State Certification

The Department for Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (DARS-BEI) provides testing for people seeking state certification. At ACC we provide training that enables our interpreting students to pass the Basic level certification test.

The test includes:

• Test of English proficiency
• Expressive Interpreting
• Expressive Transliterating
• Receptive Interpreting
• Sight Translation

State certification has just gone through several changes. Some important changes to consider include:

Conviction Record Checks - Effective September 1, 2006, DARS-BEI will begin obtaining criminal record checks on all applicants when an application for testing is received.

Education Requirements - Effective January 1, 2012, DARS-BEI will require individuals to possess an Associates degree to be eligible for certification testing

More information on state certification can be found here.

Testing for state and national certification is not provided by ACC

National Certification

National interpreter certification testing is a joint collaboration between the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

At the 2003 RID Conference in Chicago, the membership passed a motion which requires a degree in order to stand for future performance interview tests. It is important to note that these requirements are not immediate. In 2009, applicants who are hearing will be required to have a minimum of an associate’s degree in order to be considered a candidate for certification. This means that they can take written or knowledge tests without a degree, but must have the degree in order to apply for the interview and performance sections of any test.

Information on national certification can be found here.