In order to become certified by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts as a Spanish-language Federal Court Interpreter, candidates must pass a rigorous, two-part (written and oral) examination. The written part, which must be passed before taking the oral part, tests knowledge of written English and Spanish, including reading comprehension, sentence construction (i.e., grammar), idioms, synonyms and antonyms. The oral part assesses the candidate's proficiency in sight translation and consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. While there are no formal educational prerequisites for certification, the successful candidate is required to demonstrate knowledge and proficiency equivalent to upper division study at the college level.

Although a 2000 test date has not been set, prospective candidates may contact the University of Arizona regarding the Federal Court Interpreters Certification Exam by visiting their web site at http://w3.arizona.edu/~ncitrp/ . You may also call (520) 621-3686 or write to: Federal Court Interpreter Certification Project c/o Dr. Roseann D. Gonzalez, ML #67, Room 445, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. You may request an examination manual and a sample test booklet.