ATA is excited to offer our certification exam online to complement our traditional in-person format. For the first time, members are now able to take the exam from anywhere in the world without having to travel to a live sitting!
How Does the New Format Work?
We’ve partnered with ExamRoom.AI, a remote online proctoring company that works with associations, industry, and academia. Online exam sittings are scheduled twice per month from June to September this year (the schedule can be found at https://bit.ly/ATA-exam-schedule). All dates this year fall on a Wednesday during U.S. business hours so the staff at ATA Headquarters can be available to answer any last-minute questions. ExamRoom.AI has a website and phone number candidates can access any time, including during the exam should they encounter any difficulties.
When you register for the exam through ATA, you’ll receive a confirmation email and instructions from both ATA Headquarters and ExamRoom.AI. Be sure to read and save these emails so you have the proper login credentials at your fingertips on exam day.
Security
Online exam security is significant, through a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and live proctors. Candidates’ screens are recorded (archived for later review if needed) and the AI catalogs suspicious activity. The working environment is monitored through the 360 app, which candidates will need to download on a mobile phone or a tablet prior to exam day. The device where the app is downloaded will need to be placed on a table or chair behind the test taker. Finally, ATA proctors will view candidates and their screens remotely and can chat or speak live with candidates to warn them if they engage in prohibited behavior.
Taking the Exam
On exam day, you log onto the ExamRoom.AI website to be guided through a system check (the details are included in the instructions sent after registration) and onboarded by one of their agents. Onboarding includes verifying your identification and showing a scan of your surroundings.
Once the verification and onboarding process is complete, candidates are handed off to ExamRoom.AI and ATA proctors, who provide the final code used to access the exam passages and start the three-hour timer. As usual, you’ll have three passages from which to choose. Read through them and choose the two you want to translate. Type your work in the answer box on the screen. Your work is saved automatically, you can switch back and forth between the two passages, and you can always go back and revise what you’ve written as many times as you like. Candidates can feel secure knowing their work will not be lost, even if they get disconnected.
A count-down timer is displayed to show how much time remains. When you’re finished (or the time is up), you click on a button to end the test and then log out. Your exam is sent to ATA Headquarters electronically.
More Accessible than Ever!
Exam-related materials have been updated on our website to reflect the new online option. Most of the information remains the same—and there’s quite a bit of it—since the main change is how to access a sitting. If you’re thinking about becoming a certified translator, be sure to refer to the resources on ATA’s website as you prepare, whether you’re planning on an in-person or online sitting. The staff at ATA Headquarters and volunteers for the Certification Program have worked hard to make the exam more easily accessible to more of our members, so we hope you’re able to take advantage of the various options…and wish you good luck! Also, thanks for your understanding and patience as we get this new platform running optimally.
More on ATA’s Certification Exam
ATA Certification Website
www.atanet.org/certification
ATA Computerized Exam Online Resource List: What’s Permitted and What’s Not
http://bit.ly/ATA-exam-resources
Skills You Need before Taking ATA’s Certification Exam,”
http://bit.ly/extra-linguistic
Michèle Hansen, CT is chair of ATA’s Certification Committee. An ATA-certified French>English translator and editor since 1990, she specializes in the health-related international development, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors. She previously served as administrator of ATA’s French Language Division. michele@globalhealthlanguage.com