The written exam is a closed-book test of 135 multiple-choice questions in English only, completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes. It measures three areas: general language proficiency, court-related items, and ethics and professional conduct. You need at least 108 of 135 correct (80%) to pass, and passing is the gateway to the oral exam — it is not a license by itself.
What the written exam actually tests
The exam measures your English comprehension and knowledge of court terms in 135 multiple-choice questions completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The JBCC structures the test around three areas: general language proficiency, court-related items, and ethics and professional conduct. The exam contains no foreign language at all. Your ability to interpret is tested separately, at the oral exam you take after passing.
The exam is closed book. The JBCC publishes a reference list for preparation, but none of those materials may be brought into the test site on exam day.
Official sources used: Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Written Exam — Exam purpose, eligibility, format, and reference list
How the written exam fits the licensing process
Pass the written examination before taking the oral examination. Complete JBCC’s application and registration process and follow your confirmation instructions before attending.
Use the JBCC’s current application and examination instructions to check eligibility and registration. Its written-exam page requires an application, exam registration and confirmation before testing; that list should be read alongside the full licensure requirements.
The written exam is the first of two hurdles. You must pass it before taking the oral exam, which measures your interpreting skills in three recorded parts given at one sitting. Passing the written exam alone does not make you a licensed court interpreter.
Plan your timeline around two verified rules. A passing written score stays valid for 2 years; if you have not become licensed within 2 years of passing, you must retake the exam you passed. If you fail, section 9.3 of the JBCC Rules requires a six-month wait before re-examination.
Official sources used: Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Written Exam — Exam purpose, eligibility, format, and reference list; Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Results, Regrades, & Licensure — Score thresholds, validity, retake wait, regrade window, licensure processing
Question types across the two parts
The JBCC directs candidates to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Written Examination Overview, which documents two parts containing ten question sections.
Every question has four choices, labeled A through D, and you select the best choice. Part I covers general language proficiency. Part II covers court-related terms and usage together with ethics and professional conduct. The table below maps the sections so you know exactly what each one asks you to do.
Because the JBCC itself points candidates to this overview for full preparation, its structure is the most reliable public map of the written exam. The exact section instructions appear at the start of each section in the test booklet, so read them carefully during the exam as well.
| Part | Question section | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| I – General Language Proficiency | Sentence completion | Choose the word or phrase that best finishes the sentence |
| I – General Language Proficiency | Synonyms in context | Pick the choice closest in meaning to an underlined word or phrase in a sentence |
| I – General Language Proficiency | Synonyms | Pick the choice closest in meaning to a standalone word or phrase |
| I – General Language Proficiency | Antonyms | Pick the choice opposite in meaning to a word or phrase |
| I – General Language Proficiency | Idioms | Pick the meaning of an underlined idiom used in a sentence |
| II – Court Terms and Ethics | Sentence completion | Complete sentences likely to be heard in the court environment |
| II – Court Terms and Ethics | Court-related questions | Choose the best answer on court-related topics |
| II – Court Terms and Ethics | Sequence | Identify the correct order of events in a court-related situation |
| II – Court Terms and Ethics | Professional conduct | Choose the best course of professional conduct |
| II – Court Terms and Ethics | Scenarios | Select the best solution to a brief ethical or professional dilemma |
Official sources used: NCSC Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates (rev. May 2020) — Test structure, question sections, administration protocol, preparation appendix; Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Written Exam — Exam purpose, eligibility, format, and reference list
Try original practice items in the exam's style
The following original item practises vocabulary in context. It is a study exercise, not an actual exam question.
Read the whole sentence, identify the relationship it states, and compare each option with that meaning.
Practice item
Original practice: “The account was inconsistent with the recording.” Which phrase is closest in meaning to inconsistent with? A. Contradictory to. B. Unproven by. C. Delayed by. D. Excluded from.
Show answer
A. Contradictory to.
The sentence states a mismatch or conflict. Lack of corroboration is different from contradiction, and the sentence says nothing about delay or exclusion. It also does not establish whether any inconsistency was deliberate.
Official sources used: NCSC Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates (rev. May 2020) — Test structure, question sections, administration protocol, preparation appendix
How to prepare, and what the official references cover
The JBCC lists Texas Government Code Chapter 57, the JBCC statute (Chapters 151–157), JBCC Rules, Black's Law Dictionary, and a common dictionary as preparation references.
Use those references for the knowledge they name: Chapter 57 and the JBCC statute and rules for the legal framework of interpreter licensing in Texas, and the dictionaries for legal and general vocabulary. These are study materials, not permitted test-site aids — the exam remains closed book.
The NCSC overview's preparation appendix also suggests activities, which are recommendations rather than requirements. Match them to the tested areas so your study time tracks the exam.
- Part I skills: read widely in English, and review antonyms, synonyms, and idioms systematically, since those sections carry a large share of Part I.
- Part II court terms: read legal news with a dictionary at hand, observe proceedings if you can, and study legal dictionaries and court glossaries.
- Part II ethics: study the code of professional responsibility that governs court interpreters in Texas and the JBCC Rules, so scenario answers track the actual rules rather than instinct.
Official sources used: Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Written Exam — Exam purpose, eligibility, format, and reference list; NCSC Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates (rev. May 2020) — Test structure, question sections, administration protocol, preparation appendix
Check the instructions for your appointment
The exam is closed book. Follow the JBCC confirmation for arrival time, identification, permitted belongings and testing arrangements.
The NCSC overview describes a recommended administration protocol that states may adapt. Use it for preparation while checking the rules sent for your actual Texas appointment. Do not bring the listed study references into the testing room.
Official sources used: Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Written Exam — Exam purpose, eligibility, format, and reference list; NCSC Court Interpreter Written Examination: Overview for Candidates (rev. May 2020) — Test structure, question sections, administration protocol, preparation appendix
Results, retakes, regrades, and licensure
Written exam results issue within about 30 days, a passing score is at least 108 of 135 (80%), and regrade requests are due within 30 days of your results notice.
Results arrive by email to the address on your registration form. The JBCC does not release or discuss results by telephone or with third parties, and it will not answer result inquiries before the established timeframes: 30 days from the exam date for written exams and 90 days for oral exams.
If you do not pass, remember the six-month re-examination wait discussed earlier. If you believe your written exam was mis-scored, you can request a regrade through your online profile — select the Exam Regrade option under the General Remittance Fee tab and pay the regrade fee — but the request must be submitted within 30 days after you receive notice of the initial results.
After you pass both exams, your licensure application is processed. Allow up to 30 days from your exam results for the licensure card, which is mailed to your address on file. The system also sends an automated confirmation email once your application is approved, and you may begin providing court interpreting services once you receive the email, the card, or verify your licensure online — whichever comes first.
Official sources used: Texas JBCC Licensed Court Interpreters — Results, Regrades, & Licensure — Score thresholds, validity, retake wait, regrade window, licensure processing
Official sources used
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