Are you thinking about taking the online exam but worried about possible technical glitches or complicated software? The certification pages on ATA’s website contain a wealth of information about all aspects of the exam, and once you register for the exam you’ll receive further details to guide you through the process. All that information may be overwhelming, though, so I’ll attempt to give you a succinct overview.
Exam Basics
As has been widely disseminated, ATA’s certification exam lasts three hours and features three carefully selected passages on general topics. Passages are 225-275 words in English, or the equivalent length in other languages. You choose two of the three passages to translate for grading,1 and you may use any printed references you have available and resources such as glossaries stored on your computer, plus a set of approved online resources, commonly known as the Allow List (more about that later). The exam tests three skills: 1) comprehension of the source language, 2) translation (message transfer) techniques, and 3) writing in the target language. This basic description applies to both the in-person and online exam.
The in-person exam, as the name suggests, involves going to a physical location on a previously scheduled date, bringing along your laptop and any printed references you wish to use, and completing your translation in the presence of one or more proctors in a room with other exam candidates. The online exam, in contrast, is designed to be administered on demand, so you can take it in your home or office on your own laptop or desktop, in familiar surroundings with all your favorite dictionaries and glossaries. There are some important limitations you should know about, though.
The online exam is currently administered by ATA’s vendor, ExamRoom.AI (note that vendors are subject to change). After your initial contact with ATA to register and pay the corresponding fee, you’ll be directed to contact ExamRoom.AI within 30 days. After communicating with ExamRoom.AI, you’ll receive two emails: one that provides your login credentials and information on how to schedule a time and date for your exam, and a second one to confirm the exam date and the time when you’ll log in for onboarding. Included in the information from ExamRoom.AI is a link to both a visual walkthrough and a tour of the exam, as well as specifications about internet speed and browsers, all of which are critical in preparing yourself thoroughly for the experience.
Onboarding
Before exam day, you’ll be required to download an app called 360 that will show the online proctor your surroundings while you’re taking the exam to make sure no one else is in the room and you don’t have prohibited devices. Unlike the in-person exam, the online exam requires more than just a laptop. You must have a camera in your computer and a mobile device (smartphone or tablet) with a second camera. On the designated day, you will log in 15 minutes before the start time so that the onboarding agent can verify your identity and make sure you meet all the technical specifications.
Then you’ll be connected with a proctor to begin the exam. If any problem arises during the session, such as a power outage or a lost internet connection, any translation you’ve already completed will be saved so that when you log in again, the session can be resumed where you left off. When you’re online, you can communicate with the proctor at any time to address concerns you may have (or to take a bathroom break, for example). The entire session is recorded, so if any issues arise about testing conditions, you can request that the recording be reviewed.
Online vs. In-person
At an in-person exam sitting, the source passages are provided on paper and must be returned at the end of the session. For the online exam, the source passages appear on the screen and you enter your translation in the space provided. In both exam formats, you’re prohibited from copying any part of the source passage, and you don’t have access to spell-check. You should also know that the program used for the online exam disables the cut-and-paste and highlighting functions, which translators often use in their daily work. When you prepare for the exam, it’s a good idea to practice translating without using those features. You’re also responsible for having the keyboard you need for entering text in your target language, as ASCII codes will not work for accents or special characters.
In both the in-person and online exams, the references you’re allowed to use are as described, but when you take the exam through ExamRoom.AI, any links on one of the allowed websites are disabled. Thus, if you do a Google search for a term, you may see all the “hits” that appear on the search page, but if you try to click on any of those links they will be blocked. Another difference with the online exam is that you may not use your mouse to navigate within your translation; only the arrow keys are allowed for that purpose.
These are just a few aspects of the online exam you should consider prior to your session. Be sure to read in detail all the information you receive from ATA’s Certification Program and ExamRoom.AI.
Preparation Is Key
The online exam is a great convenience for exam candidates who can’t travel to in-person sittings, but it’s important to know exactly what will be expected and to prepare under the same conditions you’ll face on exam day. As always, it’s important to carefully review all relevant exam details on ATA’s website and in past ATA Chronicle articles2 so you won’t encounter any unpleasant surprises on exam day.
Notes
- If a candidate translates all three passages, only the first two, in order of appearance, will be graded.
- For example, “The Certification Toolbox: Get Ready!” “The Certification Exam: In Demand and On Demand!” “Peer Reviewed: Collaborative Preparation for the Certification Exam,” “Practical Tips for Taking ATA’s Certification Exam Online,” and “The What and Why of Certification Exam Conditions.”
About the Author
Holly Mikkelson, CT, is professor emerita of translation and interpreting at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She is a federally certified court interpreter and an ATA-certified Spanish<>English translator with four decades of professional experience. She has taught classes and workshops all over the world. She has written many articles and books on various aspects of interpreting and is the author of the Acebo training manuals for court and medical interpreters. She serves as deputy chair of ATA’s Certification Committee. hmikkelson@gmail.com