Transcript Certificate - Sample and Format

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Mrunmayai Bobade
Updated on Apr 28, 2023 12:28 AM IST

A transcript certificate is an official document that is a written or printed record of the academic details that have been dictated. Wade through the article to know what exactly is a transcript of records, how to get it, how it differs from a degree and diploma certificate, and how to get its WES certificate. 

Transcript Certificate - What is it and How to Get it?

Transcript Certificate: The word transcript means a written or printed version/copy of something that was first said or, in any event, introduced in a non-composed form, or a detailed record of a student's academic achievements. An illustration of an official transcript is a list of all of an understudy's courses and their grades.

On the other hand, when it comes to the question: What is a transcript certificate or transcript degree certificate or an academic transcript to study abroad? then the answer slightly changes. To study abroad, transcripts certificates (also known as academic records) are the accumulation of documents that contain details about all of the subjects you have taken, grades, subject-specific marks, degrees, as well a list of awards you have earned from your previous educational institution.

Official transcript credentials may be requested after admission or during the application process at a university. However, an unofficial transcript of record may be used by foreign universities to determine whether you meet the admissions criteria. However, this decision on your admission will not be authenticated unless you present an official transcript. Once you understand the requirements, the process of applying for and receiving a transcript marksheet is rather simple. So, let us take one step at a time and first understand what exactly is a transcript certificate.

Transcript Certificates and marksheets are just one component of the whole study abroad application process. There is so much more to it that only experts can guide a student in detail. Get in touch with our experts and counsellors now!

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What is a Transcript Certificate?

A transcript certificate is a document that serves as evidence of your educational credentials. It contains a comprehensive record of all subjects studied by students during their academic semester, as well as their marks or grades. Transcripts are also known as mark sheets, academic certificates, academic transcripts, cumulative record files, report cards, CBSE transcripts, and so on.

A university transcript certificate is a certified record of your imprints or assessments from your present or prior college. It can be either on paper or online (online transcript), containing a list or table of all the modules, papers, or courses you have completed, together with a numerical or letter grade for each. A transcript of marksheet may also provide a general assessment of your abilities.

If you have not yet completed your current degree or if you do not have a record of your outcomes, you must provide a temporary record from your endowments with specifics of the assessments you have received so far.

Students can find more about academic transcripts here, and explore how it differs from an unofficial university transcript certificate as well as when to request one and its university-accepted formats.

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What are the Other Names of a Transcript Certificate?

In India, transcript certificates are frequently referred to as mark sheets. A list of documents known as academic transcripts or other names for transcripts is shown below:

  • Mark List

  • Mark Sheet

  • Academic Certificates

  • Report Card

  • Academic Record

  • Cumulative Record File (CRF)

  • Permanent Record

  • Transcript of Records (ToR)

  • Diploma Supplement

  • Statement of Learning

  • Record of Achievement

Note: You do not need to have all of the aforementioned. These are just the other names for your academic transcript, and you will require documentation to validate the qualifications you have finished to show your candidature.

Importance of Transcript Certificate

An academic transcript may be requested for a variety of reasons, including professional, educational, or personal reasons. Most people obtain their academic transcript while applying for further education or work opportunities abroad. This is because a degree or diploma certificate is insufficient. After all, the two documents are only certificates of graduation, with no information about the courses you completed or the grades you received. A transcript certificate gives any university/employer a comprehensive picture of a student's academic accomplishments and achievements.

Here are some of the reasons why you might need your original transcript certificate:

  • Higher Studies Abroad 

  • Visa Applications 

  • Employment

  • Transferring Colleges

  • Credit Transfer

  • Personal Reasons

Difference between a Transcript and a Degree Certificate

Students who are new to the educational system may be unfamiliar with the jargon employed by institutions in other countries. This is true for many students who are going to further their education in English-speaking countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

Students may be confused by phrases like transcript and degree certificate or academic transcript and marksheet. This is particularly common among students whose first language is not English. Both words refer to a sheet of paper that details a student's academic achievement. They are, however, extremely distinct from one another.

A transcript degree certificate or an official transcript certificate is a document that includes all of a student's classes. It also includes all of the examinations that the student has taken and the grades that the student has received in those courses and exams. A student's transcript of marksheet can be obtained at any time, including annually or semesterly.

A degree certificate, on the other hand, is an official academic transcript document that shows the student's completion of a specific degree programme. To earn a degree certificate, a student must complete all years of the programme to find themselves as a degree holder. For instance, if a student is pursuing a software engineering programme, they must complete all of the program's required classes before receiving a degree of completion from the programme at graduation.

