Part I: General Language Proficiency
55.6%of exam
Part II: Court Terms & Usage
37%of exam
Ethics & Professional Conduct
7.4%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- Court Interpreter Written
- Developer
- NCSC Language Access
- Items
- 135 multiple-choice
- Time
- 2h 15m
- Options
- Four (A-D)
- Part split
- 75 + 60 items
- Book
- Closed book
- Texas pass
- 108 of 135
- Florida pass
- 75% section, 80% overall
- Blueprint
- Revised May 2020
Part I Sections
9 + 8 + 21 + 12 + 25 = 75
9 sentence completion8 synonyms in context21 synonyms12 antonyms25 idioms
Synonym vs Antonym Cues
Closest in meaning
- Items 10-38
- Match the sense
- Synonym sections
Opposite in meaning
- Items 39-50
- Reverse the sense
- Antonym section
Read the instruction line
Item Type Picker
- Underlined word in sentence→Pick closest meaning(Synonyms in context)
- Single word, four choices→Pick same meaning(Synonyms)
- Instruction says opposite→Pick the antonym(Antonyms)
- Sentence has a blank→Pick best completion(Sentence completion)
- Underlined idiom→Pick figurative meaning(Idioms)
- Order of events asked→Pick correct sequence(Sequence)
Part I Item Types
- Sentence completion
- Items 1-99
- Synonyms in context
- Items 10-178
- Synonyms
- Items 18-3821
- Antonyms
- Items 39-5012
- Idioms
- Items 51-7525
- Part I total
- 75 items55.6%
Section Instruction Cues
- Closest in meaning
- Synonym sections
- Opposite in meaning
- Antonym section
- Completes the sentence
- Sentence completion
- Best answers the question
- Court, conduct items
- Correct sequence
- Sequence section
- Best solution
- Ethics scenarios
Confusable Word Pairs
- principal
- Main one; loan sum
- principle
- Rule or standard
- elicit
- Draw out testimony
- illicit
- Unlawful, forbidden
- prescribe
- Order or direct
- proscribe
- Forbid or prohibit
- sanction
- Approval or penalty
- continuance
- Postponement, not continuing
Courtroom Idioms
- make a pit stop
- Go to the bathroom
- all washed up
- Completely over
- throw the book
- Punish severely
- take the stand
- Testify as a witness
- out on bail
- Released pending trial
- hand down a ruling
- Issue a decision
- off the record
- Not transcribed
High-Frequency Synonyms
- hubris
- Exaggerated pride
- scaffold
- Raised platform
- pursuant to
- In accordance with
- mitigate
- Make less severe
- corroborate
- Confirm with evidence
- ambiguous
- Open to interpretation
- candid
- Frank and honest
- reticent
- Reluctant to speak
Antonym Practice Pairs
- excessive
- Opposite: restricted
- lucid
- Opposite: confusing
- exonerate
- Opposite: incriminate
- lenient
- Opposite: harsh
- affirm
- Opposite: reverse
- admit
- Opposite: deny
Part II Sections
36 + 10 + 4 + 2 + 8 = 60
36 sentence completion10 court questions4 sequence2 conduct8 scenarios
Written vs Oral Exam
Written exam
- 135 multiple-choice items
- Closed book, all English
- Knowledge only
Oral exam
- Sight, consecutive, simultaneous
- Language transfer skill
- Separate fee and date
Knowledge vs performance
Criminal Case Sequence
- Police arrest a suspect→Booking
- After booking→Initial appearance
- Charges read formally→Arraignment(Plea entered)
- Felony probable cause→Grand jury(Or preliminary hearing)
- Before trial motions→Pretrial hearing
- Jury being selected→Voir dire
- Jury sworn→Opening statements
- Evidence finished→Closing arguments
- After closing arguments→Jury charge(Jury instructions)
- After the charge→Jury deliberation
- After deliberation→Verdict
- After a guilty verdict→Sentencing
- After sentencing→Appeal
Part II Item Types
- Court sentence completion
- Items 76-11136
- Court-related questions
- Items 112-12110
- Sequence of events
- Items 122-1254
- Professional conduct
