The ATA Certification Examination

An Introduction

Jutta Diel-Dominique, Dipl.-Übers., CT

Jane E. Maier, MA, CT

INTRODUCTION TO THE ATA CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

What is the purpose of the ATA certification examination?

The ATA certification examination tests for professional translation skills. It is

designed to determine whether a candidate is able to produce a translation

that is professionally usable within the framework provided by the Translation

Instructions. The skills in question are defined by the positive answers to

four broad questions:

Does the translation demonstrate compliance with the specifications of the

Translation Instructions?

Does the translation demonstrate understanding of the overall content,

purpose, and argument of the examination passage?

Does the translation demonstrate competent familiarity with translation strategies of various kinds? Does the translation demonstrate good writing in the target language?

What is ATA Certification?

Program implemented in 1973

Over 2,000 ATA members are currently certified, many in more than one

language pair

A testament to a translator’s professional competence to translate from one

specific language to another

Awarded after a candidate meets the education and/or experience eligibility

requirements and passes an open-book examination which is administered

under controlled conditions

Available only to ATA members (soon to be non-members, as well)

Remains valid as long as membership in the Association continues and

continuing education requirement is met

Automatically converts membership from associate membership to active or

corresponding membership status (associate student membership needs to be

upgraded in order to claim the credential)

Taking the Examination

You may write the examination in capital letters, but if the words require accents

or other diacritical marks when they are in lower case, you must include them.

Also, if a word needs to be capitalized, you must so indicate by making the letter

in question larger or underlining it.

A “clean” final copy is not necessary. Deletions, inserted words, and other

revisions are acceptable as long as the translation is legible. It is your

responsibility to ensure that the graders can clearly understand what you write.

All original exam passages, your examination, and all other paper (used and

unused) must be returned in the sealed exam envelope. If you do not return all

three exam passages, your exam will not be graded and the exam fee will be

forfeited. Also, you will not be able to take another exam in that same language

combination for the rest of the exam year.

Time Considerations

You will have three hours to complete the exam. Plan to spend the first ten

minutes deciding which of the two elective passages you will translate in addition

to the mandatory general passage.

Don’t translate more than two passages. Only two will be graded.

If you change your mind in the course of the examination, be sure to X out the

passage you do not want to be graded.

Pace yourself so that you will have time to reread your translations for sense

and for accuracy.

What does the certification examination consist of?

An ATA certification examination offers the candidate three passages of about

225 to 275 words each (actual text for passages with English as a source

language and the English equivalent for passages with English as a target

language). Two of these passages must be translated. Passage A is required.

Candidates must choose either Passage B or Passage C (but not both).

Passage A must be translated. It is a general text that expresses a view, sets

forth an argument or presents a new idea. Examples: a newspaper editorial, an

essay, a non-fiction book.

Passage B may be technical, scientific or medical in content. It may be written

by an expert, but not for other experts in that field. Examples: a patient

education brochure, operating or installation instructions, an encyclopedia

article.

Passage C may be financial, political or legal in the broadest sense. It may be

written by an expert, but not for other experts in that field. Examples: a contract

or lease, a financial report, a government regulation.

How is the examination evaluated?

Graders of the ATA certification examination consistently endeavor to make their grading objective and uniform. In reviewing and grading examinations, they are guided largely by three documents:

● a Flowchart for Error Point Decisions that looks at how an error

affects the explicit meaning, understanding, usefulness, or content of

a translation;

● a Framework for Standardized Error Marking that specifies errors by type; and

● a Rubric for Grading which permits rather precise articulation of what is

inadequate in the translation.

● The ATA standard for a passing examination is a level of obvious competence

with some room for growth. Candidates can obtain an idea of what this means in

practical terms by consulting the ILR Skill Level Descriptions for Translation

Performance. A passing grade in the ATA examination is roughly equivalent to a

minimum of Level 3 as described in the ILR document.

Grading

All exams are sent to two grader who grade each exam independently. If graders

cannot agree on an outcome, the exam is sent to a third grader.

The exams are graded according to a point marking system. The grader identifies

errors by category, according to the long-established Framework for Standardized

Error Marking. The grader assigns 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 error points for each error. The

scale reflects experienced graders’ judgments about the relationship among different

types of errors and about what sorts of errors might be allowed in a translation that

meets ATA standards.

The maximum reportable score per passage is 45 error points. A grader may stop

marking errors when the score reaches 45 error points.

