's, the Express Entry system cares about the credential type/level you select, not the ECA's descriptive language.


When in doubt, cross-check the exact wording of your ECA report against IRCC's official Express Entry education-level definitions before submitting.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: Express Entry only has 4 education-level categories — there's no separate slot for 'postgraduate diploma,' regardless of what your ECA implies.
  • Do: Select '2 or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees' if you hold both a bachelor's and a postgraduate diploma — it typically scores higher.
  • Don't: Don't assume your ECA's equivalency wording (e.g. 'master's equivalent') automatically determines which Express Entry education box to check.

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