Reminder for candidates
Auslan > English (open tab to navigate)
Preparing for test day
You must have a photo identity document (passport or Australian driver’s licence) ready when you begin your test. Click here to learn more about identity verification.
You may bring offline and paper resources to prepare for the Seen Speech and Unseen Speech (long) tasks, such as:
- Electronic (non-internet connected) and hard copy dictionaries, glossaries and thesauri, including self-developed glossaries.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your devices will function for the duration of the test, and to bring any chargers or batteries.
You may wish to bring food to the test venue as you may need to wait several hours for your test to start. Any food must be consumed in the Waiting Room.
In the Preparation Room NAATI will provide:
- Non-internet-connected (offline) computers (to watch introductory videos)
- A clean hard copy of the speech reference material (Unseen Speech (long) task)
- A clean hard copy of the Interpreting Brief
- A pen and paper for note taking (to be returned at the conclusion of the task), and
- A glass of water.
In the Test Rooms NAATI will provide:
- A pen and paper for note taking (to be returned at the conclusion of each task)
- A glass of water
NAATI will not provide:
- Technical support should you experience issues with your equipment
- Resources to prepare for the tasks
You must follow these conditions. If you do not, NAATI may cancel your test or not issue your test result. If this happens, you will not receive a refund of your test fee.
Leaving the test venue
Once testing has started, you are not allowed to leave the test venue until your test is complete. If you do, you cannot re-enter the venue or continue your test at a later time.
Behaviour on test day
You are expected to be courteous and respectful towards NAATI staff, supervisors and other candidates. You cannot communicate with other candidates on the test day once your test has started.
Use of internet and communications devices
You are not allowed to use the communication or video/photo functions of any electronic device at the test venue, including in the Waiting Room. This includes your phone, laptop, tablet and other smart devices.
You may only access the internet in the Preparation Room to research the Seen Speech task. You will have access to internet-connected computers in this room and cannot use your own devices.
Confidentiality
All test materials are the property of NAATI. You are not permitted to make or take away copies, paper or electronic, of any test material, or reproduce the test or communicate the test content to a third party.
NAATI test supervisors manage logistics, the equipment recording your test, start and finish times, and any other issues. A supervisor will be in each room, and will tell you when to move between the different rooms.
Supervisors are not permitted to talk about the content of the task or comment on your performance.
You must always follow the supervisors’ instructions.
Test overview
The Auslan into English Certified Conference Interpreter test consists of three Monologue tasks.
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Seen Speech) – Monologue task
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Unseen Speech – long) – Monologue task
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Unseen Speech – short) – Monologue task
Each Certified Conference Interpreter test is in one language direction only; that is, all tasks will be in Auslan and need to be interpreted into English.
All tasks deal with high level speeches by academics, officials and representatives at national and international conferences, meetings and events, set in different domains commonly found in the conference interpreting context. The test includes one task from the domains of science, health, linguistics, social sciences or humanities; one from the domains of public policy, social services or human rights; and one from the domains of education, disability or the deaf community.
Each test is conducted in a single day. Each task should take no more than 20 minutes, but you may need to wait, both for your test to start and between tasks. This can add up to a number of hours, depending on the number of candidates on the day.
The expected completion time of the test session is listed in your test confirmation email.
After you check in, a NAATI staff member will direct you to sit in the Waiting Room. You will wait in this room until it is time to start your test. You will place any electronic devices, including electronic dictionaries, glossaries or thesauri, phone, laptop, tablet or other smart device in a secure storage area.
In the Waiting Room, you can access your hard copy resources. You cannot use any electronic devices in this room.
You will have 15 minutes before the Seen Speech and Unseen Speech (long) tasks to prepare. There is no preparation time before the Unseen Speech (short) task.
In the Preparation Room, NAATI will provide you with a hard copy of the interpreting brief, as well as the preparation materials for each task:
- a non-internet connected computer to watch the extended briefing video, for the Seen Speech task;
- a hard copy of the speech reference material, and a non-internet connected computer to watch the video introduction by the Auslan signer, for the Unseen Speech (long) task.
In this room, you can use your (non-internet connected) electronic and hard copy resources to prepare for each task, and you may write notes which you can take into the Test Room. You cannot communicate with other candidates in this room.
