In order to be admitted to ATIA as an associate member, a candidate must pass a multi-part associate level exam.
The spring examination is held in March and April, and its mandatory information session is held in early January. The deadline for registration is in late December. The fall examination is held in September and October, and its mandatory information session is held in early July. The deadline for registration is in late June.
The Associate Level exam is administered in two sections:
Section I:
Part A: Code of Ethics
Candidates review a case study and identify breaches of ATIA’s Code of Ethics
Part B: English/French Proficiency
Candidates writing into English must pass an editing test; candidates writing from English must pass a reading comprehension test. French proficiency versions have been administered since 2003. Reading comprehension/editing exams in French are administered only for language combination that do not involve English, e.g. FR-ES, or ES-FR.
The pass mark for Parts A and B is 70%. Both parts of Section 1 must receive a passing mark.
Section II:
Part C: Translation Examination
After achieving a passing mark in Section I, the candidate is admitted to Section II - the translation exam. The translation exam consists of a general text of approximately 250 words. The exam is marked by two certified translators in the respective language combination. The pass mark is 70%. Candidates who pass the exam are eligible to become associate members of the Association. Annual associate membership dues are currently $150.
Click here to see Practice Translation Texts. This information is located under the COMMUNITY tab, under the Career Guidance tab.
Click here for information about the Introduction to Translation Weekend Seminar or navigate to the COMMUNITY tab, under the title ATIA Academy.This seminar focuses on preparing for the Associate level examination.
After becoming an associate member, the candidate has six years in which to pass the certification process, either by examination or by portfolio review (en dossier). The national exam is administered early each year by the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council - (CTTIC). Portfolio reviews may be initiated at any time during the year. Failure to pass the certification process results in loss of associate status. If the member passes the certification he/she is eligible to become a certified member (annual dues are currently $200). Certification is subject to membership in good standing and adherence to the By-laws and the Code of Ethics of the Association.
Eligibility requirements for certification:
Option A:
A degree in translation from a recognized institution plus one year of translation experience.
Option B:
For candidates without a degree in translation 4 years of experience.
Years of experience correspond to the number of words translated:
Official Languages (EN-FR / FR-EN) 1 year of experience = 100,000 words
Other Languages 1 year of experience = 30,000 words
Certified membership is also available to experienced translators through an “en dossier” or portfolio examination. Samples of a variety of work are submitted to a panel for evaluation, along with letters of reference, etc. With the exception of Quebec, which requires a mentorship process, certification status is portable to other provincial associations.
Conference and court interpreters are tested once a year through CTTIC. A candidate for the court interpreters exams must have passed an associate level examination in order to be eligible.
