Step-by-step explanation
First decide whether the requested deliverable is a translation, an evaluation or both.
A translation makes the source record readable in English while preserving what the issuing institution recorded. A credential evaluation or institutional review may compare education systems, recalculate grades, determine degree level or decide transfer credit under a separate method. Keep those deliverables distinct in the instruction and quote. If the recipient says only “English translation,” do not add an unstated conversion; if it names an evaluation, confirm the accepted evaluator and document path separately.
Original fictional example: a transcript row reads “Historia del Arte — 6 créditos ECTS — 8,7 — Notable,” and its supplied key defines Notable as Good. The English translation keeps the relationship as “History of Art — 6 ECTS credits — 8.7 — Good.” It does not add “3 U.S. credits,” “B+” or a 4.0-scale GPA.
01
Collect the complete academic source set.
Count every page and content-bearing reverse of the transcript, grade certificate, course record, diploma supplement and attachment. Look specifically for a grading scale, credit definition, abbreviations, footnotes, transfer-status key or explanation printed after the main table. Do not translate a cropped table in isolation when its legend may be elsewhere in the record.
Original fictional example: page 1 lists course results, while the reverse of page 2 defines AP, NT, SB and MH. Both sides enter the translation scope before price and turnaround are confirmed.
02
Record the recipient and requested deliverable.
Save the current instruction from the university, evaluator, employer, licensing board or other receiver. Separate English translation, certification, official-source status, credential evaluation, direct delivery and deadline. A certified translation is not automatically an evaluation report, and an evaluation report does not replace a requested source-language record or translation.
Original fictional example: the receiving office asks for the Spanish transcript, a certified English translation and a separate course-by-course evaluation. The quote covers only the first two deliverables and identifies the evaluation as a separate recipient-controlled step.
03
Map columns, rows, legends and units before translating.
Identify which value belongs to the course title, academic period, attempt, grade, qualitative result, credit amount, hours, status and cumulative total. Preserve merged cells, repeated headers and footnote markers well enough that the English reader can follow the same relationship. Do not move a total into a course row or treat hours as credits because the columns are visually close.
Original fictional example: “T — P — Total” heads separate theory, practical and total-hour columns. The English table keeps all three headings instead of relabeling the figures as credits.
04
Preserve numeric grades, averages and precision.
Keep the recorded value, scale and number of decimals. A decimal comma may become a decimal point for readable English only when the value remains unmistakable and the treatment is consistent; do not round, alter precision or recalculate. Translate labels such as Nota media or Promedio, but do not manufacture an average when the source leaves it blank or omits it.
Original fictional example: “Nota media: 7,42/10” is rendered consistently as “Average grade: 7.42/10.” It is not rounded to 7.4, converted to 2.97/4.0 or described as a letter grade.
05
Translate qualitative grades and statuses in their source system.
Use the institution’s printed key or an authoritative source for terms such as Aprobado, Notable, Sobresaliente, Matrícula de Honor, Suspenso, Convalidada, Reconocida, No presentada or Pendiente. Keep the wording consistent across the record and retain abbreviations or source terms when needed for traceability. Do not equate a descriptive label automatically with an A–F grade.
Original fictional example: the source key defines “NT — Notable — 7.0–8.9.” The project uses one reviewed English rendering throughout and keeps NT tied to that source band; it does not replace each NT with “B.”
06
Name the credit or workload system instead of converting it.
Translate the label and preserve the stated unit: ECTS credits, institution credits, classroom hours, practical hours or another named measure. ECTS represents learning outcomes and associated workload under its own framework; an unlabeled credit may use a different definition. Do not add U.S. semester or quarter hours to the translation. Any separate conversion must come from the actual recipient or an evaluator it accepts.
Original fictional example: “Créditos ECTS obtenidos: 180” becomes “ECTS credits earned: 180.” The translation does not add a U.S. credit total or claim that the record satisfies a degree requirement.
07
Review the English record row by row and scope the final package.
Compare course names, grade values, credit values, totals, legends, dates, seals, signatures and footnote references against every source page. Confirm whether certification, table recreation, bilingual review or direct delivery is included. Resolve unclear values through the approved clarification path and use an uncertainty notation instead of guessing. Final acceptance, GPA treatment and transfer credit remain with the receiver.
Original fictional example: a bilingual reviewer finds that one 6-credit value slipped into the grade column after a page break. The table is corrected before certification; no academic value is reinterpreted.