The Test Room is where you will complete the actual tasks. There will be no further explanation of the task or conditions once you enter the Test Room.
You cannot bring any electronic or hard copy resources into the Test Room.
For the Seen Speech task, you can only bring the interpreting brief and any handwritten notes you made in the Preparation Room.
For the Unseen Speech (long) task, you can only bring the interpreting brief, the hard copy of the speech reference material and any handwritten notes you made in the Preparation Room.
You may write notes during the test. You must leave the interpreting brief, the speech reference material and any handwritten notes in the Test Room.
Sitting the test
You must check in for your test between the arrival time and the registration closing time listed in your test confirmation email. NAATI staff will check you in by verifying your identity. You can view more information about our identity verification policy on the website.
NAATI will not admit you to the test if you arrive after the registration closing time.
Your test will be video recorded for assessment by NAATI examiners.
For the Seen Speech simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 10 to 12 minutes long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Seen Speech so that you can prepare. 24 hours before the test, you will receive a journal article on the same topic as the speech.
On the day of your test, you will have 15 minutes to prepare for the task in the Preparation Room, where you will be given a hard copy of the brief, and will have access to a non-internet connected computer to watch the extended introductory briefing video. This video is intended to simulate the kind of information you would get from a conversation with the presenter prior to their presentation. You may watch this video as many times as you like during the 15 minutes and may take the brief and any handwritten notes you make during this time with you into the test room.
After preparation, you will be directed to the Test Room.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must sit where the test supervisor tells you to at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting.
At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after the interpreting brief. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish interpreting after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
For the Unseen Speech (long) simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 10 to 12 minutes long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Unseen Speech (long) so that you can prepare. On the day of your test, you will have 15 minutes to prepare for the task in the Preparation Room, where you will be given a hard copy of the brief and a hard copy of the speech reference material. The speech reference material will be about 300 words long in the form of dot points and is intended to simulate the kind of summary information you would get from a PowerPoint presentation or a media release. You will also have access to a non-internet connected computer to watch a brief video introduction by the Auslan signer to allow you to familiarise yourself with the presenter’s signing style. You may watch this video as many times as you like during the 15 minutes and may take the brief, the speech reference material and any handwritten notes you make during this time with you into the test room.
After preparation, you will be directed to the Test Room.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must sit where the test supervisor tells you to at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting.
At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after the interpreting brief. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish interpreting after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
For the Unseen Speech (short) simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 6 to 8 minutes long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Unseen Speech (short) so that you can prepare. On the day of your test, you will not have any preparation time for this task.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must sit where the test supervisor tells you to at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting. At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you.
The Unseen Speech (short) simultaneous interpreting monologue includes a brief introduction by the Auslan signer immediately after the interpreting brief to allow you to familiarise yourself with the presenter’s signing style. You do not need to interpret the introduction. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after this introduction. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish recording after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
Assessments & results
Assessment
At least 2 NAATI examiners will independently assess your performance in the test. They will assess each task separately, using assessment rubrics with 5 bands (with Band 1 representing the highest level of performance and Band 5 the lowest). Your task performance will be marked against each criterion, which are the same for all task types, as outlined below.
For each task, NAATI examiners will assess your:
- Transfer competency: Meaning transfer skill, Application of interpreting mode, and Rhetorical skill.
- Language competency: Language proficiency enabling meaning transfer into the target language.
Refer to our language policy to understand how the examiners will assess your use of language in your test.
You need to achieve at least Band 2 for each criterion, and you must pass all three tasks to pass the test.
You can read the assessment rubrics here:
Results & receiving your credential
NAATI aims to issue results within 8-10 weeks of the test date. We will issue results as they are finalised, so some candidates will receive their results earlier than others even if they sit the test on the same day.
If you have already passed any prerequisite screening tests (Ethical Competency and/or Intercultural Competency), we will issue your credential if you pass this test.
Supplementary testing
You must attempt all tasks and pass at least two interpreting tasks to be eligible to apply for a supplementary test. You must apply for the supplementary test from your myNAATI account within 30 days of receiving your test results. The supplementary test will involve re-sitting only the failed task.
If you pass the supplementary test, NAATI will award you the Certified Conference Interpreter credential in the relevant language direction. If you fail the supplementary test, this means you have failed the test. You can apply for another Certified Conference Interpreter test with NAATI if you want to sit the test again.
