NCSC’s candidate overview describes a 135-question written exam with a 2-hour-15-minute limit and an 80% passing threshold: 108 correct answers. It covers English proficiency, court-related terms, and ethics and professional conduct. Individual states decide their credentialing requirements, so confirm the exam and current arrangements with the state where you plan to work.
What the written exam measures
It measures three knowledge areas: English language proficiency, court-related terms and usage, and ethics and professional conduct. It is one step toward state certification, not the credential itself.
NCSC's overview for candidates describes the written test as measuring knowledge at the level of a minimally qualified court interpreter. The three areas are a high degree of English literacy, including vocabulary and idioms; recognition of common court-related situations and vocabulary, especially in criminal courts; and general knowledge of the standards that guide an interpreter's professional conduct.
The overview is explicit that the written exam is only one part of becoming a certified or approved court interpreter. Passing it does not make you certified; it satisfies one of several requirements. NCSC develops national interpreter examinations, but each state establishes its own credentialing, and not every state uses NCSC materials.
The candidate overview currently linked by NCSC is marked revised May 2020. Use it for the common examination structure, then read your state’s current instructions for eligibility, delivery, registration and fees.
Sources: Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates, National Center for State Courts, revised May 2020 — Official candidate overview PDF, currently linked by NCSC; Language access | National Center for State Courts — NCSC language access FAQ
Format, timing, and the passing score
The NCSC overview describes 135 four-option multiple-choice questions in two hours and fifteen minutes. Its passing threshold is 108 correct answers, or 80%.
Each question offers four choices labeled A through D, and you mark the best choice on an answer sheet whose form varies by state. The test has two parts: Part I covers general language proficiency, and Part II covers court-related terms and usage together with ethics and professional conduct. Each part contains several sections with their own instructions.
The overview describes two parts: 75 general-language items and 60 items covering court-related knowledge and professional conduct. Your state’s test administration provides the result and the next steps.
Question types in each part
Part I tests English vocabulary and usage. Part II uses court-related questions, sequences and professional-conduct scenarios.
Read the instructions for each section carefully. The required response changes: you may need a synonym, an antonym, a sentence completion, the correct sequence, or the best answer to a situation.
The item ranges below describe the form in NCSC’s candidate overview. They help you understand the balance of question types; confirm the form and instructions used by your state.
| Part | Section | Items | What you select |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I — General Language Proficiency | Sentence Completion | 1–9 | The word or phrase that best completes the sentence |
| Part I | Synonyms in Context | 10–17 | The phrase closest in meaning to an underlined word or phrase |
| Part I | Synonyms | 18–38 | The word or phrase closest in meaning to a given word |
| Part I | Antonyms | 39–50 | The word or phrase opposite in meaning |
| Part I | Idioms | 51–75 | The meaning of an underlined idiomatic expression |
| Part II — Court-Related Terms & Usage, and Ethics & Professional Conduct | Sentence Completion | 76–111 | The phrase that completes a court-environment sentence |
| Part II | Court-Related Questions | 112–121 | The best answer to a court-related question |
| Part II | Sequence | 122–125 | The correct order of events in a court situation |
| Part II | Professional Conduct Questions | 126–127 | The best course of professional conduct |
| Part II | Scenarios | 128–135 | The best solution to an ethical or professional problem |
Preparing for Part I: English proficiency
Build vocabulary through varied reading and practise distinguishing synonyms, antonyms and idioms in context.
NCSC recommends broad reading, English study, review of vocabulary and idioms, and relevant sample examinations. Keep a record of unfamiliar words with the sentence in which you found them.
For practice, explain both the word’s meaning and what the instructions require. A familiar synonym can be the wrong choice when the task asks for an antonym.
Practice
Original practice item: choose the antonym of scarce. A. Rare. B. Plentiful. C. Hidden. D. Valued.
Show answer
B. Plentiful.
Scarce describes something in short supply; plentiful describes an abundant supply. Rare is close in meaning to scarce, so it does not satisfy the instruction to choose an opposite. Hidden concerns visibility and valued concerns importance, neither of which establishes quantity.
Preparing for Part II: court terms and ethics
Build court knowledge from legal news, courthouse observation, legal dictionaries, and criminal justice reading, and study your own state's code of professional responsibility for court interpreters.
For terminology, NCSC suggests court-related reading, legal dictionaries and glossaries, criminal-justice study, and observation of proceedings. When observing, follow the court’s public-access and conduct rules.
For ethics, locate your state’s interpreter code of professional responsibility and relevant court rules. Read the duties and their conditions directly. NCSC also identifies professional-association codes and interpreting texts as further study resources.
Use your notes to connect a term to the situation in which it appears. For ethical scenarios, identify the interpreter’s role, the relevant rule and the facts that affect its application. Avoid substituting a general idea of helpfulness for the duties in the applicable code.
Check your state’s test-day instructions
Use the appointment notice for your arrival time, identification, permitted belongings and testing arrangements.
The NCSC overview describes rules against copying examination content, using unauthorized assistance and bringing reference materials. Review the rules provided for your actual session before arriving.
If you need an accommodation, contact the state court-interpreting program well before the test date. Follow its application process and documentation requirements; an accommodation request needs to be arranged in advance.
Sources: Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates, National Center for State Courts, revised May 2020 — Official candidate overview PDF, currently linked by NCSC; Language access | National Center for State Courts — NCSC language access FAQ; Language access programs by state | National Center for State Courts — NCSC state program directory
Plan the next step after your result
Passing the written exam completes one requirement. The state decides the remaining credentialing steps and any retake rules.
If you do not pass, use the result and the question-type descriptions to identify what to study. Confirm the waiting period and available dates with your state program before registering again.
If you pass, follow the state’s instructions for the remaining assessments. An oral performance examination or another language-proficiency assessment may apply, depending on the state and language.
For recognition in another state, contact that state’s interpreting office. NCSC develops examinations but does not grant a nationwide state-court-interpreter credential.
Sources: Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates, National Center for State Courts, revised May 2020 — Official candidate overview PDF, currently linked by NCSC; Language access | National Center for State Courts — NCSC language access FAQ; Language access programs by state | National Center for State Courts — NCSC state program directory
Sources
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