- Items 126-1272
- Ethics scenarios
- Items 128-1358
- Part II total
- 60 items44.4%
Criminal Flow
Arrest, arraign, try, convict, sentence, appeal
Arrest and bookingArraignment and pleaTrial and verdictSentencing then appeal
Indictment vs Information
Indictment
- Grand jury issues it
- Felony charges
- Probable cause found
Information
- Prosecutor files it
- Misdemeanor charges
- No grand jury
Grand jury vs prosecutor
Civil Case Sequence
- Dispute reaches court→Complaint filed
- Complaint served→Answer filed
- Evidence gathering stage→Discovery
- Questioning a witness pretrial→Deposition
- No facts in dispute→Summary judgment motion
- Facts still disputed→Trial
- Trial ends→Judgment
- Losing party objects→Appeal
Latin Legal Phrases
- voir dire
- Jury selection questioning
- habeas corpus
- Produce the prisoner
- nolo contendere
- No contest plea
- pro se
- Self-represented, no lawyer
- in camera
- In judge's chambers
- subpoena duces tecum
- Bring the documents
- de novo
- Reviewed anew
- in forma pauperis
- Court fees waived
Jury Sequence
Sworn, charge, deliberation, verdict
Voir dire comes firstCharge = instructionsDeliberation is privateVerdict ends the trial
Concurrent vs Consecutive
Concurrent
- Served at once
- Two plus two years
- Total two years
Consecutive
- Served back to back
- Two plus two years
- Total four years
Same time vs stacked
Criminal Case Terms
- Arraignment
- Charges read; plea entered
- Indictment
- Grand jury charge
- Information
- Prosecutor's formal accusation
- Bail
- Security for release
- Plea
- Guilty or not guilty
- Acquittal
- Verdict of not guilty
- Mistrial
- Invalid trial; must restart
- Felony
- Over one year prison
- Misdemeanor
- One year or less
- Capital offense
- Punishable by death
Probation vs Parole
Probation
- Instead of prison
- Ordered at sentencing
- Probation officer supervises
Parole
- After part served
- Release from prison
- Post-release supervision
Instead of vs after
Courtroom Roles
- Plaintiff
- Files the civil suit
- Defendant
- Sued or accused party
- Prosecutor
- Tries case for government
- Public defender
- Defense counsel for indigent
- Magistrate judge
- Pretrial and misdemeanor matters
- Grand jury
- Decides whether to indict
- Petit jury
- Trial jury; finds facts
- Bailiff
- Keeps courtroom order
Guilty vs Nolo Contendere
Guilty plea
- Admits the offense
- Waives constitutional rights
- Admission of guilt
Nolo contendere
- No contest
- Same criminal sentence
- Not an admission
Admission vs no contest
Sentencing & Outcomes
- Concurrent sentence
- Served at the same time
- Consecutive sentence
- Served one after another
- Probation
- Supervision instead of prison
- Parole
- Release after partial sentence
- Sentence
- Punishment after conviction
- Verdict
- Jury or judge decision
- Appeal
- Challenge a court decision
- Remand
- Sent back, lower court
Civil vs Criminal Proof
Preponderance
- Civil standard
- More likely than not
- Plaintiff usually carries it
Beyond reasonable doubt
- Criminal standard
- Highest burden
- Prosecution carries it
Lawsuit vs prosecution
Civil & Evidence Terms
- Discovery
- Learn opponent's case pretrial
- Deposition
- Sworn out-of-court statement
- Affidavit
- Written statement under oath
- Motion
- Request for a ruling
- Injunction
- Order barring an action
- Hearsay
- Second-hand statement
- Damages
- Money paid to plaintiff
- Lien
- Claim securing a debt
- Statute of limitations
- Filing deadline
Standards & Trial Types
- Burden of proof
- Duty to prove facts
- Beyond reasonable doubt
- Criminal standard
- Preponderance of evidence
- Civil standard
- Probable cause
- Charging and arrest threshold
- Bench trial
- Judge, no jury
Interpreting Modes
- Simultaneous
