F.A.Q.

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Questions and Answers: The Process toward National Medical Interpreter Certification

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:

Please note: Many questions are answered in the CMI Candidate Handbook, available on our website at: www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/candidate_handbook

When can I take the exam?
The exams are available on demand – the written exam is in English and is for all interpreters and the oral exam in Spanish is available, with more languages on the way. Projected languages for the oral exam in 2012: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian.

Please go to www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/getcertified for more information and to register online.

How should I prepare?
The CMI Candidate Handbook is available on our website and gives you a general overview of the exams and what to expect. Please go to www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/candidate_handbook

What training courses are there?
For training information, please go to the IMIA searchable Training Directory: www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp

Where are the testing sites for the written exam?
For testing sites for the written exam visit this link: www.imiaweb.org/uploads/docs/PSIPremierPlusNetworkCities.pdf

Where are the testing sites for the oral exam?
On our website you will find a list of the testing sites for the oral exam that is continually being updated and expanded - please see the landing page, the announcement about the oral exam sites, and the link to the list.

Do you have webinars and how do I join?
We have monthly webinars, and the current webinar announcement is posted on the opening page of the website, with a link to the schedule and details on how to join.

Where do I register?
Please register online at www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/register (The National Board does not accept mailed in, paper registrations.)

I submitted my registration but have not heard anything.
Please allow 4-8 weeks for the registration process, due to unprecedented volume. Your registration and pre-requisites documentation will be reviewed and you will be notified whether it was approved or if more documentation is needed.

What are the prerequisites?
You can review the prerequisites at: www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/prerequisites

How much does certification cost?
There is a nonrefundable $30 registration fee, the written exam is $170 and if you pass, the oral exam is $250. These fees are paid in stages, not all at once. All payments are done online.

I am having trouble downloading information from the website.
Most documentation on our website is in PDF format and you may have to download Adobe Reader, free on their website at http://get.adobe.com/reader/

The system does not recognize my password or has denied access.
Our administrative registrant is able to update your information on the system. Please contact info [at] certifiedmedicalinterpreters [dot] org

Once I register, how long do I have to take the written exam? 
Candidates are encouraged to take the exam as soon as possible after registering, but they have up to three months to take the exam.

How many times may one take the oral and written exam per year?
Those who have not passed the exam have to wait three months until their next attempt. There is a limit of two exams per calendar year, per person.

What are the passing grades for the exams?
The passing grades are 75% for the written and 70% for the oral.

Can I become certified before taking the oral exam?
Passing the oral exam is a requirement for earning your Certified Medical Interpreter credential – CMI.

May I take the oral exam in more than one language? Will there be a discount for an oral exam in a second or third language?
The oral exam can be taken in as many languages as are available. Currently we offer the CMI certification in Spanish but other languages will be coming soon, see our website for updates. Since administrative costs remain the same, there is no discount available at this time. Please note that candidates only have to pass the written exam once.

What if I hold an RID certificate?
The National Board is consulting with the RID to determine how to include ASL interpreters in this process.

I live out of the country – may I take the exam?
You may take the exams regardless of what country you live in, however they are only offered in the US. The National Board is working closely with other international organizations with the goal to develop an international program.

While court interpreting is different from medical interpreting, do you recognize the certification of court interpreters at any level? Do you require court certified interpreters to go through the complete certification process or are there areas of agreement?
Having court certification will meet the prerequisite requirements for proof of language proficiency for L1 and L2, but you would still have to present proof of a medical interpreting training course and take both the written and oral exams to receive your certified medical interpreter credential, CMI.

I am a nurse (or other medical provider) and have extensive knowledge of medical terminology; do I still need formal training as a medical interpreter?
Interpreter education is required according to the CLAS standards (http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15 ), which state that medical interpreters have to be tested and trained in medical interpreting. Certification tests medical terminology and specialization knowledge, but training relates to interpreting skills, standards, ethics, roles, protocol and other topics that are not covered in medical school. To see a list of available trainings facilities and organizations, please go to www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp  A training certificate from a training program of 40-70 hours is the minimum training accepted.

How long will it take to know whether I passed the oral exam?
It takes approximately 4 weeks to get the results of the oral portion of the certification process.

Once I pass the oral exam, how soon will I get my CMI credential?
After confirmation that you have passed, you may use the designation, CMI-Spanish (or another language when the oral exam in other languages become available). You will be put on the online CMI registry immediately and you will receive your CMI certificate in 4-6 weeks. The registry is at www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/registry

What are the QMI and SMI?
QMI - Qualified Medical Interpreter - for minority languages where the National Board does not have an oral exam. To achieve a QMI the candidate completes the National Board written exam and then an oral exam which is done in partnership with another national testing provider.

SMI - Screened Medical Interpreter - for newly emerging and indigenous languages. The SMI credential is awarded to candidates who successfully complete the National Board written exam and provide a portfolio that includes education, training, experience and affidavits from employers and clients.

How do the CEUs work?
For recertification and our policy on Continuing Education Units, please refer to the CMI Candidate Handbook available on our website – it has an entire section on maintaining your certification.

To find events and workshops in your area, see the International Medical Interpreters Association website at www.imiaweb.org under the “Events” tab. There is a list of IMIA Lifelong Learning Webinars that offer CEU credits, a list of medical terminology boot camps, conferences and more. There is also an events calendar that lists all events in the field, both nationally and internationally. Please also visit their searchable training directory index at www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp

Why does achieving a CMI cost money?
The cost of the exams is an investment in your professional development. In order to bring you an exam that is valid, professionally relevant and accredited, the National Board made considerable investment in research, development, and implementation. Further investment is required to maintain the exams updated, relevant, valid and accredited in the future, as well as cover administrative costs. Current costs are comparable to those of other national certifying organizations. Your investment is made in installments: first the registration, then the written exam and then (if you pass) the oral exam.

 
QUESTIONS FROM INTERPRETER MANAGERS

Will the hospital agree to fund the cost per interpreter for certification testing? For existing interpreters? For new hires?
Each hospital will decide if it wants to pay for certification of its existing interpreters or new hires.  Please discuss the alternatives with your hospital’s Professional Training or HR department.

Will we keep non-certified interpreters on staff? Wouldn’t that present us effectively with two standards of care?
That is the current situation, since ASL interpreters are certified and most spoken language interpreters are not. Currently many hospitals have different levels of requirements or position grades of medical interpreters, higher levels requesting more skills or education. Please contact your hospital’s Professional Training or HR department.

Will the certified interpreter get paid at a higher rate than the non-certified? That could be an incentive for the non-certified to achieve certification status.
Each health care organization decides on the compensation of their interpreters. It is very true that differential pay incentivates employees to acquire new skills, education, or credentials on their own. Please contact your hospital’s Professional Training or HR department to learn about your employer’s professional incentive programs.

Will there be a practice test so we can try it on the interpreters to see if they are ready to take the exam? If the interpreter is not ready, then the question is do we send that person so he/she can get testing experience, or do we wait until he/she improves?
Each institution is free to provide their own practice exams or enroll their interpreters in any of the training programs found in the International Medical Interpreters Association website (www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp). The National Board does not offer practice tests at the present time, but we do offer a free monthly webinar that covers in general what to expect for both the written and oral exams. Please visit www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/webinar-schedule-20-0 to see when the next webinar will be held and how to join.

If you don’t find your answers, please contact info [at] certifiedmedicalinterpreters [dot] org