Downloads
English > Auslan (open tab to navigate)
Preparing for test day
You must have a photo identity document (passport or Australian driver’s licence) ready when you begin your test. Click here to learn more about identity verification.
You may bring offline and paper resources to prepare for the Seen Speech and Unseen Speech (long) tasks, such as:
- Electronic (non-internet connected) and hard copy dictionaries, glossaries and thesauri, including self-developed glossaries.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your devices will function for the duration of the test, and to bring any chargers or batteries.
You may wish to bring food to the test venue as you may need to wait several hours for your test to start. Any food must be consumed in the Waiting Room.
In the Preparation Room NAATI will provide:
- A clean hard copy of the Interpreting Brief and Seen Speech script
- A clean hard copy of the speech reference material (Unseen Speech (long) task)
- A pen and paper for note taking (to be returned at the conclusion of the task), and
- A glass of water.
In the Test Rooms NAATI will provide:
- A pen and paper for note taking (to be returned at the conclusion of each task)
- A glass of water
NAATI will not provide:
- Technical support should you experience issues with your equipment
- Resources to prepare for the tasks
You must follow these conditions. If you do not, NAATI may cancel your test or not issue your test result. If this happens, you will not receive a refund of your test fee.
Leaving the test venue
Once testing has started, you are not allowed to leave the test venue until your test is complete. If you do, you cannot re-enter the venue or continue your test at a later time.
Behaviour on test day
You are expected to be courteous and respectful towards NAATI staff, supervisors and other candidates. You cannot communicate with other candidates on the test day once your test has started.
Use of internet and communications devices
You are not allowed to use the communication or video/photo functions of any electronic device at the test venue, including in the Waiting Room. This includes your phone, laptop, tablet and other smart devices.
You may only access the internet in the Preparation Room to research the Seen Speech task. You will have access to internet-connected computers in this room and cannot use your own devices.
Confidentiality
All test materials are the property of NAATI. You are not permitted to make or take away copies, paper or electronic, of any test material, or reproduce the test or communicate the test content to a third party.
NAATI test supervisors manage logistics, the equipment recording your test, start and finish times, and any other issues. A supervisor will be in each room, and will tell you when to move between the different rooms.
Supervisors are not permitted to talk about the content of the task or comment on your performance.
You must always follow the supervisors’ instructions.
Test overview
The English into Auslan Certified Conference Interpreter test consists of three Monologue tasks.
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Seen Speech) – Monologue task
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Unseen Speech – long) – Monologue task
- One Simultaneous Interpreting (Unseen Speech – short) – Monologue task
Each Certified Conference Interpreter test is in one language direction only; that is, all tasks will be in English and need to be interpreted into Auslan.
Each test is conducted in a single day. Each task should take no more than 20 minutes, but you may need to wait, both for your test to start and between tasks. This can add up to a number of hours, depending on the number of candidates on the day.
The expected completion time of the test session is listed in your test confirmation email.
After you check in, a NAATI staff member will direct you to sit in the Waiting Room. You will wait in this room until it is time to start your test. You will place any electronic devices, including electronic dictionaries, glossaries or thesauri, phone, laptop, tablet or other smart device in a secure storage area.
In the Waiting Room, you can access your hard copy resources. You cannot use any electronic devices in this room.
You will have 15 minutes before the Seen Speech and Unseen Speech (long) tasks to prepare. There is no preparation time before the Unseen Speech (short) task.
In the Preparation Room, NAATI will provide you with a hard copy of the interpreting brief, as well as the preparation materials for each task:
- a clean hard copy of the Seen Speech script;
- a clean hard copy of the speech reference material for the Unseen Speech (long) task.
In this room, you can use your (non-internet connected) electronic and hard copy resources to prepare for each task, and you may write notes which you can take into the Test Room. You cannot communicate with other candidates in this room.
The Test Room is where you will complete the actual tasks. There will be no further explanation of the task or conditions once you enter the Test Room.
You cannot bring any electronic or hard copy resources into the Test Room.
For the Seen Speech task, you can only bring the interpreting brief, the hard copy of the speech script and any handwritten notes you made in the Preparation Room.
For the Unseen Speech (long) task, you can only bring the interpreting brief, the hard copy of the speech reference material and any handwritten notes you made in the Preparation Room.
