Kazakh Degree Evaluation: Diplomas, Transcripts and Certified Translation

A Kazakh degree evaluation tells a U.S. institution what your education from Kazakhstan equals in American terms. You need one for an H-1B or green card petition, a job with a degree requirement, U.S. university admission or transfer credit, a fellowship application or a professional license. This guide is for anyone who studied in Kazakhstan, including Bolashak scholars, and for the attorneys who file their cases. It covers school certificates, college diplomas, bachelor's, master's, Specialist and doctoral degrees, the grading system, and the certified translation your Kazakh or Russian documents need. MotaWord's standard evaluation costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours.

Understanding Kazakh Academic Records for U.S. Review

Kazakhstan's higher education system blends Soviet academic structures with Bologna reforms; the country joined the Bologna Process in 2010. Because of this, Kazakh records look different from typical U.S. transcripts. Degrees such as Бакалавр or Магистр seem familiar, but their classification and credit systems vary.

Students complete general secondary school and receive the Certificate of General Secondary Education (attestat). University admission is based on the Unified National Testing (UNT, or ЕНТ). Colleges offer technical and vocational education after grade 9 or grade 11 and issue a vocational diploma.

Higher education includes the bachelor's degree (usually four years), the master's degree, and the PhD, which replaced the older Kandidat Nauk and Doktor Nauk degrees. Many graduates from before the reforms hold a five-year Specialist diploma. Universities are overseen by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and evaluators look for a recognized institution and a state-format diploma.

The Kazakh Grading System

Most universities use a credit system with letter grades from A to F, a grade point average on a 4.0 scale and percentage scores, often next to the traditional descriptions excellent, good and satisfactory. Older diplomas use the five-point scale only. If the grading legend is missing, U.S. reviewers cannot interpret your results, so the supplement and its legend are part of every evaluation.

How Kazakh Credentials Are Evaluated in the U.S.

An evaluator reads your diploma and supplement, checks the institution and the length of study, and states the closest U.S. equivalent. The final result depends on your documents and is stated in your report.

• Certificate of General Secondary Education: usually comparable to a U.S. high school diploma, which matters for college admission, jobs and military enlistment
• College (Vocational) Diploma: depending on the entry point and years, compared to a U.S. high school diploma, some college study or an associate degree
• Bachelor's Degree: a four-year degree is generally equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree in a similar field
• Master's Degree: a two-year scientific-pedagogical master's degree usually matches a U.S. master's degree, while a shorter profile master's degree is assessed on its credits
• Specialist Diploma: often compared to a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree, depending on length and coursework
• PhD or Kandidat Nauk: often compared to a U.S. Doctor of Philosophy

Uzbekistan kept many features of the same Soviet-era degree system. See how Uzbek academic credentials are evaluated for scholarship programs.

For older Soviet records, see how Russian diplomas and Specialist degrees are evaluated. The same questions about program length and degree level apply.

Medical, Law and Engineering Degrees

Medical degrees take longer than other bachelor's programs and include clinical training. An evaluation states their U.S. equivalent for immigration or employment, but practicing medicine in the U.S. requires ECFMG certification and the USMLE exams. Law and engineering degrees are evaluated like other degrees at the same level, while bar admission and engineering licenses depend on each state's board, which often asks for a course-by-course report.

Transcripts, GPA and the Type of Evaluation You Need

A complete diploma package includes the main certificate and a detailed supplement. The supplement lists subjects, credits or hours, grades, state exams and thesis results. If you did not finish a program, the academic transcript (академическая справка) takes its place.

A general (document-by-document) evaluation states the U.S. equivalent of each credential and is usually enough for USCIS and most employers. A course-by-course evaluation lists every course with U.S. credits, grades and a GPA, which universities, fellowship programs and licensing boards often ask for.

Some universities and licensing boards accept only reports from members of NACES or AICE, and MotaWord is not a member of either association, so check the recipient's instructions before you order.

Certified Kazakh Translation of Academic Documents

Kazakh records come in Kazakh, Russian or both, and every page needs a complete English translation for U.S. review. That includes all subjects, grades, credit hours, thesis titles and state exams. If a seal, the back of a page or a handwritten note appears on the original, it appears in the translation. See how we translate diplomas.

