For the Headmaster

What is International Education Society (IES)?

IES is a certification company founded in 1997. It is registered in London and its client centre and management have their seat in Brno, Czech Republic. IES specializes in assessment and certification of all types of educational institutions, educational programmes and lecturers on an international scale. The certification includes colleges, universities and their faculties, higher vocational educational institution, secondary educational institutions, elementary schools, language schools, educational agencies and the educational departments of commercial and non-commercial organizations

What importance does the certification have for us?

1. You will enable your students to acquire an international certificate and thus improve their position on the labour market
2. You will rank among certified European institutions, raise your international credit, keep ahead of your competitors and draw the public attention to the merits of your school 

What is International IES Certificate?

The international certificate is a document which can be awarded only to a graduate from a certified school. As standard, they are issued both in English and in the official language of each country. Upon request, the certificate is also available in other world languages. The certificate contains the identification data of the holder, completed educational programme, name and address of the school and a certification grade including the rating of the attended school. The certificate is printed on gloss paper, it contains necessary protective elements and a seal with golden embossing and is inserted in a hard polished cover. A specimen certificate and all its translations into world languages can be found on this site under the link Certificate.

Why is our document on completed education not sufficient for our students?

Because your document provides information about what the student has studied and his/her results. An International IES Certificate provides information about the standard of your school. Your graduates will obtain complete information for their prospective employers, which may give them an advantage in comparison with other candidates for a particular position.

How is the certification process conducted?

The institution is always certified as a whole (in the case of universities individual faculties) and its educational programmes (branches, specializations) are certified separately. It is not necessary to certify all faculties or educational programmes. After signing the contract of co-operation, the school will receive certification materials. These materials are specified on this website under the link 5 steps. The certification is conducted on the basis of written materials and photographic documentation. A visit of IES representatives to the certified institutions is not usual but possible. After the end of the certification proceedings, the certified institution will receive a written report with the rating awarded. The certification process takes approximately 3 months from the signature of the contract. The school needs 6-8 weeks out of this period for the preparation of materials and IES will complete the certification within 1 month from receiving these documents.

How expensive is the certification of a school?

The prices are set to be acceptable even for minor educational institutions. The current prices are specified on this website under the link Price list. A fee is always charged for the certification of an educational institution. We usually do not charge the fee for the certification of educational programmes as certification is free up to 10 programmes. A monthly administrative fee is always charged for the entire period of co-operation. The monthly administrative fee is the same for all institutions, irrespective of the number of certified educational programmes. In the case of universities, the monthly administrative fee is paid separately for each

What publicity and information materials will the school receive after certification?

Each certified institution will receive an IES logo and a graphic certification symbol, together with a manual for certification presentation. They will certainly receive an institution certificate (A3 size), an IES pennant and will choose one of the information panels (A1 size). The school can also order other publicity materials, e.g. a marble slab to be placed on the building or a flag on a flagpole.

When will the school start paying the monthly administrative fee?

After the end of the certification process.

How are the fees charged?

All the fees are settled on the basis of a regular invoice. For Czech and Slovak institutions, invoices are made out in CZK (Czech Crowns) and prices in EUR are converted by the current exchange rate of CNB (Czech National Bank). Administration fees are charged within the selected period (every three months, every six months or yearly).

Who prints IES certificates for the graduates?

The certificates are printed by IES on the basis of the order from the certified institution. Certificates are sent en bloc to the certified institution. The certificate can never be ordered by the graduate himself/herself, the order must always be sent by the school.

Who pays for certificates for graduates?

The certificates are often paid for by the graduates themselves, but some schools provide financial contributions for their students’ certificates through foundations, motivation programmes etc. Some schools establish funds in which the students save during their studies. Language schools and educational agencies usually include the cost of International IES Certificate automatically in the school or course fees.

How long will it take to receive the ordered certificates?

We are able to provide the certificates even before the graduation. This depends on the flexibility of your institution. IES makes out an invoice immediately receiving an order. After payment of the invoice, certificates are sent off within 48 hours.

How long is the certification valid for?

The validity of the certification is unlimited. The rating of certified institutions is checked every year by an updating questionnaire. If the monitored data are without major fluctuations during the first 3 years, we change to a 2-year checking period.

Do International IES certificates have international validity?

During the course of their existence, International IES Certificates have attained an important position. Although they do not replace recognition documents, according to their holders, the certificates are required and accepted on the labour market. The reason for their acceptance is that they are understandable worldwide, as they are issued both in English and in the official language of each country. Furthermore, the certificate is also available in other world languages.

The International IES Certificates, which have been issued since 1997, are intended especially for representatives of the economic sphere. Every year we issue several thousands of these certificates and it is very difficult to trace where they were used. We know from individual phone calls that they have come into the hands of employers in all developed European countries, USA, Australia and Asia.

IES sends information about the certification and international certificates to several institutions. You can find a list of the institutions which have received this information under the link Recognition of certificates

Can every student obtain the certificate?

Yes, the only IES condition is completion of studies (excellent school results are not the only qualifications for success in practice). Some schools give the certificate to their best students free of charge and pay it from their funds (associations, funds etc.). It depends on the policy of the school as to what criteria it chooses for obtaining the certificate.

Is there a database of certified schools ?

Yes, on this website under the link Certified institutions, where you can search for the certified institutions according to country.

For students

How can I find out whether my school is certified?

The fastest way is on this website under the link Certified institutions. Alternatively you may pass an IES information panel in the corridor or there may be an IES marble slab next to the entrance to the school or a large blue IES flag fluttering in front of the school building.

What is International IES Certificate?

You can find detailed information in FAQ;for headmasters. Plainly speaking, it is a document which can help find you a job. Each document also increases your chance of success.

What is IES certificate for?

If you enclose it to your school report or diploma and show it to the employer or to somebody at a higher type of school, you may succeed in finding a job or being enrolled at the school. It is worth trying as there is a considerable chance.

Where can I use IES certificate?

In your country or abroad, in a state or private institution or company, or possibly at the entrance exam to a higher type of school (no guarantee provided here :-))

How long is the certificate valid?

The validity of the certificate is not limited, so it can be also used in 5, 10 or more years’ time. The certificate can serve you well for the whole of your productive age.

What does IES certificate look like? What does it contain?

There is the name and date of birth of the holder, name of the school and of the completed study programme. Very important information is the rating, which is in fact a mark given to the certified school by IES. The certificate is printed on gloss paper, it contains the necessary protective elements and a seal with golden embossing, and is inserted in a hard polished cover.

What is the fee for IES certificate?

You have to ask at your school, because your certificate must be ordered there. Some schools give it to excellent students free of charge.

What are the conditions for obtaining the certificate?

These are set by the school. In some institutions it is awarded only to the best students, in others it can be given to any student who is interested, depending on the policy of the school. For IES, the only condition is the successful completion of a course of study. IES does not conduct any examinations.

How and where can I order the certificate?

If your school is certified, you will certainly be informed in time. The certificate cannot be ordered directly from IES, it must be always ordered via the school.

Will I receive the certificate only in English?

You will receive it automatically in English, as well as in the official language. We also issue sets of certificates containing translations into other languages. A specimen certificate and all its translations into world languages can be found on this website under the link The international certificate.

I did not manage to order the certificate in time. What should I do?

You will have to contact your school and ask for the certificate. The school will order it from IES and have it sent directly to your address, or the school will send it to you or ask you to collect it at the school.

Is there an on-line list of IES certificate holders?

Yes, on this website under the link issued-certificates. If you have an International IES Certificate, you can type your surname and you will certainly find yourself. This is a benefit for employers, who can check the authenticity of the certificate immediately.