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Question 1

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Which tenet of the RID Code of Professional Conduct specifically addresses the obligation to keep assignment-related information private?

Professionalism

Confidentiality

Respect for Consumers

Business Practices

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NIC Exam

120

Multiple-Choice Questions

CASLI Fundamentals

Case Studies

Ethical Decision-Making

500/800

Passing Scaled Score

CASLI

3 hours

Exam Time

CASLI

$300

Knowledge Exam Fee

CASLI member

4 years

Certification Validity

RID CMP

The RID/CASLI NIC Knowledge Exam has ~120 multiple-choice questions plus 8 case studies in 3 hours with a passing scaled score of 500/800. Content covers the RID Code of Professional Conduct (7 tenets), ASL linguistics, Deaf culture, interpreting theory (Colonomos, Demand-Control Schema), and specialized settings. Combined Knowledge + Performance exam fees run approximately $800-$1,000. Certification is valid 4 years with Certification Maintenance Program CEUs. Bachelor's degree required.

Sample NIC Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NIC exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which tenet of the RID Code of Professional Conduct specifically addresses the obligation to keep assignment-related information private?

A.Professionalism

B.Confidentiality

C.Respect for Consumers

D.Business Practices

Explanation: Confidentiality is the first tenet of the RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC). It requires interpreters to keep assignment-related information strictly private, including identities of consumers and content discussed. Professionalism addresses overall competence, Respect for Consumers covers consumer autonomy, and Business Practices covers fair dealings.

2How many tenets are in the RID Code of Professional Conduct?

A.5

B.6

C.7

D.8

Explanation: The RID Code of Professional Conduct contains 7 tenets: Confidentiality, Professionalism, Conduct, Respect for Consumers, Respect for Colleagues, Business Practices, and Professional Development. Each tenet contains illustrative behaviors to guide interpreters in applying the tenet to real situations.

3An interpreter is asked by a Deaf consumer's hearing family member to share what was said during a medical appointment the interpreter worked the previous week. What is the most appropriate response?

A.Share the information since the family member is related

B.Share a summary but omit names

C.Decline to share any information from the assignment

D.Share only if the information is about the family member

Explanation: Tenet 1 (Confidentiality) requires the interpreter to decline sharing any assignment-related information without explicit authorization from the consumer. Family relationships do not waive confidentiality. The interpreter should respectfully redirect the family member to speak directly with the Deaf consumer.

4Who developed the Demand-Control Schema (DC-S) for ethical decision-making in interpreting?

A.Stokoe and Markowicz

B.Dean and Pollard

C.Cokely and Colonomos

D.Humphries and Padden

Explanation: Robyn Dean and Robert Pollard developed the Demand-Control Schema, adapting Karasek's occupational stress model to interpreting. It identifies demands (challenges) and controls (interpreter choices) and frames ethics as practice profession work rather than technician work. Stokoe pioneered ASL linguistics, and Cokely developed the sociolinguistic model of interpreting.

5Which of the following is NOT one of the four demand categories in the Demand-Control Schema?

A.Environmental

B.Interpersonal

C.Paralinguistic

D.Administrative

Explanation: The DC-S identifies four demand categories: Environmental (EIPI — physical setting, specialized content), Interpersonal (participants' dynamics), Paralinguistic (message form — accent, volume, signing style), and Intrapersonal (interpreter's own thoughts, feelings, physical state). Administrative is not a DC-S category.

6What are the five phonological parameters of an ASL sign identified by Stokoe and later expanded researchers?

A.Handshape, location, movement, orientation, and non-manual signals

B.Handshape, speed, tension, direction, and facial expression

C.Palm, fist, arm, eye gaze, and head tilt

D.Sign space, classifier, verb type, aspect, and role shift

Explanation: The five phonological parameters of ASL are handshape, location (tab), movement (sig), palm orientation, and non-manual signals (NMS). Stokoe originally identified three (handshape/dez, location/tab, movement/sig); orientation and NMS were added later. Changing any one parameter can create a minimal pair (different sign).

7In what year did William Stokoe publish his work establishing ASL as a legitimate language with linguistic structure?

A.1880

B.1960

C.1988

D.1990

Explanation: William Stokoe published Sign Language Structure in 1960, arguing that ASL is a bona fide language with its own phonology, morphology, and syntax. This was revolutionary because ASL had been dismissed as pantomime or broken English. The Milan Congress (1880) banned sign in education, DPN occurred in 1988, and the ADA passed in 1990.

8The Deaf President Now (DPN) protest in 1988 resulted in what outcome at Gallaudet University?

A.The closing of the oral-only department

B.The selection of I. King Jordan, the first Deaf president

C.Federal funding for Gallaudet

D.The establishment of the NAD

Explanation: The DPN protest led to the appointment of I. King Jordan as the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University. The movement became a civil-rights touchstone for the Deaf community, demonstrating Deaf leadership capacity and accelerating progress toward the ADA (1990). The NAD was founded in 1880, long before DPN.

9What term, coined by Tom Humphries, describes discrimination based on hearing status or the belief that hearing ways of being are superior?

