Why Should I Take a Practice Test?

By The ATA Chronicle | October 20, 2025

Over the many years I’ve been a grader, I’ve seen how incredibly useful exam preparation workshops and practice tests can be. I’ve also seen…

Why ATA Certification? Benefits of the Credential

By The ATA Chronicle | June 16, 2025

In an age of ever-advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation (MT), coupled with ever-increasing downward pressure on translators’ pay rates, it’s only natural…

Nuts and Bolts of the Online Exam

By The ATA Chronicle | April 28, 2025

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…

The Ideal Candidate

By The ATA Chronicle | March 4, 2025

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…

How Do Graders Address Regional Varieties? Part 2: Chinese

By The ATA Chronicle | October 23, 2024

In the July/August Certification Forum, I addressed the issue of languages with many regional varieties (i.e., Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and how graders…

How Do Graders Address Regional Varieties?

By The ATA Chronicle | August 25, 2024

Caron Bailey, our exceptionally capable Certification Program manager at ATA Headquarters, fields all kinds of questions from prospective exam candidates. One of the most…

Practice Test or Sneak Preview?

By The ATA Chronicle | June 23, 2024

In recent years, we in the Certification Program have repeatedly emphasized the value of the practice test as a way to prepare for the…

Who Are ATA’s Certification Graders?

By The ATA Chronicle | April 24, 2024

ATA Members-Only Content This content is an exclusive benefit for ATA members. If you are a current ATA member, log in for immediate access.…

How I Became a Member of the “ATA Class of 2023”

By The ATA Chronicle | March 5, 2024

I had been toying with the thought of becoming ATA-certified since I started translating full-time in 2010 and becoming an ATA member in 2011.…

The Knapp Review Three Years On: Upward and Onward!

By The ATA Chronicle | October 17, 2023

In early 2020, ATA’s Board engaged Knapp & Associates International, Inc., a firm specializing in certification and credentialing, to perform a review of the…

Keys to Success: Exam Preparation Workshops for Spanish<>English Translators

By The ATA Chronicle | March 30, 2023

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…

Improving Exam Accessibility

By The ATA Chronicle | February 12, 2023

As the April 1st beginning of the certification exam year draws near, it’s a good time to look at the progress we’ve made in…