Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part IV: ATA’s Credentialed Interpreter (CI) Designation

November 5, 2025 | ATA Compass | | Client Assistance

ATA’s Language Services Directory has a Credentialed Interpreter (CI) designation to indicate ATA members who are also credentialed interpreters. This designation is discussed in more detail below. To find out more about interpreting, refer to the American Translators Association’s Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, a resource to help clients identify, select and work with interpreters.

Credentialed Interpreter (CI) Designation

The Credentialed Interpreter (CI) designation shown in ATA’s Language Services Directory recognizes interpreters who are credentialed by certain ATA-approved entities in fields such as medical, legal and conference interpreting.

Proven Competency

ATA members who hold a CI designation have demonstrated linguistic competence, oral proficiency and a commitment to continuous professional development.

Approved Entities

The CI designation is not a certification. Rather, the credentialed interpreter designation in ATA’s Language Services Directory acknowledges interpreters who are recognized by certain ATA-approved entities in fields such as medical legal conference interpreting.

Easy to Identify

ATA Credentialed Interpreters are clearly identified in the Language Services Directory.

Requirements for the CI Designation

Proficiency

Interpreters must demonstrate proficiency by:

passing an oral exam that tests performance skills in two or more modes of interpreting, with published assessment instruments, research methods, development and validation procedures and eligibility requirements, or
for conference interpreting, undergoing exacting peer review or testing through one of the organizations approved by ATA for the CI designation, or

passing a monolingual oral exam that tests performance skills in two or more modes of interpreting, with requirements similar to the above as well as a prerequisite minimum language proficiency requirement for the untested language.

The credential must be granted by:

A government agency, or
A non-profit professional association, or
A non-profit certification board or governing committee that meets specific criteria.

Additional ATA Resources

The ATA Compass Blog

ATA Media Kit

Press Releases

This is the fourth article in a series of articles introducing the American Translators Association’s Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, which was created to help those in need of interpreting services find the best provider for their project and work efficiently with the chosen interpreting provider. For the full guide, click here.

About the Authors

Eve Bodeux is an ATA-certified French to English translator specialized in tech marketing, commercial communications, marketing research and official documents. She is the Secretary of the American Translators Association and serves on the ATA Public Relations Committee.

Jamie Hartz is an ATA-certified Spanish to English translator and transcriber specialized in legal and commercial translations. She currently serves as the Chair of the ATA Public Relations Committee.