Tips for Candidates

Read both of the elective passages before you decide which to translate. Do the

dictionaries you brought cover the subject matter? Are there complicated

sentences that will take time to untangle?

When you finish a paragraph, read it over to yourself. Does it sound right, or

does it sound awkward and stilted? Will changing the word order make a

difference?

Working with a handwritten translation, instead of a word processor, may call for

a different way of thinking. For example, it’s not as easy to go back and insert

qualifiers in the right place. Think your sentences through before you write.

You will be graded on your ability to render the entire message of the original in

the target language, not on your ability to rewrite or improve upon it.

Carefully read the translation instructions at the top of each page and choose the

correct register (language level, degree of formality) based on the specified

target audience. The translation instructions set the context for the translation.

Failure to follow the instructions will be penalized when the translation is graded.

Observe the formatting of the original. If paragraphs are separated by a line, do

the same in the translation.

Alternative translations will be considered errors. It is up to you to select a

viable translation. The graders will not choose for you.

Unwieldy sentences can be broken into shorter ones, provided nothing is

added or omitted to change the meaning. Use particular caution in this regard

when translating legal passages.

Avoid regionalisms wherever possible, using instead more standard words.

Candidates are expected to use standard American spelling style and usage.

Pretend you are reading the passage aloud in the target language. Does it

sound both grammatically correct and natural? Following the syntax of the

source text too closely may be penalized if the resulting sentence is

unidiomatic/awkward in the target language.

It is especially dangerous to translate idiomatic expressions literally. Try to find

an equivalent expression in the target language. For example, in the phrase

“…hanging around the house,” “hanging around” conveys the idea that one is

relaxing, being lazy. Don’t omit an idiom just because you can’t find an exact

translation.

Use dictionaries judiciously, and be sure your word choices are correct in

context. If a dictionary offers more than one translation for a word, don’t

assume you can use any of them interchangeably. It sometimes helps to cross

check an unfamiliar term you have tentatively selected by looking it up in the

other direction.

If a word or phrase is not in your dictionaries, apply your translation skills.

Perhaps it is a compound whose parts are in the dictionary, a derivative of a

word that is listed, or a cognate you can look up in the target language. In other

cases you are expected to determine the meaning from the context and

determine the correct term/phrase in accordance with the translation

instructions. Texts selected as exam passages are modified to avoid obscure

terms, and you will be penalized if you simply note “not in the dictionary.”

Remember that you will be working without a spell checker. Consider bringing a

monolingual dictionary in your target language.

Pay attention to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Conventions vary from

one language to another, and failure to follow target-language rules can change

or obscure meaning.

Consider bringing a grammar and stylebook for your source target language.

You are not expected to make mathematical conversions of measures,

distances, money, and the like. You will not be penalized if you convert correctly,

but you will if the conversion is wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the examination come with instructions?

A: Yes. Each examination passage includes Translation Instructions that provide

information such as the source of the presented text and the purpose, audience, and

medium of the target text. You are instructed to produce your translation for the

specified purpose. The Translation Instructions may also specify that certain terms

should be left untranslated or that term "X" is to be translated as "Y." Graders will

penalize any failure to comply with the Translation Instructions.

Q: What are the most common avoidable mistakes?

A: Disregard for instructions and careless omissions. Before you begin

translating passage, carefully consider the translation instructions, which

specify a context and purpose for the translation. Inattention to these

instructions will be penalized.

When you finish translating a passage, take some time to check whether you

have omitted a title, a heading, an item in a bulleted list, a sentence or a

paragraph.

Q: Can I take more than one test at a sitting?

A: You may only take one test at an exam sitting.

Q: Can I break a long, complicated sentence into two or more shorter

ones?

A: Yes, provided nothing is added or omitted which results in changes in

meaning. Be cautious about this in a legal passage especially.

Q: What should I do if I find an error in the source text?

A: If you find a typographical error, please tell us in a note at the end of your

translation of that passage. (Don’t just write it on the exam passage itself — it might

not be noticed.)

If it’s clear from the context what the correct spelling or wording should be, adjust

your translation accordingly.

Example: “Brot un Butter” — “Brot und Butter”

(don’t translate as “bread an butter”).

If the error is debatable, do the best you can with what’s there.

Example: If you think “odd style” should really be “old style,” translate “odd style” and

add a note suggesting that there may be a typo. If you translate “old style” and

you’re wrong about the typo, an error will be marked.

Q: Do you accept British spelling, punctuation and usage ?

A: All candidates translating into English are expected to use standard American

spelling, punctuation and usage.

