ATA’s certification exam is a rigorous test of professional-level translation skills, and with good reason. Despite the common misconception that being bilingual is enough to make you a translator, we practitioners know how difficult it is to become a proficient professional translator. The exam has a relatively low pass rate, averaging less than 20% over the years since its inception and across languages (compared to 80% for the bar exam in 2021, for example1). By far the largest number of candidates for the exam are in the Spanish<>English language pairs. For example, in 2022, of 251 exams in total, 148 were either Spanish>English or vice versa (just under 60%). The pass rate varies somewhat from one language pair to another, but English>Spanish and Spanish>English are not outliers. Why do so few people pass the exam? The reasons include:
- Underestimating the difficulty of translation.
- Inability to understand the source text.
- Insufficient writing skills in the target language.
- Lack of attention to detail.
- Inadequate transfer skills, leading to literal translations and excessive interference from the source language.
- Improper use of dictionaries.
- Poor time management.
- Failure to apply common sense and logic.
- Failure to follow the translation instructions.
To help prospective candidates remedy some of these shortcomings, the Spanish<>English grader workgroups have presented a series of exam preparation workshops at ATA Annual Conferences and regional gatherings in recent years. Attendance at these three-hour events is usually capped at 25, and many sessions have been even smaller. The presenters are veteran graders and teachers with many years of experience.
Before the Workshop
A few weeks prior to the workshop, registered participants are sent a practice test—a retired passage used in the exams in a previous year. (Note that these are not the same passages as those you would get if you ordered practice tests from ATA.) Participants are instructed to translate the text within the same time limit and resource restrictions as the exam itself and submit it to the instructors by a certain deadline. After grading all the translations according to the standards of the Certification Program, the presenters prepare the workshops based on the participants’ work.2 Each practice test is given detailed individual feedback on specific errors and successful solutions and is returned after the workshop.
During the Workshop
The workshop begins with an overview of the exam specifications, error categories and definitions, and grading standards using documents available on ATA’s website. This introduction is followed by a sentence-by-sentence review of the particular source text translated by the participants, which is the heart of the workshop. During this segment the instructors guide an interactive discussion of possible solutions to the translation challenges in the passage and an analysis of common errors. Participants are free to ask questions and provide peer feedback, and resources are recommended for researching terms within the constraints of the exam requirements.
Test-Taking Strategies
After analyzing the translation challenges presented by the source text and discussing the errors and successful solutions in participants’ translations, the instructors present some test-taking strategies that candidates can apply before and during the exam. Since the certification exam is offered online and with restricted access to the internet, it’s important to become familiar with the allowed resources and be aware of what is not permitted.3 Another important restriction is the three-hour time limit. The instructors suggest different time-management strategies that can help candidates allocate the time available in a productive way, according to their own translation abilities, strengths, and weak points. Practicing under exam-like conditions is essential for producing a high-quality translation. Issues related to test anxiety are also covered.
Tapping into the Experience of the Group
One of the advantages of these workshops is that most participants are willing to share their own relevant past experiences and strategies. Some of them have already tried (and failed) the exam and are able to clearly identify the reasons why they failed. These insights can be invaluable for the rest of the group. The instructors moderate the contributions to make sure that only sound advice is actually recommended.
Conclusion
The workshops have been well received, garnering feedback such as the following from participants: “The opportunity to submit a sample translation and have it graded by the presenters was something I couldn’t pass up.”; “Incredibly useful information. I have no doubt this will be the most valuable session I attend at [the conference].”; and “Very useful insight! I look forward to taking the exam!” We don’t have statistics on the pass rate of those who have taken these workshops (some don’t take the exam for some time afterwards because they realize they aren’t ready for it, and some never attempt it), but anecdotal evidence suggests that they are very effective. If you’re planning to take the exam in Spanish>English or vice versa in the near future and have an opportunity to take one of these workshops, don’t hesitate to sign up!
Notes
- Summary Bar Pass Data: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: 2021 and 2022 Bar Passage Questionnaire (American Bar Association).
- How ATA’s Certification Exam Is Graded.
- ATA Computerized Exam Online Resource List: What’s Permitted and What’s Not.
About the Authors
Diego Mansilla, CT teaches advanced courses in translation and is the director of the Online Spanish-English Translation Certificate program at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His areas of research are translation pedagogy, collaboration in translation, and online education. He is an ATA-certified English>Spanish translator with more than 20 years of experience. Diego.Mansilla@umb.edu
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