2010 Program Calendar

The 2010 program calendar is now available in the Calendar page. It lists all program events for next year including orientation workshops and written and oral exam dates. Interpreters should review the calendar and make plans in advance for complying with program requirements in view of this year’s policy changes.

Policy Changes Effective January 1, 2010

• New candidates must complete all certification requirements before being eligible to be listed in the roster and able to work in the courts.
• Interpreters who passed a simultaneous oral exam in 2009 must take and obtain at least a 50% score in the consecutive and sight portions of the oral examination if a complete or abbreviated exam is available in their language in order to remain in the roster as either qualified or conditional interpreters. Candidates must retake whatever part of the oral test in which they failed to achieve a passing score within the applicable testing cycle in order to complete their certification.
• Interpreters who passed the simultaneous oral exam in 2009 but fail to take and obtain at minimum a 50% score in the consecutive and sight parts of the oral test will be removed from the roster.
• Candidates who passed the written exam in 2009 must take the simultaneous part of the oral exam if a full or abbreviated exam is available in their language and complete all other certification requirements in accordance with program guidelines.
• Interpreters who passed the written exam in 2009 and work in a language for which there is no full or abbreviated oral exam must take an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and perform at the superior level in order to remain listed in the roster and complete all other requirements.
• Interpreters previously included in the roster who failed to comply with oral examination or OPI testing requirements in 2009 will be removed from the roster and must complete all requirements before being reinstated to the roster.
• Candidates registered before January 2008 who have failed to comply with program requirements will be categorized as inactive and will have to restart the process if they still wish to become certified. Candidates registered after January 2008 who have complied with all requirements and are making progress towards certification will remain on active status.
• Sign language interpreters must attend the orientation workshop, pass the written exam, provide evidence of a relevant RID certificate for court interpretation as defined by the Court Administrator, and pass a background check before being eligible to be placed in the roster.
• Deaf interpreters who failed to take and pass the CDI written (knowledge) test by December 2009 will be removed from the roster and will only be reinstated after completing all CDI requirements. Deaf interpreters who passed the CDI written exam in either its written or signed version, have five (5) years to complete their CDI certificate by passing the CDI performance test in accordance with RID requirements.

For a complete description of all certification and program requirements, candidates should read the Certification and Program Description pages.

Information Update Form

Interpreters have an obligation to maintain their contact and credentials information on file with the ICP up-to-date. A form is available in the registration page for this purpose. Please use the Information Update Form to notify the program of a change of address, phone, e-mail or other contact information, your availability to accept assignments, and any other changes. Go to the registration page for more details.

Registration

Interpreters who want to work in the Pennsylvania courts must register with the ICP and be certified. Candidates may register at any time and there is no registration fee. For more information and to download a registration form, go to the Registration page.

Act 172

The legislation creating the Interpreter Certification Program was passed by the General Assembly on November 21, 2006, and signed by the governor on November 29, 2006. Act 172 of 2006 went into effect on January 29, 2007. This act established the certification program and authorized its implementation by the Supreme Court. It invests the responsibility of organizing and managing the program upon the Court Administrator of Pennsylvania.

Letter to Geneva Worldwide, Inc.

The Interpreter Certification Program sent a letter to Geneva Worldwide, Inc., in response to information it received concerning the company’s interpreter recruitment practices in Pennsylvania. The agency has been contacting interpreters insinuating that it has an exclusive contract to provide services to the Pennsylvania courts and requesting interpreters to register with the company in order to provide services to the courts. Click on the link below to read the full text of the letter.

Letter to Geneva Worldwide, Inc.