Rapid Translate Team
Certifications from the American Translators Association (ATA) highlight your credibility and expertise as a translator. It becomes easier to find translation jobs and earn more, which is why everyone wants these certifications. In this guide, you’ll learn how to become a certified translator through ATA.
It covers all sorts of questions you may have about this topic. The guide explains what you need to do, the certification cost, details about the examination, and more. Keep reading to learn how to become certified translator.

Table of Contents
Why Get ATA Translator Certification?
An ATA translator certification offers the following advantages for translators:
- Access to more job opportunities: Most professional translation agencies and clients prefer to work with ATA-certified translators. The certification lets them know you have the necessary skills and training to provide accurate translations consistently. Plus, you get a competitive advantage over other translators who don’t have this certification.
- Increase your earnings: Getting the ATA certification puts you in the driver’s seat. You get to charge higher rates because you have the training to provide high-quality and accurate translations.
- Showcase your language pair expertise: Passing ATA’s certification exam is difficult. You must also continue learning and improving your skillset to keep the certification. Completing this certification test and maintaining your credentials is a testament to your expertise in a language pair.
- Appear in the ATA directory: Once you appear in the ATA directory, it becomes easier to get clients. They regularly search this directory to see which translator or translation agency they can hire for various tasks.
What Is the ATA?
The American Translators Association (ATA), founded in 1959, is a professional association with thousands of translators worldwide. The organization aims to provide recognition for professional translators and set the standards for translation ethics and expertise. It is the translation industry’s voice and gives professionals the tools to develop their skills.
ATA Certification Program Overview
ATA’s certification program is the gold standard for professional translators. This comprehensive exam tests your ability to translate the provided text professionally.
It checks for your proficiency in translating a specific language combination. Moreover, it tests whether you have the expertise and knowledge to deliver high-quality translations.
If you take the online test, you need to meet the following requirements:
- A working laptop with a front-facing camera and microphone
- The latest version of Chrome or Firefox
- A laptop charger
- Internet speed is 3 Mbps or faster
- A smartphone or tablet with the ExamRoom.AI app
You can also take offline tests, provided you have the following:
- A laptop with its charger
- Your laptop can connect to a WiFi connection
- A USB port on your laptop to connect the USB drive provided by ATA
- WordPad or TextEdit, depending on your device’s operating system
ATA has handwritten exams, but you must inform the organization while registering for the in-person test. The exam has three passages at a university reading level; each piece has 225 – 275 words. You must translate at least two of these excerpts and follow the instructions. After you complete the exam, it can take up to 16 weeks to receive your grades.
If you pass, congratulations! You will receive your ATA certificate and can start working as a professional certified translator. However, if you fail, you can only retake the test next year.
ATA Certification Cost
You need to be an ATA member to take the certification exam. If you’re not a member, you can become one with one of the membership packages:
- Transitional: $212
- Student: $149
- 2 Members in one house: $749
- Associate: $422
The membership is valid for 1.5 years after registration. After becoming a member, you need to pay $525 for the ATA exam cost.
ATA Certification Exam Sample
Only 20% of the translators who take the exam pass and receive certificates from the association. Although there are over 10,000 members, fewer than 2,000 translators are certified. In other words, the exam is challenging.
Fortunately, ATA has a practice test to help you assess your translation skills. The sample contains a passage from the previous exam, making it a great way to prepare for the test. You can send the completed version to ATA, and they’ll grade your paper. It takes 6 – 8 weeks to get the results.
This helps determine whether you’re ready to take the test or need more time to work on your translation skills. ATA charges $155 if you’re not a member and $105 for members. On the plus side, you can take the test at home.
How To Get ATA Certified
Here’s how to become a certified interpreter through ATA.
1. Review the Available Languages
The ATA certification is globally accepted, which is why the examination has multiple language combinations. You can get a certification for translating your target language into English and vice versa.
The available languages include:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Dutch
- Portuguese
- French
- German
- Hungarian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Finnish
- Polish
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Ukrainian
Select a language you’re proficient in to make sure you have the best chance of passing the exam.

2. Evaluate Your Eligibility
As highlighted earlier, you must be an ATA member to take the certification exam. Here are a few things you need to know regarding being eligible to take the test:
- The association recommends being a member for at least four weeks before applying for the test. This ensures they have enough time to process your application.
- Registering for the online exam gives you 30 days to complete the test.
So, how to get ATA certification? Well, here are two tips you need to remember:
- Due to the challenging nature of the test, it’s best to work as a translator for a few years. This way, you have adequate experience and skills to pass the exam. Finishing your higher education before registering for the exam is also a good idea.
Avoid taking the test if you’re fresh out of college. Remember, this isn’t a basic proficiency test. It’s similar to what you will deal with as a professional translator. And even if you have sufficient experience, there isn’t any guarantee that you’ll pass the exam.
3. ATA Practice Test
ATA’s practice test is arguably the best way to prepare for the real test. Here are some tips on how to become a professional translator with this practice paper:
- Treat it like the real deal: Assume the practice test is the real certification exam. In other words, you have three hours to complete the test. Remember to stick with the recommended sites because it’s an open-book test. Don’t look at the practice paper until you start the timer.
- Take the test three months before the actual exam: It can take up to eight weeks to get the grades for the practice test. For this reason, it’s better to take the practice test three months before the final exam.
- Read the comments: The good thing about the practice test is that the evaluators will provide feedback. Go through these comments to learn about your translation strengths and weaknesses.
How the ATA Exam Is Scored
The ATA exam’s scoring system is different from conventional tests. Generally, you get points every time you accurately answer the question. In the ATA exam, they will give points for every mistake. You’ll receive 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 points depending on the severity of your mistakes.
You’ll pass the exam if your score is 17 or lower. However, you will fail the test if you get 18 or higher. Here are some of the areas that ATA will look at while scoring your paper:
- Grammar
- Punctuation and spelling
- Understanding of the source text
- Missed including important information
- Syntax
- Parts of speech
- Word form
- Diacritical marks
- Included additional information that isn’t in the source text
- Cohesion
- Ambiguity

Where To Find ATA Certification Programs for Translators
There are no ATA translation certification programs for translators. The association only provides a practice test and holds the certification exam.
However, if you’re interested, you can always join a university that offers a translation degree. This makes sure you have the necessary skills to work as a professional translator. The other option is to look for a mentor, workshop, or course that prepares you for the exam. The last solution is to study on your own and prepare for the translation exam.
We’d love to hear from you if you completed the exam and received your certification. Rapid Translate is always looking for talented translators because our company is growing. We also offer certified notarized translation services to thousands of clients worldwide.
Join Rapid Translate today if you’re looking for an exciting role with good compensation and excellent benefits!
FAQs
If there is anything else you want to know about ATA certified translations, refer to this section.
Do you need to be a US citizen to become an ATA-certified document translator?
No, you don’t need to be a US citizen to become an ATA-certified document translator. The only requirement is that you are an ATA member.
Is it worth getting the ATA certification?
Yes, getting the ATA certification is worth it, especially if you’re a professional translator. Loads of potential clients will look at the ATA-certified translators list to see who they can work with. You can offer certified translation services. Plus, you’ll get more jobs and higher pay, which covers the initial cost of the practice and final translation exam.
Can you take the ATA exam without a computer?
Yes, you can take the ATA exam without a computer, but only if you opted for the handwritten test. You must inform ATA about this when registering for the in-person exam. Otherwise, you need a computer to take the online and in-person exams.