Q: What happens if I do not translate the mandatory general passage?

A: The exam will not be sent to graders. The ATA certification program staff will

assign a grade of Fail.

Q: What happens if I translate more than two passages?

A: If a candidate does not follow instructions and translates both elective

passages, the ATA certification program staff will arbitrarily select one of the two for

grading.

Q: When will I find out whether I passed or failed?

A: Allow fifteen weeks. There are periods of the year with a high concentration of

exam sittings and the waiting period may increase.

Q: Why does it take so long?

A: The exams are sent to ATA Headquarters and photocopied, then mailed to two

graders (working translators in the US and abroad who receive an honorarium for

their services to this program). If these graders disagree on the pass/fail outcome of

an exam, they consult with each other to seek agreement. If they cannot reach

agreement, the exam is sent to a third grader, who in turn may consult with initial

graders or other graders in the workgroup. These steps can add substantial time to

the grading process. After the graded exams are returned to Headquarters, the

results are recorded and you are notified by mail.

Q: Do the graders know who I am?

A: No.

Q: When will I get my exam back to see my errors?

A: The exam is a no-comment, no-return exam. You will be notified by mail only

whether you pass or fail and for fail you will be informed of the score range (18-25

points, 26-35 points, 36-45 points, or 46+ points).

Q: Is there any way to see my exam and the marked errors?

A: If you pass, you will not see your exam. If you fail, the Certification Review

process allows you to see your exam and the marked errors for an additional fee.

Q: How do I apply for a review?

A: The review process, like all other components of the Certification Program is

open only to current members of ATA. You must remain a member of ATA in order

to apply for an examination review. You have six months from the date of your

notification letter to pay the fee and apply for a review. Reviews are conducted at

the close of the examination year, which runs from January to December. The first

batch of reviews goes to reviewers in January, with subsequent batches going out

as needed. The policy and request forms are available on the ATA website and

from our offices.

Q: How does the review procedure work?

A:Your record is scrutinized at Headquarters for possible processing errors and to

make sure you are a current member of ATA. Photocopies of the graded passages

are then sent to a reviewer, who evaluates the errors to determine whether they

conform to the grading criteria. The reviewer also grades the exam again.

In the case of a reversal, the review fee paid is refunded, and you receive a

certificate of certification, dated as of the original notice of failure. Your name is

published in the ATA Chronicle with the names of other recently certified members.

No disclosure is made of the fact that certification was awarded based on a review.

You will not see your exam.

If the reviewer upholds the grade of Fail, you will receive copies of one or both

passages with at least the minimum number of errors marked to substantiate the

result, along with the source text.

Q: Do I need to bring a calculator to convert measures, distances, currencies, and the like?

A: Calculators, like other electronic equipment, are not permitted at the exam sitting. You are not expected to make these mathematical conversions. However, if you choose to make any such conversions, you will not be penalized if you convert correctly, but you will if the conversion is wrong.

Q: How often are the exam passages changed?

A: The passage rotation schedule depends upon several factors, such as demand for exams in the respective language pair and the number of fail results that have been reviewed or appealed. However, any candidate who fails the exam in a given calendar year is assured of having the opportunity to take the exam in the following calendar year with a different set of passages. Because passages may be used again, candidates are bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss or reveal the contents of the examination. Violation of this agreement may be grounds for loss of certification.

Q: I’m a well-respected medical [legal, technical] translator, but I can’t

seem to pass the certification exam. Why not?

A: The only way to be sure of the reasons you failed is to apply for review. If you

don’t want to do that, another option is to take a practice test, which will give you

some feedback on the types of errors you may be making. Keep in mind that

candidates frequently do well in one passage category, but not in another. The

exam is not directed to one particular specialty area.

Q: I have X years of experience as a translator already. Is there any value to

practice tests for me?

A: Again, the practice test is a way for you to see what a certification passage is

like, how it is graded, and what types of pitfalls to avoid when taking the exam.

Q: How does the practice test program work?

A: Practice tests are exam passages from previous years, graded by the same

people who grade the exams. Your practice test will be returned with any errors

marked and explained.

Q: Once I become certified, is the credential good indefinitely?

A: The certification testing program is considered a benefit of ATA membership. A

candidate does not have to be an ATA member in order to apply for a practice test

or sit for an examination.

The credential is also only available to members and is valid only as long as ATA

membership is maintained. Continuing education points must be accumulated and

reported every three years in order to maintain the credential. For additional

information about the continuing education program, go to the ATA website or

contact Headquarters.