Court certified interpreters are given priority when courts and law firms hire interpreters for legal proceedings. Court interpreter certification is the best credential available for court and deposition interpretation.
The passing rate (for all languages) for court interpreter certification exams is about 5-15%. The test is challenging, but exactly how good are court certified interpreters? To answer this question, we have to first take a close look at the court interpreter certification exam itself. For simplicity reasons, we use Mandarin interpreters as an example.
Three steps to become a court certified interpreter
There are three steps to become a court certified interpreter. It usually takes one year or more of preparation. Most people fail at Step 3 – the oral exam.
1. Step 1: The written exam
The written exam is in English only. This covers legal terminology, legal procedure, ethics, and idioms. The full score for this step is 100%, and the passing score is 80%.
2. Step 2: The language proficiency interview (LPI)
This is a one-on-one telephonic interview. It is composed of two parts: one in English and the other in Mandarin. The rater converses with the applicant over the phone to gauge the applicant’s command of each language. The evaluation factors in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. The full score for this step is 12, and the passing score is 11.
3. Step 3: The oral exam
This is the last step and the most challenging one. It consists of three sessions: simultaneous interpretation (English to Mandarin only), consecutive interpretation (English to Mandarin, and Mandarin to English), and sight translation (English to Mandarin, and Mandarin to English). The full score is 100% for each of the three sessions. Interpreters need to score 70% or higher in EACH session in order to become court certified.
Not all court certified interpreters are the same
Unlike the American Translators Association (ATA), which does not release test scores to candidates who pass ATA certification exams, the court office in charge of certifications releases scores to candidates who have taken the interpreter certification exams.
The various components of the court interpreter certification exam test interpreters’ different skills and reflect their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, if you need Mandarin interpreters for simultaneous conference interpretation, look for interpreters who perform better at simultaneous interpretation. Conversely, if you need Mandarin interpreters for a deposition, look for interpreters who excel at consecutive interpretation.
For a detailed comparison of the skills needed for consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, read our blog: Skill Comparison: Consecutive vs. Simultaneous Interpretation.
Retain court certified interpreters for the right dialect
When retaining court-certified interpreters, make sure that the certification was obtained for the dialect you need. For example, if your client or witness speaks Mandarin, find court certified Mandarin interpreters, not court certified Cantonese interpreters.
For the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese, read our blog Spoken Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese?
