Registration Now Closed for the Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE)
Registration is now closed for the 2021 limited administration of the BIE. The BIE will not be administered again in 2021. The Judicial Council anticipates administering the BIE for additional certified languages in 2022. Interested candidates are encouraged to check the Exam for Language Access Providers in the California Courts web page and this web page for updates.
New and Returning Candidates:
There are 15 spoken certified languages in California.
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Arabic Eastern Armenian Western Armenian* Cantonese Farsi (Persian) |
Japanese* Khmer Korean Mandarin Portuguese |
Punjabi Russian Spanish Tagalog (Filipino) Vietnamese |
*Examinations for Western Armenian and Japanese are not available. If your language of choice is not listed, click here to be redirected to a list of registered interpreting languages.
STEPS FOR BECOMING A CERTIFIED COURT INTERPRETER IN CALIFORNIA
To become a California certified court interpreter, candidates must first pass the Written Examination before taking the Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE).
The Candidate Information Bulletin provides information on testing requirements, testing windows, what to expect on test day, rescheduling/cancellation policy and much more.
The 9 steps to becoming a certified court interpreter are downloadable here.
REVIEW CHECKLIST
Interpreting Candidates must meet the requirements in the order as outlined:
Written Examination
Pass the Written Examination with a minimum score of 80%. The examination tests three primary content areas—English language, court-related terms and usage, and ethics/professional conduct
Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE)
Take the Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE) in one testing administration and pass the examination with a minimum score of 70% on each testing component in this section.
- Sight Translation (English language to target language);
- Sight Translation (target language to English language)
- Simultaneous Interpreting; and
- Consecutive Interpreting.
Interpreter Orientation: Working in the California Courts
Take the interpreter orientation course and provide to the Court Interpreters Program of the Judicial Council of California a copy of the course completion certificate.
Credential Application
Complete and submit the Master list of Certified and Registered Interpreters credential application to the Judicial council of California, Court Interpreters Program. The application is required only if the interpreting candidate wants to be included in the Statewide master list of California certified court interpreters
Judicial Council Code of Ethics Training
Complete the required ethics training within the first two years of enrolling as a new interpreter with the Court Interpreters Program.
RECIPROCITY
Effective January 1, 2011, the California Court Interpreters Program offers test reciprocity to court interpreters who passed Consortium-developed oral interpreting examinations (the California equivalent to the BIE) administered in member states. Please note that the California Court Interpreters Program will only recognize oral interpreting examination standards and scores that meet or exceed the requirements in California. For additional information about reciprocity, click here.
For reciprocity questions, please contact the Judicial Council Court Interpreters Program at courtinterpretersprogram@jud.ca.gov.