Qualification Requirements

Qualified Status is granted to interpreters of languages for which an oral certification exam is not currently available.

At this time, full Certification is offered only 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, Vietnamese.

To attain qualified status, interpreter candidates must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Complete a Webinar Series
As the first step in the qualification process, candidates must register for and complete three webinars that will familiarize them with the Virginia Judicial System. The webinar consists of three one-hour-long sessions, which must be completed before the candidate can move on to step two of the program.

Step 2: Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
Candidate must provide scores for an OPI testing of both speaking and listening skills in English and their non-English language(s).

Step 3: Written Exam
The written test consists of 135 multiple-choice questions that are designed to measure basic, general English language proficiency, and court and ethics knowledge. Candidates must score a minimum of 80% on the written test to be eligible to register for the 2-day interpreter orientation. The test is created by the National Center for State Courts and administered by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, twice a year.

Step 4: 2-day Interpreter Orientation, Court Observation and Interview Requirement
The orientation will familiarize interpreter candidates with the Virginia Judicial System, courtroom protocol, the role of the interpreter, specific skills needed for the different modes of interpreting, and a thorough review of the code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters. The training also includes an overview of self-study techniques, practice sessions, available resources, and suggestions on how to prepare for the oral certification exam.

• 4.1 Court Observation Requirement (15 Hours)
  Following completion of the two-day orientation, candidates are required to complete 15 hours of courtroom observation. Detailed guidelines and instructions are provided in the attached PDF.
• 4.2 Resume Submission and Interview
  After fulfilling the courtroom observation requirement, candidates must submit a resume of their relevant experience and participate in an interview with a member of the certification team. The interview will address the candidate’s courtroom observation experience, prior interpreting experience, and understanding of the ethical responsibilities of interpreters.

Interpreter Candidates that have completed the first four steps are considered qualified interpreters and are allowed to provide interpretation services in Virginia courts.

Note: Qualified interpreters will be expected to meet the qualification renewal and continued education requirements established by the Court Interpreter Program.