Getting Bangladeshi Transcripts and Degrees Evaluated for US Admission

Why your Bangladeshi transcript needs a US-readable version

A US admissions officer reading a raw SSC or HSC mark sheet from Bangladesh has no built-in reference for what those grades mean against a US 4.0 scale or a US credit system. A credential evaluation service translates your grades, subjects, and years of schooling into US-equivalent terms so the school compares you against domestic and other international applicants on the same footing.

Most US graduate programs require this evaluation before they review your application. Many undergraduate programs accept raw transcripts at the initial application stage but still expect a formal evaluation before you enroll.

Use an evaluator from the NACES list

The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) lists the evaluators US universities trust. Schools name a preferred evaluator on their admissions page, some accept any NACES member, others require a specific one such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). Confirm which one your target school wants before you pay for anything. Schools reject evaluations from a non-approved service outright.

What SSC and HSC equal in the US system

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC), taken at the end of grade 10, and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), taken at the end of grade 12, mark stages of secondary education in Bangladesh. The HSC is the credential that maps to a completed US high school diploma, since it certifies the end of upper-secondary study, while SSC alone represents an earlier stage (WENR, a WES publication ). Send both certificates and both sets of mark sheets regardless, evaluators want your full academic record, not only the final credential.

How your bachelor's degree evaluates

This is where Bangladeshi applicants most often get a result they did not expect. A 4-year Honours degree from a public university involves in-depth study of a specialization and a thesis or graduation project, and it aligns closely with a US bachelor's degree in rigor and scope. A 3-year Pass degree, usually earned through a college affiliated with the National University, sits at a lower tier of undergraduate achievement and generally falls short of a full US bachelor's degree (WENR ). If you hold a Pass degree and plan to apply to a US master's program, ask your target schools directly whether they require additional undergraduate coursework first.

Your GPA does not convert with a simple formula

Bangladesh uses two different grading scales depending on level. Secondary results, SSC and HSC, are graded on a 5.0 scale, where 5.00 (A+) is the top grade. University coursework uses a separate 4.0 scale, where A+ equals 4.00 (WENR ). Evaluators do not run a straight multiplication between either scale and a US 4.0 GPA, they weigh your grades against grading norms for your specific board, university, and years. List your original Bangladeshi grades on your application and let the evaluation report supply the US-equivalent figure.

Course-by-course versus document-by-document

Evaluators offer two main report types. A document-by-document evaluation simply states what your Bangladeshi credential equals in the US, for example confirming your HSC as equivalent to a high school diploma. A course-by-course evaluation goes further, listing each subject you studied with a converted grade and credit value. Graduate schools and any program that needs a US-equivalent GPA almost always require the course-by-course version, since it is the only one that produces a comparable GPA figure.

Avoiding delays

Evaluators reject or pause cases for a short list of repeat reasons. Your name must match exactly across your passport, transcripts, and evaluator account, a common problem for Bangladeshi applicants whose name spelling varies slightly between documents. Send complete, subject-wise mark sheets for every year, not only a final consolidated transcript. If your evaluator requires sealed institutional envelopes, do not open them before sending, an opened envelope can void the evaluation.

Steps to get evaluated

1. Request original transcripts and certificates from your school, college, or exam board, sealed if your evaluator requires it

2. Create an account with your chosen NACES member evaluator and select a course-by-course evaluation if your school wants a GPA and subject breakdown

3. Pay the evaluation fee, $168 for a WES course-by-course evaluation as of 2026, plus a separate delivery fee for each school

4. Send or courier your sealed documents to the evaluator, or use their document upload option where available

5. Track your case online. Standard processing runs about seven business days once documents are accepted, though total turnaround with shipping and verification often runs several weeks

6. Request the evaluator send your report directly to each school on your list

Start earlier than you think you need to

Bangladeshi boards take weeks to issue certified transcript copies, and courier delivery to a US-based evaluator adds more time on top. Order your transcripts the day your final results post, not the week your application is due.

Keep the original report for later

Save a copy of your evaluation report and your evaluator account login even after you enroll. You may need the same report again for an OPT employer, a professional licensing board, or a future program, and reordering a lost report costs more than keeping the original.