Translation also involves transliteration: how your name appears in Latin letters. Your name must appear the same way on your passport, test registrations, diploma translation and evaluation, because even a one-letter difference can trigger identity questions. A defined transliteration standard helps, but your passport spelling comes first. Learn how to make the names on your translation match your passport.

Common Terms in Kazakh Academic Translation

Small wording choices change how a reviewer reads your academic level. Translating "specialty" literally instead of "major", for example, can confuse an admissions officer. The table shows common terms and their standard English renderings.

A certified translation carries a signed statement that it is complete and accurate. Certified translation costs $24.50 per page for most languages and $36.50 per page for Asian languages, with delivery in as little as 12 hours and free digital notarization. Get your certified translation for USCIS and university admissions. Your instant quote shows the exact price for your Kazakh or Russian documents.

Preparing Bolashak and Fellowship Documents

Bolashak scholars and fellowship applicants should prepare the full document set before ordering:

• Your diploma and its supplement, including the grading legend and the backs of pages
• Research abstracts and publication pages, if research is part of the application
• A clear copy of your passport ID page, so names match
• Your school attestat, if the program asks for it

Scan everything in color at 300 DPI so the small text on seals is readable. Choose one spelling for your name and use it on every form. Build in time for the evaluation after the translation, and keep a digital copy of the certified set: you can reuse it for later applications and immigration steps.

Research materials need the same care. Journal titles, author order, DOI numbers and grant acknowledgments must stay exact, and an abstract should keep the claims and methods of the original without overstating or softening them.

USCIS and Visa Requirements

USCIS asks for a certified English translation of every foreign-language document. Petitions for H-1B, EB-2 and many green card categories also need an evaluation that states the U.S. equivalent of the degree. See how our education evaluation for H-1B visas works. MotaWord's evaluations follow the standard of the USCIS Policy Manual: credible, logical and well documented, and the officer makes the final decision.

Many requests for evidence on foreign degrees come from unclear equivalency or missing documents. Read about common RFEs on foreign academic credentials.

If your file includes court or civil records, see how we translate legal documents. The same certification applies to every page.

How MotaWord Evaluates Your Kazakh Credentials

1. Upload: Upload your diploma, supplement and any translations on the quote page. If your documents are in Kazakh or Russian, the system detects it and you can add certified translation to the same order.
2. Document Check: Our team checks that every page is readable and complete, and asks you if something is missing.
3. Evaluation: An evaluator reviews your institution, program length and coursework and writes the U.S. equivalent of each credential.
4. Download: Your report appears in your MotaWord client dashboard, together with your invoices.

A standard evaluation costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours. Same-day delivery costs $115 when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday. A course-by-course evaluation costs $120, or $200 for same-day delivery. If you already have a professional translation, we can use it for your evaluation. See everything you can do in your MotaWord client dashboard. Live chat is available 24/7 for support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Kazakh bachelor's degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree? Usually yes. A four-year bachelor's degree from a recognized university in Kazakhstan is generally evaluated as a U.S. bachelor's degree in a similar field.

Why is certified translation needed for fellowships? U.S. universities and programs rely on standardized document review. A certified translation confirms that the record is complete and accurate, which prevents delays caused by missing grading legends or unclear degree titles.

Which documents do Bolashak scholars need? Usually the diploma, the supplement or transcript, and the grading scale legend. Some programs also ask for research publications or proof of enrollment, and your passport ID page helps keep names consistent.

Does my Kazakh diploma need a certified translation for an evaluation? Yes, if it is not in English. You can add certified translation at the quote stage of your evaluation order.

Can MotaWord evaluate older Soviet-era diplomas from Kazakhstan? Yes. Specialist and Kandidat Nauk diplomas are evaluated on the program length, the supplement and the institution.

What are common research translation mistakes? Literal translations of departments or fields that distort the meaning, and changing terms or author names across papers. Inconsistent journal titles can raise questions about your research history.

Your studies in Kazakhstan can count fully in the U.S. once a reviewer can read and compare them. Get your Kazakh degree evaluated with MotaWord academic evaluation services, with live chat available 24/7.

Victor Delgadillo - SEO Specialist at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Victor Delgadillo, SEO Specialist at MotaWord, drawing on the team's experience with Kazakh diplomas, transcripts and academic evaluations. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified and a corporate member of the ATA and ITI, providing academic evaluations and certified translations in 120+ languages. See our certified Kazakh translation services →