In a nutshell, a university transcript certificate simply details all of a student's classes and exams, as well as the grades or scores received. A degree certificate indicates that the student successfully completed the programme. A brief distinction between an official transcript and a Degree Certificate is shown in the table below:

Differentiating Standards

Transcript Certificate

Degree Certificate

Definition

A document that details all of a student's classes, as well as all of the examinations they have taken and the grades they received

A degree certificate is a document that shows the student's completion of a specialised degree programme

Implies

All of the student's classes, examinations, and grades or marks

The completion of a programme (such as a bachelor's degree)

Obtained

Quarterly, annually, or semesterly

Only after completing a programme (such as an associate's degree in two years, a bachelor's degree in four years, etc.)

Distinction

Crucial to know if a student has passed all of their exams and classes

Crucial to gain employment after graduation

Note: Both the transcript of record and degree certificate are crucial in a student's life since the transcript certificate informs the university if the student is entitled to a degree certificate at the end of the programme.

Difference Between a Transcript Certificate and a Diploma Certificate

A diploma is a document that serves as a student's certificate of studies or successful course completion and is issued by an educational or academic institution. A diploma course duration varies from six months to three years. Usually, diploma programmes are of shorter duration and focused on only one major subject.

A diploma programme lays a strong emphasis on practical or application learning. Let us now discuss the major differences between a university transcript certificate and a diploma certificate:

  • An official academic transcript is a comprehensive document that can be printed, written, or issued online as proof of education. It contains a list of all of your courses and grades received from an educational institution. While a diploma is a document or educational certificate that students get from an educational or academic institution as evidence that they have concluded a certain course of study.

  • While a diploma only states the completion of a particular course, on the other hand, a transcript marksheet lists the courses and grades received by a student in detail.

  • Most often, universities ask for an official transcript certificate as part of the application process. On the other hand, institutions ask for a diploma as a certificate for admission to a degree programme.

Academic Transcript Certificate Format 

A comprehensive list or table of all annual subjects and extracurricular activities completed during the examination period should be included on a university transcript certificate. Depending on the assessing framework employed by a university, it comprises imprints or reviews, or occasionally the subject-wise credit value is indicated. Your transcript of record will include the following information:

  • The academic transcript's header offers information about the university or college. The transcript certificate might be letter-sized or legal-sized. The header comprised the following information: name, affiliation, address, contact information, and logo.

  • Following the heading, the title of the document is the transcript certificate, followed by the name of the programme in which the student is enrolled. The name, ID number, Certificate number, Faculty, Major, and Level of study are all included in the student bio-data.

  • The description of the subjects each semester with code and grades follows the title section. It is up to the university to portray the courses in terms of semesters. The only resemblance is that the data is presented in a tabular manner.

Sample of University Transcript Certificate

An official transcript certificate will usually be stamped or marked to confirm its authenticity, or it will be delivered through a secure electronic sharing system such as Digital. Self-administration screenshots and temporary records provided by your institution are also acceptable for evaluation purposes. If they clearly state your name, organisation, capability, and grades, they are accepted. In addition, a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) can be recognised.

How to Apply for a Transcript Degree Certificate?

Now that you know what an official transcript certificate is and how it differs from a degree certificate, you can go on to the next step. The procedure for obtaining a transcript is straightforward yet time-consuming. To acquire your transcript of record in time for admission to other universities, you should apply at least one month ahead of time.

However, students must note that the academic transcript is only issued when the student's records have been validated. Examine the process below for requesting a transcript marksheet for yourself:

  • Step 1: Contact your prior institution's admissions office to inquire about their transcript policies.
  • Step 2: Make a list of the schools you have attended because you will need to submit an application for an official transcript certificate or CBSE transcript to each of them.
  • Step 3: Complete the transcript request form or academic transcript application and attach it with the required transcript and marksheet paperwork.
  • Step 4: An application for an academic transcript can be submitted online (transcript certificate online), and modest charges may apply that are required to pay.
  • Step 5: After you have received your transcript degree certificate, decide how you will submit them to your desired university.
  • Step 6: Once you have forwarded your transcript of record to the university, remember to cross-check, to see if they have received them.

Documents Required 

No stranger to the process of applying for an official transcript certificate or university transcript, let us now get familiar with the list of documents required for it. In addition to basic student information, you will have to attach the following documents along with your application:

  • The application form was filled out completely.

  • Mark sheets and degree certificate copies.

  • Required payment receipts.

  • An official transcript request letter.

  • Photocopies of proof of identification.

  • Application receipt acknowledgement (if any).

Where to Get Academic Transcripts?

