Tennessee State 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 Tennessee Board

Tennessee Board requirements in detail

Order of steps in Tennessee

The Board says not to submit the exam application until the foreign education evaluation is complete (Certified Public Accountant, foreign education information).

It has contracted NASBA's CPA Examination Services to check the education against Tennessee law and rules; CPAES identifies shortfalls, and you correct them before approval (Certified Public Accountant, foreign education information).

To sit, Tennessee requires a baccalaureate and 18 semester hours of upper-division accounting (Certified Public Accountant, foreign education information).

CPAES adds that the degree must be a four-year bachelor's: a three-year degree equated to a bachelor's is not acceptable (NASBA CPA Examination Services: Tennessee).

Translation rules differ by service

NIES accepts any ATA member and lists six standards: verbatim, same format, no interpretation, typed, signed and dated, with translator contact details (NIES). Josef Silny asks for ATA-certified translators for translations made in the US (JS&A); if you choose it or ACEI, see the ATA section below.

Coursework from a Chartered Accountant or similar program is treated as professional training and does not count toward the education requirement (NASBA CPA Examination Services: Tennessee).

Documents applicants usually translate

• University transcripts or mark sheets from every institution attended
• Degree certificates showing a four-year bachelor's or higher
• Records of upper-division 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 Tennessee Board

• The translation goes to the evaluation service with your records; for NIES, mail goes to NASBA International Evaluation Services, 150 Fourth Ave. N., Suite 850, Nashville, TN 37219 (NIES). The service sends its report to CPAES (Certified Public Accountant, foreign education information).

• 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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