Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination

The Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination is a two-phase examination process of language proficiency and interpretation performance, consisting of a written screener examination (Phase One) and an oral examination (Phase Two).

Phase One Written Examination

The written examination may be taken only once per testing period. It is a computer-administered screener examination which includes a multiple-choice test of English proficiency and a multiple-choice test of Spanish proficiency. You must pass the written examination to qualify to take the oral examination. You will receive your scores on the same day of testing.

The written examination will be administered again in 2027. Registration dates will be posted in December 2026.

Phase Two Oral Examination

The oral examination tests the ability to effectively perform the three modes of court interpreting: sight translation and simultaneous and consecutive interpretation of discourse, all of which must reflect the correct form and content of authentic interpreting functions encountered in the federal courts.

Accordingly, the candidate is required to demonstrate the ability to effectively carry out these functions bi-directionally. Test items include both formal and informal/colloquial language, technical and legal terminology, and special vocabulary or other specialized language use which is part of the active vocabulary of a highly articulate speaker. The FCICE is offered only for Spanish/English, since that is the primary interpreting need in the federal judiciary.

Registration for both the written and oral examinations is closed at this time. Both examinations will be administered again in 2027. Registration dates will be posted in December 2026.

Learn more about the oral examination.

If you have any questions, please email fcice@ao.uscourts.gov.

Preparing for the exams

The federal courts do not offer interpreter training, so prospective interpreters must research training opportunities on their own.  Some national interpreter and translator organizations provide resources for interpretation training, including but not limited to:

• The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT)
• The American Translators Association (ATA)
• The National Center for State Courts’ Language Access section
• The International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC)

The Federal Court Interpreter Orientation Manual and Glossary (PDF) and the Standards for Performance and Professional Responsibility (PDF) provide information on the interpreter’s role and protocol, the federal court system, and legal terminology.

Practice examinations for both phases of the FCICE are available online, as well as information on what to expect from the examination process, tutorials for the Phase Two exam, and the examinee’s handbook.

Exam Results

In the case of the written exam, test takers will receive separate grades for the Spanish and the English sections. If a grade for either section is below the minimum passing score, the test taker will need to repeat the entire written exam to pass it. In the case of the oral exam, test takers will only receive one cumulative grade on the exam.

Once a test taker has passed both the written and the oral federal certification exams, they receive an official certificate by mail, issued by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. 

If you have any questions, please email fcice@ao.uscourts.gov.