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California Registered Court Interpreter Information

California Registered Court Interpreter Information

Preparation

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Administration of the Oral Proficiency Examination Is Open Year-Round

Registered Status Languages

Candidates for languages not designated as certified may pursue registered court interpreter status. To qualify, candidates must:

  • Pass the Written Examination, and
  • Pass the Oral Proficiency Examination (OPE) in English and the target language (if available), and
  • Fulfill all Judicial Council requirements.

Important: Passing the OPE in a certified language does not qualify a candidate for certified status. There is no certified designation for registered languages.

Oral Proficiency Examination (OPE)

The OPE is conducted by a certified ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) interviewer via a secure phone connection. The exam is recorded and later rated. There is no required order for taking the exams for registered status. Candidates who pass all required exams and meet Judicial Council requirements are eligible for referral as registered court interpreters.
 

Required ElementsRegistered Status
1) Written Exam tests three primary content areas: English language, court-related terms and usage, and ethics/professional conduct.√
2) Oral Proficiency Exam (English) exam measures the ability of an individual to communicate in spoken English.√
3) Oral Proficiency Exam (Non-English Language)* exam measures the ability of an individual to communicate in the spoken language being tested.√
4) Attend a Judicial Council Code of Ethics Workshop (within their first two-year compliance period).√

*NOTE: Candidates pursuing registered status in one of the languages for which an Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) is not available still must take and pass the Written Exam and the English OPE.

Exams are subject to availability. The current list of supported languages is as follows:

Exams for Registered Status Languages*

AfrikaansAkan-TwiAlbanian**AssyrianAzerbaijani
BaluchiBengaliBosnianBulgarianBurmese
Cambodian (Khmer)CebuanoChechenCzechDanish
DariDutchEnglishFinnishFrench
**GaGeorgianGermanGreek (Modern)Gujarati
Haitian CreoleHausaHebrewHindiHmong/Mong
HungarianIlocanoIndonesianItalian     Japanese
**Javanese **Kazakh  **Kikongo KinyarwandaKrio
Kurdish**Kurdish-SoraniLao**LingalaMalay
MalayalamMongolianNepaliNorwegianPashto
PolishRomanianSerbian-CroatianSindhiSinhalese
SlovakSomaliSwahiliSwedishTajik
TamilTausugTeluguThaiTurkish
TurkmenUighurUkrainianUrduUzbek
**(Western) ArmenianWolofYorubaZulu 

* List of exams for registered status languages is subject to change based on exam availability.
** Exam administration for this language is subject to rater availability.

Registration for the Oral Proficiency Examination

To register and schedule your Oral Proficiency Examination, contact Prometric at 1-800-967-1139, Option 2, Option 2, Option 3, Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–3 p.m. (PST).

  • Provide your legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued ID during registration.

ID Requirements

Your identification must:

  • Be valid and unexpired
  • Be government-issued (e.g., driver’s license, passport, state ID, or military ID)
  • Include a current photo and your signature

Test Locations

The Oral Proficiency Exam is offered at select Prometric test centers in California.

  • Before calling, select at least two preferred testing locations.
  • Note: Not all Prometric centers offer both the Written and Oral exams at the same site.
Test Center Locations in California

City

Address

Alameda1411 Harbor Bay Pkwy., Suite 1001, CA 94502
Anaheim1290 N. Hancock St., Suite 250, CA 92807
Camarillo501 Mobil Ave., Suite D, CA 93010
Culver City5601 W. Slauson Blvd., Suite 110, CA 90230
Fair Oaks5330 Primrose Drive, Suite 200, CA 95628
Fresno2540 W. Shaw Lane, Suite 110A, CA 93711
Lake Forest24551 Raymond Way, Suite 180, CA 92630
Rancho Cucamonga7365 Carnelian St., Suite 107, CA 91730
San Bruno801 Traeger Ave., Suite 104, CA 94066
San Diego5075 Shoreham Place, Suite 180, CA 92122
San Francisco100 California St., Suite 105, CA 94111
San Francisco222 Kearny St., Suite 603, CA 94108
San Jose2665 N. First St., Suite 207, CA 95134

Appointment Changes

To reschedule or cancel your exam, please refer to the cancellation and rescheduling policies in the Candidate Information Bulletin.

Preparing for the OPE

The Oral Proficiency Exam measures your ability to communicate in the tested language and lasts 20 to 30 minutes as a telephone conversation with a certified ACTFL interviewer. While no formal preparation is required, candidates are encouraged to practice speaking for 20 to 30 minutes to simulate the exam length. On exam day, arrive at the test center at least 30 minutes early after confirming the location and hours. The exam includes four parts—warm-up, level checks, probes, and wind down—during which the interviewer discusses topics of interest to evaluate your speaking proficiency. For more details, watch What to expect on Test Day, Video 1: The Oral Proficiency Exam.

Oral Proficiency Examination (OPE) Results

Results are available within 30 days of your exam date electronically by email upon request, otherwise, they will be sent by U.S. mail.

After the Exam

If your address or language of intent changes, promptly contact Prometric to update your profile.