You may write notes during the test. You must leave the interpreting brief, the speech reference material and any handwritten notes in the Test Room.
Sitting the test
You must check in for your test between the arrival time and the registration closing time listed in your test confirmation email. NAATI staff will check you in by verifying your identity. You can view more information about identity verification on the website.
NAATI will not admit you to the test if you arrive after the registration closing time.
Your test will be video recorded for assessment by NAATI examiners.
For the Seen Speech simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 1500 words long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Seen Speech so that you can prepare. 24 hours before the test, you will receive a journal article on the same topic as the speech.
On the day of your test, will have 15 minutes to prepare for the task in the Preparation Room, where you will be given a hard copy of the brief, and the text of the speech. Note that the text of the speech will differ slightly from the video-recorded speech, and you will need to be able to adapt to this while interpreting. After preparation, you will be directed to the Test Room. You can take the brief, the seen speech text and any handwritten notes you made during preparation with you.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must stand where the test supervisor tells you at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting.
At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after the interpreting brief. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish interpreting after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
For the Unseen Speech (long) simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 1200 words long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Unseen Speech (long) so that you can prepare. On the day of your test, you will have 15 minutes to prepare for the task in the Preparation Room, where you will be given a hard copy of the brief and a hard copy of the speech reference material. The speech reference material will be about 300 words long in the form of dot points and is intended to simulate the kind of summary information you would get from a PowerPoint presentation or a media release. After preparation, you will be directed to the Test Room. You can take the brief, the speech reference material and any handwritten notes you made during preparation with you.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must stand where the test supervisor tells you at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting.
At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after the interpreting brief. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish interpreting after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
For the Unseen Speech (short) simultaneous interpreting monologue task, you will use simultaneous mode to interpret a monologue delivered from a video recording, played for you by a test supervisor. The monologue is about 800 words long.
One week prior to the test you will receive the interpreting brief for the Unseen Speech (short) so that you can prepare. On the day of your test, you will not have any preparation time for this task.
The task will start shortly after you enter the Test Room. You must stand where the test supervisor tells you at the front of the Test Room to deliver your interpreting.
At the start of the video recording, the task instructions and the interpreting brief will be played to you. The monologue that you need to interpret will begin immediately after the interpreting brief. You should start interpreting as soon as possible after the monologue begins and continue to interpret for the duration of the monologue. You cannot ask for any clarifications, repeats or pauses of the recording. You are required to complete interpreting within 30 seconds after the end of the monologue.
The task will end when you finish interpreting after the end of the recorded monologue.
While the whole task will be marked, examiners will be lenient towards the first 60 seconds of interpreting to allow you to warm up. The end of these 60 seconds will not be indicated in any way during the test.
Assessments & results
Assessment
At least 2 NAATI examiners will independently assess your performance in the test. They will assess each task separately, using assessment rubrics with 5 bands (with Band 1 representing the highest level of performance and Band 5 the lowest). Your task performance will be marked against each criterion, which are the same for all task types, as outlined below.
For each task, NAATI examiners will assess your:
- Transfer competency: Meaning transfer skill, Application of interpreting mode, and Rhetorical skill.
- Language competency: Language proficiency enabling meaning transfer into the target language.
Refer to our language policy to understand how the examiners will assess your use of language in your test.
You need to achieve at least Band 2 for each criterion, and you must pass all three tasks to pass the test.
You can read the assessment rubrics here:
Results & receiving your credential
NAATI aims to issue results within 8-10 weeks of the test date. We will issue results as they are finalised, so some candidates will receive their results earlier than others even if they sit the test on the same day.
If you have already passed any prerequisite screening tests (Ethical Competency and/or Intercultural Competency), we will issue your credential if you pass this test.
Supplementary testing
You must attempt all tasks and pass at least two interpreting tasks to be eligible to apply for a supplementary test. You must apply for the supplementary test from your myNAATI account within 30 days of receiving your test results. The supplementary test will involve re-sitting only the failed task.
If you pass the supplementary test, NAATI will award you the Certified Conference Interpreter credential in the relevant language direction. If you fail the supplementary test, this means you have failed the test. You can apply for another Certified Conference Interpreter test with NAATI if you want to sit the test again.
