Recognition of Qualification Equivalency | Barbados Accreditation Council

Guidelines for the Recognition 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 statement which certifies the comparability of the foreign–based qualification to local awards. The Standard Evaluation Report is a comprehensive
assessment statement which includes an overview of the issuing country’s educational system; description of the qualification; employment related information; comparability of the award and description of the comparable level
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.

Fees and Other Charges

1. The fees for the Recognition of Qualification service for each qualification submitted are as
follows:
a. Application Processing – BDS$ 10.00 (non–refundable)
b. Statement on Recognition – BDS$60.00
c. Standard Evaluation Report – BDS$180.00
d. Per copy of Statement or Report – BDS$20.00 (at time of application) or BDS$25.00 (after application)
2. The correct amounts should be paid for the service required.
3. 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 is received by the BAC from the applicant. There may be occasions where the results may be made available before the stipulated deadline for each priority category. 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 processing time for applications is a minimum of 40 working days.

In the event of an extraordinary circumstance causing undue delay, 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 determining the recognition status for the institution or programme.
Lack of information needed to complete the evaluation resulting in the need to contact the country of origin of the institution or programme. 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.
Service demand/volume of applications exceeds available human resource capacity.
Factors related to the applicant which applicants can avoid by

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

The applicant should Upload 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.

Official transcript(s) to be sent directly to the Barbados Accreditation Council by the institution(s) attended or other awarding body.

Documentation of courses/programmes e.g. curriculum, syllabus, or detailed course content for the courses/programmes as at the time/period of study. Documentation must include detailed descriptions of course content, assessment method(s), hours of study/credits, grading scale/system with descriptions, etc.

Certified translation of the documentation of the courses/programmes in English, if the original documentation is not in English

Documentation of change of name, e.g. marriage certificate or deed poll, if the applicant’s 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.

PLEASE NOTE:

It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain and submit to the BAC the information outlined in the list 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 organisation(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 or other awarding body/ies. Such documents should also indicate the duration of the course(s) taken, for instance by indicating the number of hours or credits. Additionally, 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 within the field provided in the above form.

Appeal

Persons may submit an appeal form for Appeal.