Verification of Qualification

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Through this function the BAC provides the opportunity for a customer to get their qualifications verified. For example, this service can be requested in a situation where an employer asks their employee, or prospective employee, to get their qualifications validated to confirm that the individual does indeed possess these qualifications. This process offers the individual the benefit of having their qualifications vouched for by a reputable agency such as the BAC and offers an employer this same benefit on the reverse side, they can rest assured that they are indeed hiring a qualified individual.

Application Form for Recognition and Verification of Qualification

Guidelines for the Verification of Qualification

Introduction

The Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) was established under the authority of the Barbados
Accreditation Council Act 2004-11. Under the Act, the Council has been mandated to “advise on the
recognition of foreign based institutions and their awards” and to “determine the equivalency of
programmes and qualifications”.
The purpose of the evaluation is to provide information about the comparability of foreign
qualifications to local qualifications.
This document sets out the requirements that individuals and/or organisations must comply with
when requesting recognition or academic comparability of qualifications by the Barbados Accreditation
Council.

Making an Application

A complete application includes the following:
▪ an application form, fully completed and legible
▪ a complete set of required documentation in hard copy (see overleaf)
▪ Identification (ID) – valid national ID, passport or driver’s licence
▪ Payment or proof of payment
If any of the above does not comply with the requirements outlined in this document, as well as the
application form, the evaluation process will not be commenced and the application will be returned
to the applicant. The BAC will not be held responsible for the delay.

Post Evaluation

Once the recognition of qualification process has been completed, the applicant is issued with a
Statement on Recognition or Standard Evaluation Report, depending on the applicant’s request at
application. The Statement on Recognition is a basic account which certifies certain specific
information related to the qualification. The Standard Evaluation Report is a comprehensive
assessment statement which includes an overview of the issuing country’s educational system;
description of the qualification; and employment related information.
The Statement on Recognition and Standard Evaluation Report issued by the Barbados Accreditation
Council are for guidance purposes only and is non-binding. Post-secondary/tertiary education and
training providers in Barbados, professional bodies, and employers retain the right to make their own
decisions on admission, having regard to a variety of factors, of which qualifications are only one.

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Required Documentation

The applicant should present hard copies of the following documents to the BAC for evaluation:

Application form, completed and legible.

Original and copy of credential(s)/qualification(s).

Certified translation of the credential/qualification in English, if the original document is not in English.

Documentation of change of name, e.g. marriage certificate or deed poll, if your name has changed
since the documents were issued.

Documentation of change of name (Affidavit) in an instance where the name has been recorded
differently on your qualification and any supporting documents other than it appears on your
Birth Certificate.

Fees and Other Charges

A non-refundable application processing fee of BDS$10.00 is payable upon application for a Request for Recognition of Institution and/or Programme.
The correct amounts should be paid for the service required.
Refer to Fees for Services booklet for fees for the recognition of institution and/or programme service.
The BAC reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of $75.00 in all cases where the cancellation of service was not as a result of an oversight by the BAC.

Processing

Processing time starts on the date that all information and relevant documentation have been
received by the BAC from the applicant and/or the institution that awarded the qualification. Applicants should be aware that timely service delivery is only possible when all the required information is readily available. The BAC will make every effort to make results available within the shortest possible time. Processing time can however, be impacted upon by various factors outside the control of the BAC. Applicants should therefore be mindful of the possibility of delay. The time for processing applications is a minimum of 20 working days. In the event of an undue delay as a result of extra-ordinary circumstances, applicants will be informed by the BAC by telephone, email or letter.

Verification of Documents

The BAC maintains the right to refer fraudulent documents to the Fraud Department of the Royal Barbados Police Force for further investigation.

Factors Causing Delay

Considerably more research and/or consultation than usually required for evaluation of the qualification(s) submitted.
Lack of information needed to complete the evaluation resulting in the need to contact the country of origin of the qualification. Completion of an evaluation will be dependent upon a reply from the source as well as the quality from the source in these instances. Processing will commence immediately upon receipt of a reply.
A marked imbalance between available human and other resources in the BAC and service demand.
Service demand/volume of applications exceeds available capacity.
Factors related to the applicant which applicants can avoid by:

making the necessary enquiries before making the application
following carefully the guidelines and procedures set out in this document when preparing applications
making sure the application form is completed in its entirety and legible, and all necessary documentation are included
making ample provision for meeting personal deadlines e.g. commencement of studies or employment
giving clear instruction on the handling of evaluation results, whether they are to be posted and to whom or whether they will be collected
ensuring that all addresses are correct
hand-delivering applications – do not fax or email applications
allowing time for postage after the expected date of completion as this is not included in the timelines of the BAC
waiting to be contacted for collection of results, if results are to be prepared for collection.

PLEASE NOTE:

It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain and submit to the BAC the information outlined in the table above. At any time during the evaluation process, the BAC reserves the right to request additional documents, and/or that documents be sent directly to the Council by the issuing institution(s)/awarding body/ies.

As it relates to personal documentation of the courses completed (official transcript/transcript of record, examination book, etc.), the applicant is responsible for requesting that an official copy be sent directly to the BAC from the institution(s) you attended. Such documents should also indicate the duration of the course(s) taken, for instance by indicating the number of hours or credits. Your personal information is confidential and may not be disclosed without your written consent. Please
note that the required documentation must be submitted to the Council in hard copy.