130+ Free FCICE Practice Questions

The Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) is the only federal-level court interpreter certification in the United States, administered by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) under the Court Interpreters Act of 1978 (28 U.S.C. § 1827). It currently covers English-Spanish only. Certification requires passing a Written phase followed by an Oral phase.

The current AOUSC and Prometric materials state no age or degree prerequisite. Candidates must pass the Spanish-English Written phase before they may register for the Oral phase and must meet the current registration, identification, and test-center requirements.

The Written phase has 160 multiple-choice items and a 2.5-hour limit. The handbook identifies five task types in both English and Spanish—reading comprehension, usage, error detection, synonyms, and best translation—but its per-part count language conflicts with its explicit 160-item total, so no per-part count is asserted here. Candidates need at least 75% on each language section in the same administration.

The Oral phase is an approximately 45-minute performance examination with two sight translations, an English-to-Spanish simultaneous monologue, a bidirectional consecutive task, and an English-to-Spanish simultaneous witness Q&A. The five parts contribute to one cumulative grade, and 80% overall is required.

The current examinee handbook lists projected nonrefundable fees of $210 for the Written phase and $300 for the Oral phase. Prometric updates fees annually, so verify the live amounts when registration opens.

Both 2026 registration windows are closed. U.S. Courts and Prometric say both Written and Oral examinations will be administered again in 2027, with registration information posted in December 2026.

Written candidates receive separate English and Spanish grades and need at least 75% on each; if either is below 75%, the full Written exam must be repeated. Oral responses are rated with preselected scoring units and produce one cumulative grade, with 80% required to pass.

The official handbook tests reading comprehension, usage, error detection, synonyms, and best translation in both English and Spanish. It measures advanced bilingual proficiency rather than a published subject-matter blueprint.

Diagnose the five Written task types separately in both languages and take full 2.5-hour simulations. For Oral preparation, record both sight directions, English-to-Spanish simultaneous work, and bidirectional consecutive work under the official timing and repetition rules. Use the free official Prometric practice exams and score every omission, addition, meaning change, number, name, and register shift.