As certification exam graders, we’re often asked by prospective candidates how they can tell if they’re ready to take the exam, or how they can prepare for it. The truth is, there isn’t a whole lot you can do to prepare specifically for the exam. The exam tests fundamental translation skills any proficient translator should possess, so anyone who has those skills is likely ready to take the exam.
Perhaps you’re not sure what those skills are. Additionally, there are a few other things beyond translation skills per se that can help improve a candidate’s chances of passing the exam. This column will cover all those things by describing the ideal exam candidate. Do not think of this ideal candidate profile as a minimum requirement for passing the exam; rather, use it as a sort of litmus test to help you gauge your readiness for the exam. The closer you are to this ideal candidate profile, the better your chances of passing the exam!
Let’s start with those fundamental translation skills that strike at the core of what the exam is all about. Broadly speaking, the translation process consists of four primary elements: comprehension of the source, meaning transfer, target-language form,
and adaptation.
Assuming the source text is well-written and legible, the ideal candidate is able to fully comprehend it—including connotations, nuances, and cultural references. After all, you can’t translate what you don’t understand. The ideal candidate doesn’t fall for false friends, which are pairs of words or phrases that on the surface look similar in the source and target languages but have different meanings. Importantly, the ideal candidate recognizes when they still haven’t achieved full comprehension—in other words, they know what they don’t (yet) know—and they have the right research skills to find the answers. This includes using authoritative and reliable resources and performing smart Google searches.
Next comes meaning transfer. The ideal candidate is able to extract the source text meaning, then step away from the words and convey that meaning idiomatically in the target language. The ideal candidate knows when a literal translation will work and when it won’t. The source text words are containers of meaning. With very few exceptions (like poetry), it doesn’t matter what the container looks like—what matters is the content. If the source text is a porcelain cup of lemonade, the target text should not be a porcelain cup of coffee, but it could be a plastic cup of lemonade. In other words, the source and target text need to convey the same content, even if they look different on the outside.
At the same time, the form of the target cup is not entirely irrelevant. It should not be chipped, cracked, or otherwise blemished; in other words, target-language form is important. The ideal candidate is able to produce a target text that is acceptable in terms of grammar, sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, word choice, coherence, flow, register, style, and tone. This means that the ideal candidate is a good writer in the target language, with the ability to effectively proofread and revise their work.
Finally, the ideal candidate is able to adapt their translation to the text type and genre, the purpose of the translation, and the needs of the target audience. On the ATA exam, the translation’s purpose and target audience are articulated in the Translation Instructions, which every candidate should carefully read and follow.
Beyond these fundamental translation skills, there are a few exam-specific strengths the ideal candidate comes with. First, the ideal candidate knows how the ATA exam is graded. ATA’s website contains a wealth of information about the exam, and specifically about how it’s graded—including error categories, the flowchart for error point decisions, and the Into-English Grading Standards (for exams into English). Having reviewed this information, the ideal candidate is mentally prepared for the exam they will be undergoing.
Second, the ideal candidate carefully reads and follows all exam instructions communicated via email and on the day of the exam so as to avoid unnecessary errors. The ideal candidate makes sure to ask questions about the instructions if anything is unclear, so they are optimally prepared to take the exam without undue stress, anxiety, or panic.
Third, the ideal candidate is able to successfully complete their two translations within the time limit. They are able to manage their time well and make fast decisions without compromising on quality. This may mean, for example, quickly deciding which two of the three passages to translate and starting out by reading through both passages, noting tricky words and phrases, and starting by researching those.
Finally, the ideal candidate is able to handle the exam’s word-level and sentence-level challenges, which are often specific to the target language. In preparing exam passages, ATA graders ensure that each one has a minimum number of each type of challenge. A word-level challenge may be a word that doesn’t have a straightforward equivalent in the target language or whose meaning is not readily apparent. A sentence-level challenge may be a syntactic structure that isn’t easy to parse or needs to be recast in the target language. The ideal candidate comes into the exam prepared to face these types of challenges.
In addition to fundamental translation skills and exam-specific strengths, the ideal candidate also has some grounding in translation theory. While it is not necessary to be a translation theory expert, even a modest degree of familiarity with translation theory can go a long way toward helping a candidate navigate a translation and make successful translation decisions.1
Finally, the ideal translation candidate has a solid amount of experience and/or training in translation. Even those with the greatest potential as translators are unlikely to pass the exam if they jump in cold and take the exam without (enough) experience or preparation. The ideal candidate isn’t necessarily a minimum age or at a certain stage of their translation career, but they do have the necessary experience and/or training. For many people, academic programs in translation can be an effective way to get the training they need.
Are you able to achieve full comprehension of the source text without falling for false friends? Can you recognize when you need to do more research, and do you have the right research skills to find the answers you need? Are you able to extract meaning and convey it idiomatically, whether literally or not literally, without being unduly influenced by the source-language words? Are you a good writer, proofreader, and reviser in the target language, and can you adapt your translation to the text type and the translation’s purpose and target audience? Do you know how the exam is graded, can you translate under the exam’s timed conditions, and are you prepared to face the exam’s word-level and sentence-level challenges? Do you have some grounding in translation theory and a solid amount of experience and/or training in translation? If your answer to most or all these questions is yes, then ATA certification may very well be in the cards for you!2
Notes
- If you’re looking for resources on translation theory, you may consider In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation by Mona Baker, Meaning-Based Translation: A Guide to Cross-Language Equivalence by Mildred Larson, and Routledge’s Thinking Translation series.
- For an additional indicator of your degree of preparedness, you can consider taking ATA’s practice test.
About the Author
Elias Shakkour is a grader for ATA’s English>Arabic and Arabic>English certification exams, the language chair for the English>Arabic exam, and co-deputy chair of ATA’s Certification Committee. e.shakkour@depaul.edu