ATA Certification Program
Certification Exam
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the most common avoidable mistake?
A: Careless omissions. When you finish a passage, take a minute to check whether you have omitted a title, a heading, an item in a bullet list, a sentence, or an entire paragraph.
Q: Can I take more than one test at a sitting?
A: You may only take one test at an exam sitting.
Q: Do I need to bring a calculator to convert measures, distances, money, and the like?
A: You are not expected to make these mathematical conversions. You will not be penalized if you convert correctly, but you will if the conversion is wrong.
Q: Can I break a long, complicated sentence into two or more shorter ones?
A: Yes, provided nothing is added or omitted to change the meaning. Be cautious about this in a legal passage.
Q: What should I do if I find an error in the source text?
A: If you find a typographical error, please tell us in a note at the end of your translation of that passage. (Don’t just write it on the exam passage itself—it might not be noticed.)
If it’s clear from the context what the correct spelling or wording should be, adjust your translation accordingly.
Example: Brot un Butter instead of Brot und Butter (don’t translate as bread an butter).
If the error is debatable, do the best you can with what’s there. Example: If you think odd style should really be old style, translate odd style and add a note suggesting that there’s a typo. If you translate old style and you’re wrong about the typo, an error will be marked.
Q: When will I find out whether I passed or failed?
A: Allow at least fifteen weeks. There are periods of the year with a high concentration of exam sittings and the waiting period may increase.
Q: Why does it take so long?
A: The exams are sent to ATA Headquarters and photocopied, then mailed to two graders (working translators in the United States and abroad who receive an honorarium for their services to this ATA program). If these graders disagree on the pass/fail outcome of an exam, they consult each other to seek agreement. If they cannot reach agreement, the exam is sent to a third grader, who in turn may consult with the initial graders or other graders in the workgroup. These steps can add substantial time to the grading process. After the graded exams are returned to Headquarters, the results are recorded and you are notified by mail.
Q: Does the grader know who I am?
A: No.
Q: When will I get my exam back to see my errors?
A: The exam is a no-comment, no-return exam. You will be notified only whether you pass or fail.
Q: Is there any way to see my exam and the marked errors?
A: If you pass, you will not see your exam. If you fail, the Certification Review process allows you to see your exam and the marked errors.
Q: How do I apply for a review?
A: The review process, like all other components of the Certification Program is only open to current members of ATA. You must remain a member of ATA in order to apply for an examination review. You have a year from the date that you take your exam to pay a fee of $100 and apply for a review, but the review will not take place until new exam passages are issued at the following annual conference. The policy and request forms are available on the ATA Web site and from our offices.
If you apply for a review during the same exam year in which you took the exam, your test should be sent to a grader in January of the following year. If you apply for a review after January, reviews will be batched and completed periodically.
Q: How does the review procedure work?
A: Your record is scrutinized at Headquarters for possible processing errors and to make sure you are a current member of ATA. Photocopies of the graded passages are then sent to a reviewer, who evaluates the errors to determine whether they conform to the grading criteria. The reviewer also grades the exam again.
In the case of a reversal, the review fee paid is refunded, and you receive a certificate of certification, dated as of the original notice of failure. Your name is published in the ATA Chronicle with the names of other recently certified members. No disclosure is made of the fact that certification was awarded based on a review. You will not see your exam.
If the reviewer upholds the grade of “fail,” you will receive copies of one or both passages with at least the minimum number of errors marked to substantiate the result, along with the source text. You may not appeal the outcome of the review procedure.
If you are interested in taking the review mainly to discover your errors and avoid them for a future exam sitting, you may receive more benefit from waiting until the new exam year begins and taking the failed passages as practice test passages. A review does not necessarily identify all errors.
Q: Why can’t ATA schedule the exam in my hometown?
A: ATA only schedules the exams given at the annual conference. Other exams are scheduled by local groups and chapters, by agencies, or by translators who combine their efforts to schedule a sitting. If an affordable site is available and an certified ATA member is willing to serve as proctor, an exam sitting can be held for a small group of candidates. Contact Headquarters or visit the ATA Web site for more information.
Q: How does a person become a grader for the ATA certification program?
A: Graders are selected from among ATA members who are certified in the language combination they will grade. Some are translators who performed especially well on the examination; others are recommended by current graders, or express an interest to the program administrator at ATA Headquarters. As part of the selection process, potential graders are asked to grade a previously marked exam, which is then reviewed to determine that the grading conforms to the established grading guidelines.
Being a grader also requires special talents. Not all good translators make good graders. Grading requires a mix of translation skill and knowledge in the source language and the target language, flexibility, creativity, an open mind and a commitment to ATA and the profession.
We are looking for a few good graders to join some of our grading workgroups. The invitation is open to anyone who is currently certified by ATA. Graders are paid a stipend, but it does not begin to match a translator’s salary. Please contact Headquarters for more information.
Q: Why can’t we use computers for the exam?
A: The primary reason is a combination of practicality and fairness. With exam sittings held all over the country, and increasingly around the world, it would be a logistical nightmare for the certification program to provide appropriate computers for all exam candidates. Allowing some candidates to use laptops would give them an advantage over candidates who don’t.
Finally, if any candidates used computers, the issue of exam security would require the certification program to change passages much more often. Because passage selection and preparation is both difficult and time-consuming, it’s possible that the quality of the passages would suffer.
However, the Certification Committee is looking to the future and investigating ways to overcome these obstacles.
Q: How often are the exam passages changed?
A: So that candidates who fail can take the exam again, new passages are introduced each year at the ATA Conference. In addition, passages may be modified or new passages introduced at any time during the exam year. Because passages may be used again, candidates are bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss or reveal the contents of the examination. Violation of this agreement may be grounds for loss of certification.
Q: I’m a well respected medical [legal, technical] translator, but I can’t seem to pass the certification exam. Why not?
A: The only way to be sure of the reasons you failed is to apply for review. If you don’t want to do that, another option is to take a practice test, which will give you some feedback on the types of errors you may be making. Keep in mind that candidates frequently do well in one passage category, but not in another. The exam is not directed to one particular specialty area.
Q: I have X years of experience as a translator already. Is there any value to practice tests for me?
A: Again, the practice test is a way for you to see what a certification passage is like, how it is graded, and what types of pitfalls to avoid when taking the exam.
Q: How does the practice test program work?
A: Practice tests are exam passages from previous years, graded by the same people who grade the exams. Your practice test will be returned with any errors marked and explained.
Q: Which of the three passages is used for the practice test?
A: You can request a practice test in any of the three passage categories. If you do not specify, a general passage will be sent. Each practice test costs $40, and you can request as many as three.
Q: How will certification help me? Will it guarantee me a job?
A: ATA certification will not guarantee you work, but it can help. While there are other ways to prove yourself in the marketplace, translation agencies, bureaus and clients often look for certification as an initial criterion when hiring a translator. ATA certification is the only widely recognized measure of competence in translation.
