How to choose ILR academic certification? NARIC and ENIC application guide

A UK qualification comparison report lists the holder's name, overseas qualification title, issuing institution, and the corresponding UK qualification level. It should also include the original certificate and transcript for the recipient to verify together.

First confirm which certificate to compare

The UK NARIC in the old materials now corresponds to UK ENIC. When applying for a job or further education, if the recipient needs to know what level overseas degrees correspond to in the UK, the commonly used one is Statement of Comparability (a degree comparison report). This service assesses eligible academic and professional qualifications, and when applying, up to four completed qualifications can be submitted. There are two ways to prepare: purchasing directly by the old name, or first confirming with the recipient regarding the position or course requirements. The latter can clarify whether it's undergraduate, master's degree, or secondary school level in the admission requirements, reducing the chance of having to communicate again after missing documents; as to which specific certificates are suitable to submit together, they can be prepared according to the recipient's requirements.

The report must be used in conjunction with the original academic credentials; whether it is accepted or employed is still determined by the receiving institution.

ILR English certification should choose the corresponding evaluation

If you are planning to use a degree awarded by a non-UK institution with English as the medium of instruction to meet the English language requirements for settlement or UK visa, you need to verify the corresponding academic qualifications and language assessment. The UK government's academic English guidance points to the official Qualification and Language Service (QLS); when it comes to English proof, check the English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison project. The standard ENIC academic comparison report does not confirm English proficiency and cannot replace this requirement. Proof of English-taught courses issued by the school is also part of the assessment materials. Whether it meets the requirements of the application route still needs to be determined in combination with the assessment results and the rules of that route.

After the QLS assessment, a UPI identification code will be provided in the account, and the applicant should submit it to Home Office as required; the regular academic comparison report will be delivered in electronic format.

One item in the Chinese material is exempt from translation

UK ENIC "Translation Waiver Service" lists a practical detail: when applying for a credential comparison report, Chinese is a language that can be used free of translation waiver, and original Chinese documents can be submitted; the assessment itself still incurs a fee. This exemption applies only to specified services and will not result in an additional set of English translations. Looking side by side, the QLS credential and English assessment material instructions require certified translations for non-English documents, and submit the Medium of Instruction (language of instruction certificate) issued by the awarding institution. Even if the same diploma is used for both applications, the translation arrangements cannot be directly copied.

If the receiving school or employer requires additional English documents, they still need to be prepared according to their list.

Process time is calculated after all materials are complete.

The basic materials for the academic qualification report include graduation or degree certificates, official transcripts with all subjects and grades, identity documents, and name change proof if applicable. Transcripts must be signed and dated by the issuing institution; for joint programs, the issuer must be verified, and official documents are only accepted from the issuing institution. After preparing the documents, register for a UK ENIC account, upload clear color files, submit the application and payment. The four corners of the documents must be fully visible, and each uploaded file must not exceed 5MB. According to the official fee page as of October 1, 2026, £69.60 includes the electronic report. The target processing time is 15 working days after all necessary documents and full payment are received.

If additional documents are required, the 15 working days will be recalculated. Directly taking the payment date as the starting point for processing may underestimate the waiting time; the progress and notice of additional documents can be viewed in the account.

What else needs to be verified after obtaining the report?

After receiving the report, check each item including name, degree name, issuing institution, and comparison result, then provide it together with the original certificate to the recipient. If you have any objections to the conclusion, please refer to the re-evaluation procedure described in UK ENIC and specify the issues needing review. The report does not provide scores or grade conversions; if the course requires specific grades, separate verification is still required. My judgment is: when the purpose is not confirmed, it's not worth buying a "backup certification" in advance. Prepare the corresponding report if you need degree comparison for job hunting or further studies; prepare according to the applicable QLS program if you need to prove English with overseas degrees. No refunds are available after the assessment starts, so confirming the purpose before payment is more cost-effective.

Another fact that can reduce future burdens: UK ENIC clearly states that the academic comparison report itself does not have an expiration date. When changing jobs or courses, you can first ask the receiving party to confirm whether they accept the existing report, without needing to pay again just because the year has changed.

This article is for reference only. For specific issues, please consult a licensed attorney.

[Data Source] UK Government "Guidance on Proof of English Language Proficiency for Academic Qualifications"; UK ENIC Academic Qualification Comparison Report Application, Fees and Translation Exemption Guidelines; Official QLS Academic Qualification and English Assessment Application Guidelines.

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