To earn the National Interpreter Certification, you need a bachelor’s degree (or an approved equivalency), a passing score on the CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam, and a passing score on the CASLI Generalist Performance Exam for NIC taken within five years of the knowledge exam. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) awards the credential, and the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI) builds and runs the exams.1Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. About CASLI The current national interpreter certification requirements took their present shape in January 2021, when CASLI’s exams replaced the older NIC Knowledge Exam, so older study guides describe a process that no longer exists.
Degree or Approved Equivalency
Every candidate needs at least a bachelor’s degree in any field before sitting for the performance exam. It does not have to be in interpreting, Deaf studies, or anything related — any accredited four-year degree qualifies.2Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. What Are the NIC Interview and Performance Exam Educational Requirements Official transcripts have to be on file in your RID/CASLI account, and the name on the transcripts must match your current legal name in the system.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s, you can apply through RID’s Alternative Pathway Program using the Educational Equivalency Application (EEA). The EEA awards points for college coursework, interpreting experience, and professional development, and an approved EEA stands in for the degree.3Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Alternative Pathway Program This applies even if you already hold a different RID certification; previous credentials do not exempt you.2Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. What Are the NIC Interview and Performance Exam Educational Requirements
The Knowledge Exam
The first testing stage is the CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam (CGKE), which replaced the retired NIC Knowledge Exam in January 2021.4Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. NIC Knowledge Exam Details It is a single computer-based exam with two parts taken together. The Fundamentals of Interpreting portion covers interpreting theory, linguistic structures, and the interpreting process. The Case Studies portion presents scenarios where you apply the RID Code of Professional Conduct and demonstrate cultural responsiveness.5Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Frequently Asked Questions
The CGKE costs $450 at the regular rate and $350 for current RID members, including Student and Associate members. Membership has to be active when you purchase; paying for the exam first and renewing afterward will not get you the discount retroactively.6Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Payment Information After you buy the exam through the CASLI Exam System, ScanTron emails you a Notice to Schedule with booking instructions.7Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Scheduling Your Appointment Results arrive by email within ten business days.8Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Exam Results and Retakes
The Performance Exam
Passing the knowledge exam opens a five-year window. Within that window you have to pass the CASLI Generalist Performance Exam for NIC, or you lose the knowledge pass and start over.8Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Exam Results and Retakes
The performance exam is a recorded, computer-based assessment of six interpreting scenarios drawn from community settings and built around generalized vocabulary. You interpret in both directions, ASL to spoken English and English to ASL. Your work is captured on screen and on video, then sent to anonymous raters across the country for scoring.9Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. For NIC Candidates Because people score each recording, results take roughly 90 days.8Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters. Exam Results and Retakes
The performance exam is $500 at the regular rate and $450 for RID members.6Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Payment Information Scheduling works differently from the knowledge exam. After purchase, you receive a Proctor Token Number and use the “View Proctor Locations” feature to find a Licensed Test Administrator (LTA) and book directly with them.7Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Scheduling Your Appointment
How Purchasing and Scheduling Work
Both exams run through the same intake. You submit a request form on the CASLI website to have the exam added to your CASLI Exam System account. CASLI staff manually verify your eligibility, confirming educational prerequisites and any prior results. Once you’re cleared, you purchase the exam in the portal and get a confirmation email with scheduling instructions.10Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Taking the Exam
Bring government-issued photo ID on test day, and make sure the name on it matches your registration exactly. A mismatch can keep you from sitting for the exam.
If You Don’t Pass
A failed exam is not the end of the road, but there are mandatory waits. The knowledge exam has a three-month waiting period before you can retake it. The performance exam has a six-month wait. After the wait, you submit a new request, CASLI re-verifies your eligibility, and you repurchase.11Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Retaking Your Exam
Appeals are narrow. You cannot appeal your score or a rater’s judgment. CASLI only accepts appeals for problems with the test site, administrative errors, technical failures, or catastrophic events, and the appeal has to be filed within five business days of the exam, not after results arrive.12Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation. Exam Appeals If something goes wrong in the room — a disruption, a computer glitch — document it and file right away rather than waiting to see your score.
Keeping the Certification Active
The NIC is not permanent. Keeping it requires continuing education and keeping your RID membership paid.
Continuing Education
RID’s Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) runs in four-year cycles ending December 31 of the fourth year. In each cycle, certified interpreters complete 8.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs):
- At least 6.0 CEUs in Professional Studies (interpreting-related professional development).
- Up to 2.0 CEUs in General Studies may count toward the 8.0 total.
- At least 1.0 of the 6.0 Professional Studies CEUs must address Power, Privilege, and Oppression topics.13Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Certification Maintenance Program (CMP)
Specialty certificate holders have carve-outs inside the 6.0 Professional Studies CEUs. Legal interpreting specialists (SC:L) must put at least 2.0 CEUs toward legal topics, and performing arts specialists (SC:PA) must put 2.0 toward performing arts topics.13Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Certification Maintenance Program (CMP)
Membership Dues
Annual RID dues for certified members are $220, or $140 for senior members age 55 and older. The membership year runs July 1 through June 30, and dues are due by August 1. Missing that deadline terminates your certification for non-payment.14Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Membership Freelancers without an employer tracking it for them are the most likely to lose certification over what is really an administrative lapse.
State Rules Still Apply
The NIC is a national credential and does not automatically satisfy every state’s rules. Some states require a separate state license or registration before you can work in certain settings, particularly courtrooms and government offices. Others have no interpreter licensing at all. Some states accept the NIC as proof of qualification for a state license; others require their own testing. If you plan to work in legal settings, check your state’s specific requirements, because court interpreter qualifications often involve state-level testing on top of national certification, and any state license fees come on top of your RID dues.