The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2024 - 33

CF
targeted exam setting.
Moreover, many experienced
translators work in a
limited field (e.g., finance,
education, or medicine)
and are not accustomed
to translating the sort of
general texts presented in
ATA's certification exam.
This is where the practice
test comes in-or perhaps
we should think of it as
a " sneak preview. " Even
if you already know how
to translate competently,
completing one or more
practice tests will give you
a taste of the real thing and
a better understanding of
the standards applied in
evaluating the exam-
thus boosting your prospect
of passing.
Another point of resistance
to the practice tests comes
from beginners who
complain, " I don't want
practice or training; I'm
already bilingual and just
want to get certified so I can
work as a translator. " In this
case, too, the practice test
offers a valuable preview
of what the candidate can
expect to see on the exam, and
hopefully it will dissuade the
large number of candidates
who think that being
bilingual is qualification
enough for translating
effectively-and who are
partly to blame for the
exam's low overall pass rate.
Have I convinced you yet?
If so, here are a few tips for
making the most of your
" sneak preview " :
y Allow plenty of time.
Practice test grading
turnaround depends on
volume and other factors,
so candidates should
allow six to eight weeks to
www.ata-chronicle.online
Even if you already know how to translate
competently, completing one or more practice tests
will give you a taste of the real thing and a better
understanding of the standards applied in evaluating
the exam-thus boosting your prospect of passing.
receive results. But bear in
mind that if your practice
test results suggest that
your chance of passing
the exam is good, you can
register for the online
exam immediately, as long
as the exam year is still
running (roughly from
April through October).
y Take more than one.
Many language pairs offer
more than one practice
test, so consider doing two
or more.
y Take the test under
exam conditions. Try to
set aside 90 minutes of
uninterrupted time and
translate the passage in one
go. Use only print reference
materials and permitted
online resources.2
y Carefully consider the
feedback you receive.
This feedback may tell you
what areas to focus on. For
example, do you need to
proofread more carefully?
Should you work on
target-language grammar
or usage? Are there gaps
in your source-language
comprehension that could
be filled by further study?
y Upgrade old tests. If you
requested and paid for a
practice test more than
a year ago and never got
around to translating it
or having it graded, ATA
Headquarters will send
American Translators Association 33
you a current version of
the passage for the same
language pair upon request,
for no additional charge.
For more information
about the certification
practice test, click here. For
tips on moving forward after
a failing practice test result,
click here.
NOTES
1
The practice test order
form is available on
ATA's website.
2
ATA certification exam
online resource list.
David
Stephenson,
CT is chair
of ATA's
Certification
Committee. An ATAcertified
German>English,
Dutch>English, and
Croatian>English translator,
he has been an independent
translator for over 30 years,
specializing in civil litigation
and creative nonfiction.
He was the 2022 recipient
of ATA's Impact Award.
david@bullcitylang.com

https://www.atanet.org/certification/practice-test/ https://www.atanet.org/certification-exam/i-failed-the-practice-test-now-what/ https://web.atanet.org/certification/practice_test_order.php https://web.atanet.org/certification/practice_test_order.php https://web.atanet.org/certification/practice_test_order.php https://www.atanet.org/certification/prepare-to-take-the-ata-certification-exam/restrictions-and-requirements/resources/ https://www.atanet.org/certification/prepare-to-take-the-ata-certification-exam/restrictions-and-requirements/resources/ http://www.ata-chronicle.online

The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2024

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