South Dakota Board of Accountancy: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Sample translation: a Congolese secondary school transcript

This is what an order looks like when it is delivered, with a fictitious student. The PDF starts with the signed certification page, and the translation follows the original line for line: every abbreviation is explained, stamps, seals and signatures are noted in brackets, and the grid stays the same, so an admissions officer or a credential evaluator can match it without guessing.

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What to notice

• Two school years in the same grid as the original: every subject, grading period, exam and total, so each grade can be read against its maximum.
• The French rating abbreviations are translated (TB becomes VG, Very good), and every abbreviation is explained in a translator's note at the foot of the same page, including one the original never defines.
• Dates are written the US way (the original's 02/07/2015 is February 7, 2015).
• The photo, seals and signatures are noted in brackets where they appear.

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Worth knowing about South Dakota Board

South Dakota Board requirements in detail

Choosing among South Dakota's eight services

South Dakota is one of the few boards with a long list of its own (South Dakota Board of Accountancy: foreign credentialing services).

The services differ on translations: NIES accepts any ATA member (NIES); Josef Silny wants ATA-certified translators for translations made in the US (JS&A); IERF accepts translations by any translator, though it may ask for professional ones (IERF), and Educational Perspectives accepts a reputable translation agency (EP). If you pick Josef Silny, see the ATA section below.

NIES lists South Dakota among the jurisdictions it evaluates for (NIES) and needs everything within 90 days of the date you apply (NIES).

How the evaluation reaches the Board

South Dakota handles its own exam applications: you mail the initial application, the Board processes it and forwards your information to NASBA within five business days, and NASBA then issues your Notice to Schedule (South Dakota Board of Accountancy: CPA exam). The course evaluation is part of what the Board reviews.

A course counts only if it appears as semester or quarter credit on an official transcript; quarter hours convert at two-thirds (South Dakota Board of Accountancy: CPA exam). We translate the credits as printed and leave the conversion to the evaluator.

Documents applicants usually translate

• University transcripts or mark sheets from every institution attended
• Degree certificates and diplomas
• Records of intermediate accounting, auditing, taxation and cost accounting courses
• Course descriptions, if the evaluation service asks for them

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• Grades, hours and credits exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA or equivalency.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page with no word cap, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to South Dakota Board

• The translation goes to the evaluation service you choose, with your records, under its instructions (South Dakota Board of Accountancy: foreign credentialing services). For NIES, mail goes to NASBA International Evaluation Services, 150 Fourth Ave. N., Suite 850, Nashville, TN 37219 (NIES).

• eVerbary can mail the translation to the agency in a sealed, signed envelope: choose the hard copy at checkout with the agency's address ($19.95 Priority or $37.95 Express in the US) and write in the order notes that it is for the South Dakota CPA evaluation.

If you need a translator certified by ATA

Some offices accept only a translator who is personally certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). eVerbary assigns one on request, for the languages ATA certifies into English:

To order it, ask for a free quote and write in the notes that the translation is for South Dakota Board, what it is for, and that you need a translator individually certified by ATA, plus anything else the office asks for (notarization, delivery by email to the office).

We confirm the price and the translator before you pay. ATA does not certify other languages into English, so no translator anywhere holds ATA certification for them.

For those languages we provide a notarized certified translation instead, at $44.95 per page plus notarization ($34.90 per order); ask the office to confirm it accepts that, and write its answer in the quote notes.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions