We鈥檙e excited to offer a limited early launch of some of our most popular online exams to give ATA members more flexibility when scheduling.

These early exams will be available for registration until August 21, and the last day to take an online exam is September 21. Once you register and receive the scheduling email from ExamRoom, you鈥檒l have 30 days to complete your exam in the online platform.

Additional exams will be launched at the regular exam time in April 2026. Don鈥檛 miss this chance to get a head start on your certification!

Languages available in this early launch include:

• Croatian into English
• German into English
• Italian into English
• Japanese into English
• Portuguese into English
• Russian into English
• Spanish into English
• English into Arabic
• English into Chinese
• English into Croatian
• English into Dutch
• English into French
• English into Hungarian
• English into Japanese
• English into Korean
• English into Portuguese
• English into Romanian
• English into Spanish
• English into Swedish

Register Now

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Call for Speakers

ATA is still accepting session proposals for ATA67. We seek advanced, specialized, relevant, and original content that will give attendees an edge in their careers, set them apart from the competition, and provide an advantage over AI. You鈥檒l find the full list of session topics and descriptions on the ATA67 website.

Open to Everyone

You do not have to be an ATA member to submit a proposal.

By contributing to the advancement of your profession, you will build your reputation and r茅sum茅, widen your networking circle, and position yourself as a key player to help shape the future of the T&I industry.

Proposals will be chosen through a competitive peer-review process. The Conference Organizer, along with experts in the relevant language and subject area, will assess each proposal’s relevance and its potential to engage the audience and stimulate discussion.

Need More Information?

If you have any questions, please contact Cat Kenol, Senior Professional Development and Events Coordinator at ataspeakers@atanet.org.

Submit Your Proposal by March 20!

The post Submit Your Session Proposal for ATA67 by March 20 appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

Call for Speakers

ATA is now accepting session proposals for ATA67. We seek advanced, specialized, relevant, and original content that will give attendees an edge in their careers, set them apart from the competition, and provide an advantage over AI. ATA67 will be a fully in-person conference.

Open to Everyone

You do not have to be an ATA member to submit a proposal.

By contributing to the advancement of your profession, you will build your reputation and r茅sum茅, widen your networking circle, and position yourself as a key player to help shape the future of the T&I industry.

Proposals will be chosen through a competitive peer-review process. The Conference Organizer, along with experts in the relevant language and subject area, will assess each proposal’s relevance and its potential to engage the audience and stimulate discussion.

Submit Your Proposal by March 6!

Book Your Room Today

ATA67 will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. The hotel is located near San Francisco鈥檚 Embarcadero Center. Known for its stunning bay views, historic piers, and pedestrian-friendly promenade, the area is easily accessed by BART, MUNI, and ferries.

Special Rates

• $279: Single/Double Occupancy
• $304: Triple Occupancy
• $329: Quadruple Occupancy

Rates are exclusive of tax. ATA67 rates at the Hyatt are available until October 6, 2026, or as space allows.

Beware of Booking Scams

The only way to make reservations at the guaranteed ATA rate is to contact the hotel directly. If you are contacted by anyone claiming to represent ATA or the hotel, please obtain the name, phone, and email, and contact Madeleine Mayuga at madeleine@atanet.org.

Book Your Room Today!

The post See What’s Possible at the ATA 67th Annual Conference! appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

Benefit No. 1鈥擠ollars and Cents

At present, the fee for taking ATA鈥檚 certification exam is $525, while the practice test costs only $105 for ATA members ($155 for non-members).

As you鈥檒l see here, the practice test gives you a lot of valuable feedback that will help you prepare more effectively before laying out a substantial sum on the exam (which, if you pass it, is well worth the investment, as Elias Shakkour demonstrated in his column in the May/June issue, 鈥�Why ATA Certification? Benefits of the Credential鈥�).

Benefit No. 2鈥擨nside Knowledge

As a student, I always wanted to make sure I got good grades not only by mastering the material, but also by figuring out what the teacher鈥檚 expectations were and answering test questions accordingly. Reading all the information available on ATA鈥檚 website (Explanation of Error Categories, Flowchart for Error Point Decisions, Framework for Standardized Error Marking and, if applicable, Into-English Grading Standards) gives you advance knowledge of graders鈥� standards and expectations. So does taking the practice test! Taking an exam without this information is a stab in the dark.

