Systems and methods are provided for implementing error identification and evaluation for a Reed-Solomon (RS) error-correction code (ECC) system. The BMA algorithm and/or list decoding may produce one or more error locator polynomials that are related to a decision-codeword. An accelerated Chien search can be used to more quickly evaluate the one or more error locator polynomial. If the accelerated Chien search identifies a valid error locator polynomial, a normal Chien search can be used to identify error locations, and Forney's algorithm or an equivalent technique can be used to evaluate the error values. A RS ECC decoder can include a computation circuit that evaluates an error locator polynomial or an error evaluator polynomial. The computation circuit can include computation components that receive the coefficients of the polynomials.