Program Updates
Keep abreast of the latest updates and official announcements of the Interpreter Certification Program.
2023 Program Calendar
The 2023 calendar is now available in the Calendar page. Candidates are responsible for keeping informed of program events. Please use the calendar and the suggested testing sequences to plan your credentialing progress. Program events are subject to change.
Interpreter Program Regulations Revised
On January 1, 2022, the revised Interpreter Program Regulations (42 Pa.C.S. §§ 4411 and 4431) became effective. They were renamed and incorporated into the UJS Language Access plan. Among others, they relax the limitations on remote interpreting, implement an updated compensation schedule that applies to both onsite and remote assignments, and adopt a new legal interpreting credential for sign language interpreters. You can read the revised regulations here.
Monthly Roster Update Summary
The Pennsylvania Interpreter Roster is updated monthly. To view this month's changes to the roster, open the Monthly Roster Update Summary. To view the complete roster, go to the Roster page.
Waiver of continued education policy restrictions made permanent
Due to the on-going pandemic, and to help interpreters remain compliant with the CEU policy requirements, the waiver of the six (6) CEUs restriction on live online trainings is made permanent. Going forward, any live online courses led by an instructor or trainer that include a final assessment or test of the participant’s performance, are eligible for credit at the rate of one (1) CEU per contact hour. The maximum number of credits that will be approved for a single in-person or live online training event is twelve (12). At least three (3) credits must be related to professional conduct (ethics). Up to three (3) CEUs will be approved for training related to medical interpreting. Archived, recorded and self-study trainings will not be approved. The CEU approval process has been simplified for approved providers listed on the Resources page. Go to the Continuing Education page for more details.
Modification of CEU Reporting Requirements
Effective January 1, 2021 the process for reporting CEUs as part of the credential renewal requirement every two years was modified. Interpreters will now be required to submit a Continuing Education Compliance Form two months before their renewal deadline. Interpreters are expected to keep track of the CEUs they have completed. Training provided by approved providers listed in the resources page will not need pre-approval. Training provided by entities not listed in the resources page will still require pre-approval and the submission of a Continuing Education Approval Form at least thirty days before the event. Go to the Continuing Education page for complete details about the new requirement and learn how the reporting will work.
Continuing Education Reminder
Interpreters listed in the roster who fail to comply with continuing education requirements will be removed from the roster and must complete all requirements to be eligible for reinstatement to the roster. To learn about continuing education requirements go to the Continuing Education page.
Compliance with Compensation Schedule
All interpreters registered with the program and listed in the roster are expected to follow the fee schedule posted in the Compensation Schedule page. As a condition of being listed in the roster, interpreters sign an agreement to abide by all program regulations and policies, including the compensation schedule and its miscellaneous expenses provisions for travel time, mileage, and cancellation fees. Failure to abide by these provisions could result in disciplinary action. The revised schedule effective January 1, 2022 applies to both onsite and remote assignments.
Testing Policies Effective January 1, 2023
- Candidates who passed a simultaneous oral exam in 2022 must take the consecutive and sight portions of the oral examination within one (1) year after passing the simultaneous test. Any part not passed must be retaken within two (2) years of passing the simultaneous test to comply with the two year testing cycle.
- Candidates who score sixty (60) per cent or higher in the simultaneous portion of the oral examination will be allowed to take the sight and consecutive parts of the test. If they score 60% or above in the sight and consecutive parts they will be placed in the roster as either qualified or conditional interpreters based on the combined score in all three parts of the test and will be allowed to work in limited types of cases while waiting to retest to achieve certification. Candidates must still complete full certification within the two (2) year testing cycle, which begins on the date the candidate passes the simultaneous oral exam.
- Effective February 1, 2017 candidates in languages other than Spanish (LOTS) who score fifty (50) per cent or higher in the simultaneous part of the oral exam will be allowed to take the sight and consecutive parts of the test. If they obtain a combined score of 60% or higher in all three parts of the exam, they will be placed in the roster as either qualified or conditional interpreters based on the combined score of all three parts of the test. They will be allowed to work in limited types of cases while continuing to retest to achieve certification. Candidates must still complete full certification within the two (2) year testing cycle, which begins on the date the candidate passes the simultaneous oral exam.
- Candidates who passed the written exam in 2022 must take the simultaneous part of the oral exam if a full or abbreviated exam is available in their language and demonstrate progress towards completing all other credentialing requirements in accordance with program guidelines.
- Candidates who passed the multiple choice written exam in 2022 and work in a language with no full or abbreviated NCSC oral exam must take an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Versant Spoken English test no later than six (6) months after passing the written exam and complete all other requirements. Both exams are administered on the same day.
Loss of Active Status
- Candidates who fail to make progress on their credentialing or participate in program events for two years from the date of their last activity are moved to inactive status and will have to restart the process if they still wish to become credentialed.
- Candidates registered before January 2019 who failed to follow up with their credentialing process will be categorized as inactive and will have to restart the credentialing process if they still wish to become credentialed.
- Candidates registered after January 2019 who have complied with all requirements and are making progress towards completing their credentialing will remain on active status.
Candidates should read the Interpreter Certification page for a complete description of all certification and program requirements.
Identification Cards and Certificates
As of January 2017, all certified and otherwise qualified interpreters listed on the roster are issued identification cards bearing their name, language, credentialing level, ID number, and certification expiration date. Interpreters also receive a certificate attesting they have completed all credentialing requirements. Newly certified candidates are issued ID cards and certificates upon completion of their certification and placement in the roster. Interpreters are required to show picture ID along with their cards for verification purposes whenever requested. ID cards and certificates will be reissued every two years upon renewal of credentials.