Here comes the sixty-four thousand dollar question, where will I get the transcript degree certificate? To this question, the answer is: it depends! It depends on whether you need an unofficial or official transcript. Let us now have a look at how to gather a university transcript certificate from Indian universities:

Unofficial Transcript Certificate: On a particular university's website, unofficial transcripts may be available. You can simply download unofficial transcripts by logging into your student account. Most universities abroad, however, do not accept unofficial transcripts, therefore you must request an academic transcript.

Official Transcript Certificate: Transcripts are the responsibility of the registrar at your prior institution, so you must contact the registrar to collect official transcripts. As transcripts are issued after you have taken the final test, you must either email or call or visit the office to inquire about your transcripts.

How to Request a Transcript Certificate – Sample Application

Aayushi G

Block B - Green Park Apartments 

New Delhi - 110016

Date: February 20, 2023

To, 

The HOD

School of Business 

ABC University

New Delhi - 110049

Subject: Transcript Certificate Request

Dear Sir/Mam,

It has been a privilege to be a part of this wonderful organisation from 2019 through 2022. I am glad and fortunate to announce that, as a result of this organization's high educational standards, I was able to gain admission to ABC University. I would be joining soon; nevertheless, as a prelude to the comparable, I am required to give my unique records for confirmation to my new establishment.

I would appreciate it if you could help me by providing me with the necessary documentation to my below-mentioned e-mail address. In the year 2022, I left the organisation. Additionally, was enrolled in the B.Com programme, with the course enrollment number AB-XXX-XXX.

Please email the transcript to me at (mention your email address here).

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Thanking You

Yours truly,

Aayushi G

How Long Does it Take to Get a Transcript Certificate?

A transcript of the record is normally provided within one to four weeks after the application is submitted. Students in India can also submit fastrack applications if they need their CBSE transcript or university transcript certificate immediately. An additional fee may be necessary for such circumstances.

Remember, incomplete or erroneous information in the application is one of the most typical causes of transcript delays. So make sure you do not enter erroneous information or rush through the application without filling out all mandatory fields.

If you want to apply to universities in foreign countries, you would not be able to take and submit your academic transcripts and marksheet individually for every university. As a result, you will require your institution to deliver an official transcript certificate directly to a new university to which you have applied or planning to apply. This process can take up to a month, especially if you need an official transcripts certificate from a renowned university or the one you attended many years ago. This is why you should apply as soon as possible to ensure that you have ample time to invest in any delays.

How to Send a Transcript Certificate to Universities? 

After learning everything there is to know about transcript certificates, including samples and formats, let us move on to the most difficult task: correctly sending transcript certificates to colleges. Although many students believe that this is a simple task, mailing the transcript certificate to the institution is a formal and impressive process. 

It is important to understand how to send a transcript to a university properly. Here is how you will send your academic transcripts to the universities present at the top 3 best study abroad destinations:

USA 

There are three options for sending the official transcript to US universities: through Parchment, the University of California System, or the Common Application or Coalition Application.

  • Coalition Application: More than 800 universities from all around the USA are enrolled in this portal. Additionally, both domestic and foreign students can utilise this app to have easy access to numerous colleges. Through these sites, the transcript certificate can be transmitted directly. The academic transcript can be sent electronically by international students.

  • Parchment: This necessitates that the student spends as little work as possible to deliver an academic transcript to a university. Place the order and instruct them to deliver the transcript to the specified university. When a university gets the transcript, it will contact the individual and upload it to the college's system.

  • The University of California System: The University of California has its system of receiving and distributing transcripts to universities. It has its platform or gateway for obtaining transcripts and other papers such as LOR, SOP, resumes, and so on.

Canada

WES or World Education Services is a system utilised by Canadian universities. The system is a little out of date and employs simple, long procedures. International students may be required to send in their official transcript certificate online or by postal mail. The institution will thereafter be evaluated in accordance with the standards and laws of the province. 

UK

The UCAS system is used by the vast majority of UK universities. The system works in the same way as the coalition portal. UCAS allowed us to utilise and apply to many universities and colleges simultaneously. The database is centralised to store the documents that are needed. It evaluates the student's academic transcript certificate using the qualifying system.

How to Send Academic Transcripts to WES for Verification?

Your documents must be sent for WES Evaluation for review by your academic institution to get a WES-verified transcript certificate. While the majority of colleges verify academic transcripts via their chosen agencies, others rely on outside vendors WES or ECE. In either case, they may compile a list of the documents they require from you. The kind of documentation required for verification depends on the following factors:

  • Candidates' educational status - whether they have completed their education or not.

  • Candidates' country of origin.

