How to Get an ATA Certification for Translators

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Find Out How to Become a Certified Translator

We get a lot of inquiries from people who are curious about the requirements to become a certified translator and join our company. For this reason, we decided to share our in-depth knowledge on the subject of obtaining an ATA certification and become a professional providing language translation services.

Why is a certification from the American Translators Association required? Simple: everyday translations, such as emails, website content, and marketing materials, may not require a certified translator; however, if you need the notarized translation of an official document or of any written texts required in court or before various authorities, you must hire a translator who holds an ATA certification, as well as other certifications for specialized translations.

What Does an ATA Certification Mean?

The American Translators Association is the professional body that tests and certifies the proficient knowledge of a foreign language. Even after obtaining their ATA certification, translators continue to be subject to testing and requirements to continue learning and improving their skills.

A professional translation agency will always favor ATA certification holders over other candidates for a job opening. The certification means that the person has already been tested and has passed an exam at a very high standard of difficulty. It is also the most widely recognized measure of competence in translations across the US.

Let us look now at what it takes to obtain the best known types of translation certifications, including notarized translation services.

ATA Certification

The American Translators Association offers their certification only to candidates who pass a very rigorous test. The level of required proficiency is very high – and this is proven by the fact that only around one fifth of the candidates pass this exam.

In order to obtain the ATA certification, you must first become a member of the American Translators Association and take their pledge of ethics. You can enroll for the certification exam after at least 4 weeks as a member.

After you pay the certification fee, you will be invited to take the exam. It is a 3-hour exam consisting of:

• Translating 2 passages of text at college level (but without highly technical or specialized terms in them)
• Complying with the translation instructions: context, purpose, audience.

Candidates have three hours available to complete the text, which is rewarded only with a “Pass” or “Fail” result (no feedback provided). 

At the present, the ATA certification can be obtained for 16 target languages, and from 14 languages into English as a target language.

NAJIT Certification

The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators offers the certification required for any notarized translation, as well as for serving as court interpreter. If you want to become a legal translator, holding the NAJIT certification is the best way of starting your career.

So, how can a translator get their notarized translation certification? Until 2012, NAJIT offered applicants a certification exam. At the present, NAJIT is working with local and federal courts across the US. Candidates can take a course, which will earn them the NAJIT affiliation upon completion.

Please note that, although you may obtain other certifications as a legal translator, the NAJIT certification is the only one which allows you to work as a formal judicial translator or court interpreter. 

CMI Certification

Doctors and nurses have to deal with a lot of patients, including people with a limited knowledge of English. Medical specialists are also asked to offer their opinion on difficult cases by their peers in other countries. Who will serve as a translator or interpreter in these cases?

The answer is: a translator who holds a CMI certification together with their ATA certification. You can obtain this certification from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. 

At the present, the CMI certification is available for the following target languages:

• Spanish
• Russian
• Cantonese
• Korean
• Mandarin
• Vietnamese

The successful candidate must meet the following criteria to enroll for the examination:

• At least 18 years old
• At least high school education 
• At least 3 credit hours of medical interpreter training
• Oral proficiency in English and in the target language

This official handbook contains all the specific requirements an applicant must meet.

Get Started on Your Career Path with an ATA Certification

Working as a translator is a rewarding career. And, despite the rise in automated translation services, this job is not in danger of being replaced by robots. No authority or court will accept anything else for a notarized translation.

Also, businesses will always choose a professional translation agency to handle the translation and interpretation of their confidential documents and discussions. These are services that only a translator holding an ATA certification can provide at a high quality level.

At Pronto Translations, we have 20 years of experience in our field of activity. All our translators hold certifications from the American Translators Association and from other certifying bodies.

Our headquarters are in New York, but we also serve customers in:

• Chelsea
• Midtown
• Soho
• Greenwich Village
• All of Manhattan
• Hoboken, NJ
• Jersey, NJ
• … anywhere worldwide remotely

Call us now: 646-984-4073!