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Michigan Court Interpreter Certification Test

The State Court Administrative Office offers certification testing to persons interested in becoming a non-English-language court interpreter. Currently, depending upon interest, we can offer tests in these languages:
  • Arabic


  • Cantonese


  • French


  • Haitian Creole


  • Hmong


  • Korean


  • Laotian


  • Mandarin


  • Portuguese


  • Russian


  • Somali


  • Spanish


  • Vietnamese
Court interpreter certification earned from another Consortium state and Federal Court Interpreter certification are accepted by the Michigan Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Office.

Description of Test Procedures

The test is designed and developed by a team of experts from several parts of the country who have extensive knowledge of court proceedings, the job requirements for court interpreters, and/or advanced training or high levels of fluency in English and non-English languages. These experts may include federally certified court interpreters, judges, lawyers, scholars, and/or legal professionals.

The test measures knowledge and fluency in both languages and the ability to successfully render meaning from source to target language in each of the three modes of interpreting that are required of a court interpreter:
  • Sight Translation of Documents


  • Consecutive Interpreting


  • Simultaneous Interpreting
During the sight portion, the examinee reads a non-English-language document aloud. When that reading is completed, the examinee is given an English language document and asked to read it in non-English.

During the consecutive mode, the examinee interprets English language questions into the non-English-language and non-English-language answers into English. A test proctor administers the consecutive portion by playing the recorded courtroom simulation on a CD player. The examinee listens to sentences, the CD is paused, and the interpreter then interprets from memory. It is important in this part of the test to take very good notes. Remembering details is crucial.

During the simultaneous mode, the examinee, wearing headphones, listens to a prerecorded English passage and, while listening, interprets aloud into the non-English language.

The entire court interpreter certification test takes approximately one hour. Test tapes are scored by a team of two certified interpreters who have been trained by the National Center for State Courts for rating the certification tests. Candidates must score at least 70 percent on each separate part of the test in order to pass. Efforts are made to report scores to the candidates within 60 days. Examinees passing the test are issued a certification card.

Additional Information and Practice Material for Interpreters

Questions may be directed to Sharon Fox at foxs@courts.mi.gov or 517-373-6670.

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Questions about this site should be sent to webinfo@courts.mi.gov.
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