  • The type of education a candidate has received- secondary or post-secondary.

  • Candidates' educational qualification type - diploma, degree, etc.

Students can send their transcripts to WES for verification in the following three ways:

  • Direct submission

  • Online submission

  • Submission via email

Direct Submission

If you choose to submit your academic transcripts or transcript certificates directly, the process will take slightly longer than submitting them online. However, your institution can use both the following methods as these are safe and efficient channels:

  • Application Programming Interface (API)

  • Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

Online Submission

More than 7,500 universities around the world use the WES online system to send transcript certificates because of its effectiveness. This is the fastest way to send your transcript of record to WES for verification and thus quickly get a WES certificate. For this, you must first create an account and register on the WES website.

You just need to select WES as your recipient once you are logged in. You will then receive a URL from WES that will allow you to access your transcript and any papers you want them to review.

Submission via Email

Although email submissions are less common than direct or online submissions, WES does offer the latter because not all institutions have the necessary resources. Universities must adhere to the following pointers while sending email transcript certificate submissions:

  • Emails must undergo rigorous authentication and security tests to prevent spoofing.

  • WES must be able to access the university's website and check the sender's email.

  • Documents must be attached in PDF format by the academic institution or any other irreversible format.

  • The Graduation Department, Exams, Awards, the Controller of Examinations, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Academic Records, and the Department of Student Services are in charge of sending transcripts.

To summarise, applying to any university and providing all of the appropriate documents can be a little daunting task. If you have previously attended multiple colleges, the procedure will be lengthy. This is because you will need to contact each institution and obtain the relevant academic details. You do not need to be bothered about getting your transcript certificate as long as you know the right process to get one.

Got any questions to ask our experts related to the transcript certificate? Feel free to reach us at abroad@collegedekho.com and we will answer all your questions as soon as possible.

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FAQs

How do international students send transcript certificates to universities abroad?

International students send their transcript certificates to universities abroad in a sealed envelope or by post. Some foreign institutions, however, will allow you to email your transcript certificates directly to them. For this, you will almost certainly need a certified English translation, if your transcript is not in English.

From where can I get a transcript certificate?

You can get your transcript certificate from your prior or current academic institution where you have studied or are currently studying. So, you must contact the registrar at your institution to obtain official transcripts. This is because transcripts are issued after you have taken the final test, you will need to call them or visit the office to inquire about your transcripts.

What is the difference between a transcript certificate and a consolidated mark sheet?

The difference between a transcript certificate and a consolidated mark sheet is that a consolidated mark sheet is a compilation of a student's grades from all of their semesters. On the other hand, a mark sheet is offered as a temporary document to demonstrate that the student has fulfilled the degree requirements in specific subjects.

What type of transcript certificates should I send to universities abroad?

You should send only official transcript certificates to universities abroad. This is because these are authenticated transcripts with your institution’s stamp, seal, or letterhead. Your guidance counsellor may also need to send you a mid-year report and/or a final report on your grades in some cases.

Are transcript certificates and provisional certificates the same?

No, the transcript certificate and provisional certificate are not the same. A transcript certificate demonstrates that you have completed a course of study at an academic institution. On the other hand, universities ask for a provisional certificate to ensure that you are yet to complete your graduation. This is because the degree has not yet been awarded.

How long does it take to get a transcript certificate?

Transcript certificates usually take one to four weeks of time to be issued once a student has applied. However, depending upon whether your college or institution accepts electronic transcripts, it could take up to 48 hours. It may take a few days to acquire a hard copy if one is needed. 

How is an academic transcript different from a mark sheet?

An academic transcript differs from a mark sheet for many reasons, a transcript is essentially a summary of all of the marks and grades earned throughout the course of study, as well as information on the scoring system and the college or university in India. A mark sheet usually simply contains the specifics of the grades earned for a specific year or semester. 

How do I send my official transcripts to universities in USA?

You can send your official transcripts to US universities through Common Application or Coalition Application for undergraduate admissions. For graduate admissions, transcripts are usually submitted directly to the university via the university application portal or via any credential evaluator. Students should ensure that the transcripts must be written in English and have the granting college or university's official stamp/seal.

What happens if I do not submit my transcript certificate to the university?

If you do not submit your transcript certificate to the university, then it will lead to the cancellation of your candidature and your admission letter will be withdrawn. 

What is the Transcript of Records (ToR)?

The Transcript of Records (ToR) lists the courses you have completed, as well as the exams and tests you have passed and the credits you have earned. The title of the courses, their duration, grade, and the credit points you earned by passing the exam are all listed on the transcript of records.

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