Sample Examinations and Test Questions for Prospective Interpreters

All candidates are required to pass a multiple-choice written examination assessing English Language Proficiency and basic Legal Terminology, which covers the following areas: Reading and Understanding Written Material - Sentence Completion and Paragraph Comprehension; Grammar and Language Usage; Vocabulary - Synonyms and Antonyms; Idiomatic Expressions; and, Legal Terminology.

Candidates who are successful in this examination are then invited to take an oral examination which is currently administered in the following languages: Albanian, Arabic, BCS (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian), Bengali, Cantonese (Traditional & Simplified), French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional & Simplified), Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi (Eastern), Russian, Spanish, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Wolof. Candidates interested in interpreting languages that are not listed above are required to submit appropriate professional references related to their interpreting skills.

  • Practice Video for Oral Language Exam — sections III-VI Spanish (Transcript)
    The Oral Exam assesses applicants' ability to interpret in various modes, i.e., sight, consecutive, and simultaneous in the six sections of the exam. Although this video is for the Spanish language only, the format is similar for exams in other languages.
  • Oral Language Exam, sample Sight Translations — sections I-II, Spanish
    The interpreter is given a written document in one language and asked to read it aloud in another language

For additional information on preparation tools for interpreters go to: http://www.nycourts.gov/COURTINTERPRETER/links.shtml

https://ww2.nycourts.gov/exam-information-content-and-development-exams#COURTINTERPRETER