Benefit No. 3鈥擳he Most Bang for Your Buck

Graders take great care to mark practice tests with explanatory comments that tell you why a particular translation solution is not appropriate (unless the error is something obvious like a misspelling) and suggest better renditions. Although taking a practice test doesn鈥檛 substitute for a course in translation taught by an expert instructor, it gives you valuable insight into the grading methodology (and for that reason, even if you have studied translation, it鈥檚 wise to take this test). Below, I will show you a mock practice test that will give you an idea of what you may receive.

Mock Practice Test with Comments

Although a translation exam always involves two languages, for our purposes I鈥檒l use an English passage that can be considered an accurate back-translation from an imaginary source language, along with an altered version that represents a hypothetical candidate鈥檚 translation into English. Incidentally, when ATA graders participate in mandatory training sessions, we often use this method to align grading criteria across languages.

Here is an excerpt from the source text (the first three paragraphs of a 244-word passage):

Doping scandals have long tarnished the integrity of sports and raised crucial questions about fairness and ethics. From Lance Armstrong to Russia鈥檚 state-sponsored doping program, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) continue to plague elite athletics. Despite advancements in drug testing by organizations like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), athletes often find ways to circumvent the system. The immense pressure to win鈥攆ueled by money, fame, and national pride鈥攄rives many to cheat, rationalizing their actions as part of the game.

However, doping isn’t just about cheating; it鈥檚 also a serious health risk. These substances come with long-term consequences, such as cardiovascular issues and hormonal damage. Not only that, but allowing doping to persist sends the wrong message to young athletes: that success at any cost is acceptable, and that natural talent and hard work are secondary.

Some argue for legalizing doping, on the grounds that it would level the playing field. But this ignores the core values of sports: discipline, perseverance, and human excellence. Legalizing PEDs would turn athletics into a pharmaceutical arms race, eroding the joy of witnessing athletes achieve greatness through their own merits.

And here is an imaginary candidate鈥檚 translation, with grader markings.

The integrity of sport¹ has been called into question for a long time due to unfair and unethical doping scandals². Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) have pestered³ the world鈥檚 top athletes,⁴ including Lance Armstrong and the Russian government鈥檚 doping program. While it鈥檚 true that progress in drug screening by such international agencies as the International anti-doping association (IADA)⁵ have⁶ been achieved, it鈥檚 frequent that⁷ athletes discover ways to get around the system. Rationalizing cheating as just part of competition, tremendous pressure is put on athletes⁸ compete for big bucks, notoriety and national pride.

Taking PEDs is not just a question of breaking the rules, it also seriously endangers athletes鈥� health. Among others⁹, far-reaching consequences accompany these drugs, including heart and lung problems and hormonal damage. Moreover, if we let young athletes take these drugs, we鈥檙e telling them victory at any price is okay, regardless of their innate abilities and work ethic¹⁰.

There are those who advocate for legalizing doping because it will put everyone on an equal footing, disregarding sport鈥檚 essential values;¹¹ discipline, persistence and human excellence. Making PEDs legal would generate an arms race in sports and would diminish the thrill of seeing athletes succeed based on their personal qualities.

Here are the grader comments, with error categories and points:

Error-Specific Comments

1. U1鈥擨n U.S. English, sports is plural, though it takes a singular verb. Sport, singular, is used in the U.K. and some other English-speaking countries.
2. F4鈥擶hat is unfair and unethical is the doping itself, not the scandals. A more accurate rendition would be 鈥渟candals arising from unfair and unethical use of performance-enhancing drugs, known as doping.鈥�
3. T1鈥擳he source term plague suggests a persistent problem, whereas pester suggests nagging or annoying. Perhaps burden or trouble would be a better choice.
4. MU4鈥擳he source text says athletics, a synonym for sports, not athletes, individuals who practice sports.
5. T2, C1鈥擠o not coin new acronyms for international organizations. Although the name of the organization is translated into many other languages, the official acronym is still the English one, WADA. Organization names are capitalized like book titles in U.S. English (see the section on acronyms and the explanation of the first type of headings capitalization in the Into-English Grading Standards.)
6. G2鈥擳he subject of this sentence is progress, so the verb should be the singular has.
7. U1鈥擜 more idiomatic and less wordy rendition would be frequently or often.
8. AMB2鈥擳his introductory phrase, known as a 鈥渄angling modifier,鈥� causes confusion because it isn鈥檛 clear what it modifies. In the source text, the athletes rationalize cheating, but the subject of this sentence is pressure. When you begin a sentence with a participial phrase such as 鈥渞ationalizing cheating,鈥� the subject of the sentence should also be the subject of the verb corresponding to the participle. See the discussion of dangling modifiers in the Into-English Grading Standards.
9. AMB1鈥擨t鈥檚 not clear what 鈥渙thers鈥� are referred to here. You can clarify it by saying 鈥渁mong other threats, …鈥�
10. Q1鈥擥ood solution!
11. P1鈥擜 colon rather than a semicolon should be used here. See the rules for colons and semicolons in the Into-English Grading Standards.

General Comments

The translation displays some good strategies for meaning transfer and creative solutions. However, in some instances you misunderstood the source text, perhaps due to a failure to read carefully (as in reading 鈥渁thletes鈥� for 鈥渁thletics鈥�). You also had some problems expressing ideas clearly in English. Remember to read the source passage thoroughly and think about the overall message when translating. When you have completed your draft translation, review it carefully to make sure it flows logically. To check on fine points of grammar and usage, refer to ATA鈥檚 Into-English Grading Standards.

Conclusion

As you can see, practice tests provide candidates with constructive feedback on their performance. The chance to review this feedback offers clear guidance that can help the candidate succeed on the exam. For example, it might encourage them to practice translating in a more mindful manner by paying more attention to nuances in word meanings and usage, making sure the translation conveys the author鈥檚 message idiomatically and coherently, and carefully proofreading to catch mechanical errors. In addition, practice test feedback reassures candidates that there are multiple ways to convey a message accurately.

I hope this detailed analysis of a practice test serves to encourage candidates to avail themselves of this valuable tool for exam preparation. It鈥檚 far better to spend $105 to discover your strengths and weaknesses as a translator and become familiar with the grading process, than to risk a much larger sum on an experiment with an unpredictable outcome.

(Note: Many thanks to Elias Shakkour, Larry Bogoslaw, and Caron Bailey for their invaluable help in drafting this article.)

About the Author

Holly Mikkelson, CT, is professor emerita of translation and interpreting at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. She is a federally certified court interpreter and an ATA-certified Spanish<>English translator with four decades of professional experience. She has taught classes and workshops all over the world. She has written many articles and books on various aspects of interpreting and is the author of the Acebo training manuals for court and medical interpreters. She serves as deputy chair of ATA鈥檚 Certification Committee. hmikkelson@gmail.com

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Interpreting is an endeavor that bridges people and cultures.

It鈥檚 a very rewarding profession that allows you to connect people through the spoken word. A more diverse U.S. population and increased globalization creates the demand for interpreters.

This e-book is for anyone new to the interpreting profession. Whether you鈥檙e currently studying interpreting, a recent graduate, or making a career change, this e-book will help you start off on the right foot and set you up for success in this dynamic and exciting field.

The intention of this e-book is not to teach you how to interpret, but to help you build a strong launchpad for your new interpreting career.

This e-book was created by ATA's Membership Committee.

Guide to Starting Out as a Translator

ATA also offers an e-book to help launch your success as a translator.

Get This Free Guide

More Resources for Newcomers

Starting Your Career

Translation and interpreting are exciting yet challenging careers. ATA has everything you need to get your career started right.

Learn More

Student Resources

Translators and interpreters are in demand but being bilingual is not enough. ATA offers resources for those considering a career as a language professional.

Learn More

The Savvy Newcomer

Find resources written by working translators and interpreters who have been where you are right now.

Learn More

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