A.Phonocentrism

B.Audism

C.Ableism

D.Linguism

Explanation: Tom Humphries coined the term audism in 1975 to describe the notion that one is superior based on the ability to hear, or behaves as one does by hearing. Audism manifests in medical-model views of deafness, oralism in education, and denial of ASL. It parallels racism and sexism as a form of systemic oppression.

10In ASL morphology, what is a classifier (CL) predicate?

A.A fingerspelled English loan word

B.A handshape that represents a class of nouns and their movement, location, or handling

C.A facial adverb marking intensity

D.A grammatical marker for past tense

Explanation: Classifier predicates use specific handshapes to represent categories of nouns (e.g., CL:3 for vehicles, CL:1 for a person, CL:5-claw for large round objects) plus movement and location in signing space. They are a productive feature of ASL morphology used for depicting scenes, locations, and spatial relationships.

About the NIC Exam

The National Interpreter Certification (NIC) is the premier generalist credential for ASL/English interpreters in the United States, awarded by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and assessed by CASLI. Candidates must pass both a written Knowledge Exam (CASLI Generalist: 120 Fundamentals of Interpreting multiple-choice questions plus 8 Ethical Decision-Making case studies) and a video-recorded Performance Exam scored by trained raters. A bachelor's degree is a prerequisite, and certification is valid 4 years with CMP CEUs.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

3 hours (Knowledge Exam)

Passing Score

500 scaled (200-800); 3.5 Performance composite

Exam Fee

$300 Knowledge; ~$500 Performance (RID / CASLI)

NIC Exam Content Outline

20%

RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC)

The 7 tenets: Confidentiality, Professionalism, Conduct, Respect for Consumers, Respect for Colleagues, Business Practices, and Professional Development. Applying the CPC in practice dilemmas.

20%

Ethical Decision-Making & Cultural Responsiveness

Demand-Control Schema (Dean & Pollard), Cokely's sociolinguistic model, Colonomos Integrated Model, case studies, cultural mediation, and bilingual-bicultural approaches.

20%

ASL Linguistics & Interpreting Process

Phonology (handshape, location, movement, orientation, NMS), morphology (classifiers, aspect, numeral incorporation), syntax (topic-comment, role shift), and message analysis.

15%

Deaf Culture & History

Stokoe's ASL recognition (1960), Deaf President Now (1988), ADA, IDEA, audism, bi-bi education, cochlear implant debates, and community values.

15%

Interpreter Roles & Team Interpreting

Helper, conduit, communication facilitator, bilingual-bicultural models; team interpreting with CDIs; feed/monitor support; switch timing.

10%

Specialized Settings

Medical (HIPAA), mental health, legal (SC:L), K-12 vs post-secondary education, VRS/VRI, conference interpreting, and setting-specific protocols.

How to Pass the NIC Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 500 scaled (200-800); 3.5 Performance composite
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: 3 hours (Knowledge Exam)
Exam fee: $300 Knowledge; ~$500 Performance

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

NIC Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the 7 RID Code of Professional Conduct tenets and be able to apply each to a case scenario

2Study Dean and Pollard's Demand-Control Schema — know the four demand categories and control options

3Review ASL linguistic structure: phonological parameters, classifier predicates, role shift, spatial grammar

4Know Deaf culture milestones: Stokoe 1960, Gallaudet DPN 1988, ADA 1990, Milan Congress 1880

5Understand the difference between interpreting and transliteration; read about PSE and CASE

6Study the Colonomos Integrated Model and the stages of the interpreting process

7Practice with CASLI sample case studies — focus on justifying choices using professional frameworks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NIC certification?

The National Interpreter Certification (NIC) is the generalist credential for ASL/English interpreters awarded by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and administered by CASLI. It requires passing both a Knowledge Exam and a Performance Exam and is the standard for professional interpreters working in medical, legal, educational, and community settings.

How many questions are on the NIC Knowledge Exam?

The CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam used for NIC has 120 Fundamentals of Interpreting multiple-choice questions plus 8 Ethical Decision-Making and Cultural Responsiveness case studies. Candidates have up to 3 hours to complete the exam. The passing scaled score is 500 on a 200-800 scale.

What are the prerequisites for the NIC exam?

A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required. The degree does not need to be in interpreting. Candidates must also be RID members in good standing. The bachelor's degree requirement has been in effect for NIC candidates since 2012.

How much does the NIC exam cost?

The Knowledge Exam costs approximately $300 for RID members and up to $380 for non-members. The Performance Exam costs approximately $500. Total costs including both portions typically run $800-$1,000. Retakes have reduced fees if taken within 5 years.

How long is NIC certification valid?

NIC certification is valid for 4 years. Certified interpreters must complete Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) CEUs (typically 8.0 CEUs over the 4-year cycle) and pay annual certification maintenance fees to retain the credential.

What is the Demand-Control Schema?

The Demand-Control Schema (DC-S), developed by Dean and Pollard, is a conceptual framework for ethical decision-making in interpreting. It identifies four demand categories — environmental, interpersonal, paralinguistic, and intrapersonal — and helps interpreters analyze the controls (choices) they can apply in a given assignment.