Certification Requirements

There are three steps to certification.

Step 1: Complete a Webinar Series and Orientation

As the first step in the certification process, candidates must register for and complete three webinars and a two-day orientation that will familiarize them with the Virginia Judicial System, courtroom protocol, the role of the interpreter, specific skills needed for the different modes of interpreting, and "do's and don'ts" of the job. The webinar consists of three one-hour-long sessions, which must be completed before the orientation. Each candidate will receive an electronic binder with information on how to access court-related glossaries and documents that will explain the court system and legal procedures. The training also includes an overview of self-study techniques, practice sessions, available resources, and suggestions on how to prepare for the oral certification exam.

Step 2: Pass a Written Test

The written test consists of 135 multiple-choice questions that are designed to measure basic, general English language proficiency, and court and ethics knowledge. Candidates must score a minimum of 80% on the written test in order to be eligible to register for the oral exam. The test is created by The National Center for State Courts and administered by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, in person at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover, VA.

Step 3: Complete the foreign language interpreter certification oral exam

Candidates must pass an oral exam, which tests proficiency in the 3 modes of interpretation:

Simultaneous interpretation from English to the foreign language;
Consecutive interpretation, English to the foreign language and the foreign language to English;
Sight translation of an English document into the foreign language; and vice versa

Candidates must score a minimum of 70% on each section in order to pass the oral exam. Additionally, a candidate may score no lower than 65% on either of the two sight translations portions. The test is created by The National Center for State Courts and administered by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, in person at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover, VA.

Candidates who successfully complete all three steps become certified in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Candidates must review and agree to adhere to the Code of Professional Responsibility for Foreign Language Interpreters Serving Virginia Courts. Candidates may view the Map of Virginia's Judicial Circuits and Districts to indicate the judicial circuit(s) where they would like to work.