Court Interpreter Resources

Professional court interpreters are individuals who possess an educated, native-like mastery of both English and another language; display wide general knowledge, characteristic of what a minimum of two years of general education at a college or university would provide; and perform the three major types of court interpreting: sight translation, consecutive interpreting and simultaneous interpreting.

Interested in becoming a state court interpreter?

Read our list of State Court Interpreter FAQs.

Download FAQs

Written and Oral Exam Information

Written Examination Overview for Candidates

This document has been prepared to help persons aspiring to become certified court interpreters understand what the written test measures, how it is administered, and how to prepare for taking the exam.
Oral Examination Overview for Candidates

This document has been prepared to help persons aspiring to become approved court interpreters understand what the oral examination measures, how it is administered and scored, and how to prepare for taking the examination.
General NCSC Oral Exam Development Information

This document provides an overview of the NCSC’s oral exam development process and includes information on NCSC oral exam rating.
Common Oral Interpreting Exam Performance Deficiencies

This document provides examples of common interpreting deficiencies that negatively impact performance on the oral interpreting examination. It is intended to assist candidates in understanding why they may have obtained scores lower than they anticipated.

Court Interpreter Practice Materials

Instructions for Court Interpreter Practice Materials

NCSC has developed court interpreter materials for court interpreter candidates to use for skills-building and interpretation practice.
Practice Scripts and Audio Files

To assess your renditions of keywords:

Glossary Template with Keywords

This document is to be used in conjunction with the Court Interpreter Practice Materials for candidates to note the meaning in context, as well as possible renditions in the candidate’s non-English language, for each of the keywords identified throughout the practice assessment scripts.