NAATI examiners are the professionals who help maintain and set interpreting and translating standards. These are the standards that certification candidates are assessed by.
Examiners are recruited to sit on panels by language. As members of a panel, examiners set and mark translation and interpreting certification tests in that language.
Examiners can also be recruited to set and mark other tests, such as Credentialed Community Language (CCL) tests.
Examiners are allowed to voluntarily disclose their status as a NAATI Examiner if they choose to. You can read more about the examiner badge that NAATI provides below. Note that the number of examiners who disclose their status may not equate to the number of examiners on an examiner panel, as it is voluntary for them to do so.
Why join an examiner panel?
There are many reasons why people choose to contribute to the translating and interpreting industry as a NAATI examiner. We can’t have translators or interpreters without examiners. By becoming an examiner, you are helping ensure there are enough qualified practitioners in your language to assist people with little or poor English to confidently engage and interact with the Australian community. An added bonus, the work you contribute counts towards your professional development (PD) points.
What are the requirements?
From time-to-time, NAATI seeks suitably qualified people to join its examiner panels in languages that are offered for certification or CCL tests.
To become an examiner, you will need to satisfy a number of selection criteria:
- current NAATI certification
- tertiary qualifications in translating, interpreting, language, linguistics or related discipline
- near-native competence in English and your language
- extensive professional experience as a translator or interpreter
- strong commitment to ethical practice
- a demonstrated ability to work with others.
From November 2022, examiners are allowed to voluntarily disclose their status as an examiner publicly. NAATI provides examiners with a personalised examiner badge which lists their NAATI Practitioner ID. These badges can be displayed on their website, blog or signature block. You can see an example of this badge below.
NAATI encourages all examiners to begin any public presentations or training with a disclaimer to state that:
- They are not training or presenting on behalf of NAATI.
- They are not representing NAATI’s position.
- The advice they provide is their own and is not a guarantee of success at a NAATI test.
- NAATI has not endorsed their training.
How are examiners paid?
As contractors examiners are paid on a fee-for-service basis. The fee is based on the type of work commissioned.
Examiners can complete the majority of the tasks they are assigned remotely and around other commitments. Most current examiners undertake NAATI contract work secondary to other employment.
How do I join a panel?
NAATI assesses its panel membership regularly and will contact current certified practitioners according to panel needs. Candidates will be invited to fill in an expression of interest (EOI).
