Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test Candidate Instructions

• You are expected to be courteous and respectful towards NAATI support staff before, during and after the test. 
• If the identity of the person taking the test cannot be confirmed, test results will not be issued.
  • NAATI only accepts current passports (from any country) or Australian or New Zealand-issued ID documents, such as driver’s licences or a proof of age card. You can see the different forms of ID we accept here. If you need assistance, please email us at onlinetesting@naati.com.au a week before your test day.
• All NAATI test times in AET (Sydney/Canberra time). If you miss your test date or time, you will not be tested and will not receive a refund.
• You must ensure you have reliable equipment (laptop, phone and internet) and the minimum required internet speed available on their test day. If the test cannot proceed due to a faulty device or slow internet, it will be cancelled. See ‘Equipment & system requirements‘ above.
• Devices (including mobile phones, headsets, laptops, tablets and other smart devices such as smart watches) other than the devices being used to take the test must be turned off and positioned in a different room. Only one screen is allowed at any given time.
• All headsets, headphones or earphones are not allowed. Please ensure you use a computer or a laptop with working in-built or external speakers and microphone to sit the test.
• The desk should be clear of any unauthorised items
• The test is audio and video recorded.
  • All suspicious behaviour will be flagged, and you may be contacted for clarification.
  • Any candidates caught cheating, including using a device to record or photograph test materials or communicate with a third party, will have their test cancelled, test results will not be issued, and the candidate may be banned from sitting future NAATI tests.
• No electronic resources (dictionaries, web browsing, live caption or transcription features) or typing of notes are permitted. You may take notes with a pen and loose sheets of paper. You cannot bring any existing notes.
• Your test performance must be less than 20 minutes. That includes the recordings of the dialogue segments and your performance only.
  • The time taken to navigate between dialogues or segments, read instructions or upload your responses is not counted towards this time.
  • NAATI may stop assessing your test performance when the recording reaches 20 minutes if your test runs for longer than that.
• Candidates must begin interpreting within 5 seconds of the chime sound. Long pauses may result in marks being deducted, particularly if it results in the total test recording going for longer than 20 minutes.
• By participating in the test, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of the test materials. 
• Refer to the Terms and Conditions for the rescheduling and cancellation policy.

If you do not understand a segment and need to repeat it, press ‘Finish attempt’ then press the ‘Start’ button again. The whole segment will replay.

Note: You can only repeat one segment per dialogue without penalty. If you repeat more than one segment per dialogue, marks will be deducted from your score.

Please see the graphic below which explains the difference between a dialogue and a segment.

If you take long pauses or repeatedly correct your interpreting, this will distract from the flow of the “conversation” assessed during the test. Marks may be deducted by the examiners.

• If you realise that you have made an error, you are allowed to correct yourself before continuing. You should preface your correction with an explanation, such as “Sorry, I’ll just say that part again.” 

• Candidates must begin interpreting within five (5) seconds of the chime sound. Long pauses may result in marks being deducted, particularly if it results in the total test recording going for longer than 20 minutes. 

Direct speech or speaking in the first person is more common and acceptable in both formal (legal, medical and law enforcement scenarios) and informal (community interpreting) interpreting settings.

Indirect speech or third-person style is not acceptable in interpreting.

If you interpret a sentence or a segment in indirect speech during your test, marks may be deducted by the examiners. Your test may be invalidated if you interpret the entire dialogue(s) in indirect speech.

Below are two examples demonstrating the difference between direct and indirect speech.

Example 1

Direct speech: “I’m asking local residents how we can improve our park facilities.”

Indirect speech: “The councillor said to the residents, ‘How can we improve our park facilities?'”

Example 2

Direct speech: “We had to spend 10 hours at the airport to get a connecting flight.”

Indirect speech: “They said that they had to spend 10 hours at the airport to get a connecting flight.”