Understanding ACE Digital Credentials

If you’ve received either a Joint Services Transcript (JST) or an ACE Transcript from a student, you can find all the information you need to grant credit for the experiences it documents here. Details about the courses and occupations on official military transcripts are cataloged in the ACE Military Guide. Visit the ACE National Guide for corporate training, certification, exams, and alternative educational programs.

Understanding ACE Official Transcripts

The ACE Official Transcript, provided through digital credential leaders Credly and Accredible, includes credit recommendations and competencies that learners have earned through workplace training, exams, certifications, and alternative educational experiences. It is designed to help colleges grant transfer credit for college-level learning that happens outside of accredited colleges and universities.

The transcript includes:

The name of the course and provider
The ACE course number
Course description
Credit recommendation, including the number of semester hours, educational level, and subject area
Competencies that students master through the course
ACE Transcript Legend as a footer or appendix. This section outlines credit recommendation details and confirms the documents official status. The ACE logo and seal are prominently displayed to signify authenticity.

The transcript may also include prior learning experiences not evaluated by American Council on Education Learning Evaluations.

For additional information about course structure, grading standards, assessment, learning outcomes, and more, look up the provider and course in the ACE National Guide.

ACE Transcripts Provided by Credly

ACE has partnered with Credly by Pearson (“Credly”) to issue verifiable digital transcripts and badges through its secure credentialing platform. The below information will help colleges and universities become familiar with the official ACE transcript issued by Credly.

How You Will Receive the Credly Transcript

ACE transcripts issued by Credly are delivered through a secure digital platform, which protects the content from being changed by learners. Learners utilize the “Send Transcript” function to share their transcript by entering the recipient’s name, email, and institution name along with an optional message. Transcripts and badges cannot be edited by the learner.

Please note: Login is required to access the transcript provided by Credly. College and University staff must create or have an active Credly account to receive transcripts.

Transcripts are sent from admin@credly.com on behalf of the learner. The email will clearly state the learners’ name and indicate that an official transcript has been shared.

How to Process the Credly Transcript

1. Open the transcript using the secure link embedded in the email from admin@credly.com

2. View the transcript opened in a separate browser. It features a clean, easy-to-read layout that includes:

Header: Featuring Pearson-Credly logo, ACE logo, official transcript title, and transcript issued date
Issued For: Learner’s name, Credly account ID, date of birth (optional), Credly account digital wallet profile URL, and email address
Credential Summary: A list of verified credentials issued to the learner, issuing organization, date of issue (and expiration if applicable), a brief description, and ACE credit recommendations (where applicable)
ACE Credit Recommendation: A link to the ACE National Guide description of the program, including active term dates, ACE course number, and total credits

3. Download a PDF copy for institutional records.

Transcript Details

ACE transcripts issued by Credly contain clickable links for additional information and details.

Unique Badge Descriptions

View additional details about the original badge issued to the learner by clicking on the “Badge Title” link; these details contain unique information about the learner’s experience including any evidence provided by the issuing organization on behalf of the learner.

ACE Credit Recommendations

ACE credit recommendations will be listed on the transcript under “Credit Recommendation.” View additional details by following the “American Council on Education” links to visit each entry in the ACE National Guide.

ACE Transcripts Provided by Accredible

ACE has partnered with Accredible to issue verifiable digital transcripts and badges through its secure credentialing platform. The below information will help colleges and universities become familiar with the official ACE transcript issued by Accredible.

How You Will Receive the Accredible Transcript

ACE transcripts issued by Accredible are hosted on a secure digital platform. Learners will typically share their transcript by sending your institution a secure link via email.

The email will:

Clearly state the learner’s name and your institution
Include a unique, secure link to view the transcript
Confirm that the learner cannot modify the transcript
Indicate that the transcript is official and securely issued by Accredible

No login is required to access the transcript, and you can download a PDF for your records if needed.

How To Process the Accredible Transcript

Use this quick reference checklist to process an ACE transcript by Accredible.

Open the transcript using the secure link shared by the learner (typically via email)
Review credential details, including course titles, issuing organizations, and completion dates
Confirm ACE endorsements by following the links to each entry in the ACE National Guide
View the original digital credential for additional context, such as learning outcomes or skills (when available)
Download a PDF copy for institutional records, if needed
Confirm authenticity by reviewing the secure transcript link and issuance details

Transcript Appearance

When you click the secure link in the email, the transcript opens in your browser. It features a clean, easy-to-read layout that includes:

Header: Accredible logo, official transcript title, issue date, and unique identifier
Issued for: Learner’s name, student ID (if available), date of birth (optional), application number (optional), and email
Credential Summary: A high-level list of completed courses or experiences
Download Option: PDF version available for institutional records

Transcripts are tamper-evident and securely issued by Accredible, ensuring content integrity and preventing learner modification.

ACE Credit Recommendations

Each credential listed in the transcript includes detailed information to support credit evaluation, such as:

Course or experience title and completion date
Issuing organization (e.g., employer, training provider)
Active ACE credit recommendation
A direct link to the corresponding ACE National Guide entry for additional details and verification
A direct link to the original digital credential, which includes additional metadata such as skills, learning outcomes, and evidence

These linked credentials provide a more complete picture of the learning experience and help institutions make informed decisions about credit acceptance.

Official Military Transcripts

ACE provides quality assurance and policy guidance for the JST used by the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. Colleges and universities recognize these transcripts as official documentation of military training and experiences and applicable ACE credit recommendations. ACE recommendations, and the military training and occupation exhibits they are based upon, are catalogued in the ACE Military Guide.

Military Transcript Examples

Download PDF examples of sample military transcripts below. Files range between 100 and 300 KB in size.

Additional Resources

ACE Military Guide

Upload a JST to the ACE Military Guide to explore military training and occupations carrying ACE recommendations. Colleges and universities can sign up for an institutional account to gain access to enhanced data and workflows. Visit Military Guide

Awarding Credit for Military Learning Microcourse

Enhance your skills with the Awarding Credit for Military Learning training program designed to help collges and universities effectively manage military credit for prior learning. Sign up for a free Engage account to get started.

Visit Microcourse