- Interpret while speaker talks
- Consecutive
- Interpret after each segment
- Sight translation
- Read written text aloud
- Oral exam modes
- All three, one pass
First Five Canons
A-R-I-P-C: canons one through five
Accuracy and completenessRepresentation of qualificationsImpartiality, no conflictsProfessional demeanorConfidentiality
Impartial vs Advocate
Interpreter
- Renders everything faithfully
- Discloses conflicts
- Offers no opinions
Advocate
- Explains and advises
- Takes a side
- Outside scope of practice
Interpret, never advise
Ethics Scenario Picker
- Testimony sounds too technical→Interpret same register(Canon 1)
- You mishear a word→Ask for repetition(Canon 1)
- You know the witness→Disclose to court(Canon 3)
- Party asks legal advice→Refer to attorney(Canon 7)
- Someone offers a gift→Decline it(Canon 3)
- Reporter asks about case→Give no comment(Canon 6)
- Fatigue affects accuracy→Tell the judge(Canon 8)
- Asked to summarize testimony→Interpret everything instead(Canon 1)
- Someone impedes compliance→Report to authority(Canon 9)
Ten Ethics Canons
- Canon 1
- Accuracy and completeness
- Canon 2
- Representation of qualifications
- Canon 3
- Impartiality; no conflicts
- Canon 4
- Professional demeanor
- Canon 5
- Confidentiality
- Canon 6
- Restriction of public comment
- Canon 7
- Scope of practice
- Canon 8
- Assess and report impediments
- Canon 9
- Duty to report violations
- Canon 10
- Professional development
Last Five Canons
R-S-A-D-D: canons six through ten
Restriction of public commentScope of practiceAssessing impedimentsDuty to reportProfessional development
Canon 5 vs Canon 6
Confidentiality
- Protect privileged information
- Attorney-client communications
- Harm threats excepted
Public comment
- No public discussion
- No opinion on case
- Applies after the case
Keep secrets vs stay silent
Ethics Scenario Rules
- Register
- Match the speaker's level
- Omissions
- Never omit or add
- Explaining
- Ask the court first
- Gifts
- Decline; avoid bias appearance
- Prior relationship
- Disclose the conflict
- Imminent harm
- Report to judicial authority
- Ex parte questions
- Refer to the judge
Interpreter Golden Rule
Render all, add none, advise never
No omissionsNo additionsNo legal adviceMatch the register
Common Traps
Continuance meaning
Court sense postpones ≠ Everyday sense continues
Sanction is a contronym
Can mean approve ≠ Can mean penalize
Prescribe vs proscribe
Prescribe directs ≠ Proscribe forbids
Concurrent vs consecutive
Concurrent runs together ≠ Consecutive stacks up
Indictment vs information
Grand jury indicts ≠ Prosecutor files information
Written pass is not certification
Written is a prerequisite ≠ Certification needs the oral
Section vs overall score
Florida needs both ≠ 80% overall alone fails
Register matching
Interpret at same level ≠ Never simplify testimony
Interpreter is not advocate
Interpret every word ≠ Never explain or advise
Written exam language
Every item is English ≠ No foreign language tested
Last Minute
- 1.135 items in 2h 15m
- 2.Part I = 75 language items
- 3.Part II = 60 court items
- 4.Ethics scenarios are 8 items
- 5.Four choices; pick the best
- 6.Closed book; no dictionaries allowed
- 7.Read each section's instruction line
- 8.Texas passes at 108/135
- 9.Florida needs 75% per section
- 10.Florida also needs 80% overall
- 11.Concurrent = together; consecutive = stacked
- 12.Jury charge = jury instructions
- 13.Interpret everything; never advise
- 14.Disclose conflicts before interpreting
- 15.Ask the judge before explaining
- 16.Written pass is not certification
Same family resources
Explore More RID and CASLI Interpreter Certifications
Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.