Virginia's Judicial System


Program Information and Registration

Program Information
Orientation:

Orientation training consists of three mandatory pre-orientation webinars and a 2-day orientation course that will familiarize students with the Virginia Judicial System, courtroom protocol, the role of the interpreter, specific skills needed for the different modes of interpreting, and the "do's and don'ts" of the job.

  • The webinar component consists of prerecorded modules within three hour-long sessions, which must be completed by a specified date prior to the orientation.
  • Once registration is confirmed, candidates will receive a link to the webinars and are required to submit a webinar completion assertion form by the specified due date.

Each candidate will also receive an electronic binder with information on how to access court-related glossaries and documents that will give an understanding of the court system and legal procedures.
The training also includes an overview of self-study techniques, practice sessions, available resources, and tips for preparing for the oral certification examination.
The 2-day orientation class, which follows the three mandatory webinars, is not intended to prepare you for the written exam. Likewise, the materials provided at the orientation class are a source of general information for court interpreters, and not test prep. Success on the written and oral exams will depend on extensive independent preparation in addition to a solid linguistic foundation. Moreover, while successful court interpreters are often in part self-taught, many have also benefitted from formal instruction.
Though, certification is not available for all languages, interpreters of all languages are encouraged to participate in the orientation and to take the written exam. Interpreters of non-certifiable languages who successfully complete the orientation and written exam in a 3-year period will be considered qualified interpreters in Virginia.

Written Exam: It is an intermediate level exam and requires extensive self-preparation. The written exam may be taken only one time within a 6-month period. The Written Exam is administered at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover, VA.

Oral Exam: It is open to those currently enrolled for certification who have successfully completed the Orientation and Written Exam within the past 3-years. The oral exam may be taken only one time within a 6-month period. The Oral Exam is administered at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover, VA.

Note: Certification is available in the following languages:  Amharic, Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Levantine), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Cantonese, Filipino (Tagalog), French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Registration

Registration is now closed for the Spring 2024 orientation class and written exam.

Notes about pre-registration, space, and payment:
Candidates are registered in the order in which the registration forms are received.  If payment is not received by the deadline, you will lose your slot. No late payments will be accepted. You will receive payment instructions via email. You must mail in your payment. You may not pay in-person at the Supreme Court or anywhere else. No refunds will be given. Space is limited, please check the calendar for deadline dates.
Once our registration limit has been met, participants will be placed on a wait list on a first-come, first-served basis. Please do not send any payment unless you receive a confirmation email of registration. Your payment deadline will be specified in your confirmation email.

2024 Certification Calendar of Events

Note: All dates are tentative and may be subject to change without prior notice. Registration will close on specified dates, please refer to the calendar.

Fees

Orientation: All Languages $225.00
Written Exam: Certification candidates only $125.00
Oral Exam: Certification candidates only $225.00

Note: Fees are subject to change without notice. There are NO refunds given to those who register and do not attend the class or exam. If, after registering, you ask to postpone the class or exam, you will receive a credit for the amount that you paid minus a $50.00 rescheduling fee.  We cannot guarantee that there will be space in the next class or exam or that there will not be a fee increase.  You will have to determine whether the postponement still allows you to complete all three elements (orientation, the written exam and the oral exam) within the allotted 3-year period.  The Supreme Court of Virginia will NOT reimburse your travel, parking, meal or lodging expenses.

Recertification Workshop
Virginia courts qualify interpreters and encourage recertification through continuing education opportunities. This will be updated when modules are available to ensure language access providers are familiar with common expectations for court interpretation. This will allow courts to rely on qualified linguists who are familiar with those expectations.

For questions regarding certification, please email [email protected]