NAATI exam by Accredition and CCL for 5 extra PR points and Translator/Interpretor Recognition

About NAATI: National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) is a standards organisation responsible for setting, maintaining and promoting high professional standards that issues accreditations for practitioners who wish to work as translators and interpreters in Australia. 

Difference between NAATI by accredition and NAATI CCL tests

NAATI by Accredition

Accreditation: NAATI accreditation permits translator and interpreters to quickly and easily demonstrate their level of skills and ability which employer expected as a proof. More important, upon successfully getting an NAATI accreditation would earn 5 bonus points, under Credentialed Community Language (CCL) points at the Paraprofessional level or above.

Pathways to accreditation: There are four ways to gain NAATI accreditation: 

• Sitting a NAATI assessment test
• Passing a NAATI approved course
• Providing evidence of a tertiary translating and interpreting qualification gained overseas
• Providing evidence of advanced standing or international professional memberships

Confidence boost: Yearly, the passing rate in the NAATI exam is only 10%-15%. Quite a low number attributed to many reasons.  One of which is that it is not an easy exam. A much common reason for failure in passing the exam is lack of preparedness. As in any exam, preparation is the key. Enrolling to NAATI-Approved Australia Course offered by approved university/institution, provides methodical training and professional approach to ensure preparedness and confidence in obtaining very satisfactory results in translating and interpreting.  

Migration points: By completing the internal NAATI-Approved Australia Course and passing the internal exams offered by NAATI-Approved universities/institutions, successful students can obtain an accreditation and earn 5 bonus points, under Credentialed Community Language (CCL) points.

LEVELS OF ACCREDITATION AVAILABLE BY TESTING

NAATI accreditation by testing is available for the following:

·         Advanced Translator

·         Professional Translator

·         Paraprofessional Translator

·         Professional Interpreter

·         Paraprofessional Interpreter

TESTING AVAILABLE AT OVERSEAS LOCATIONS 

Only Professional Translator accreditation tests are available at testing venues outside of Australia and New Zealand.

Eligibility for testing

To be eligible to sit the Professional Translator test candidates must have:

· General education to degree or diploma level in any field; OR

· Current NAATI Accreditation as a Paraprofessional Translator in the language in which they are seeking accreditation; OR

· Work experience in translation to which an employer has attested; OR

· Evidence of relevant (language, translating or interpreting related) post-secondary studies.

Because of issues with checking the acceptability of electronic dictionaries at overseas testing venues only paper-based dictionaries will be able to be used at test venues outside of Australia and New Zealand. 

Test venues 

REGION	COUNTRY	CITY
Africa	South Africa	Johannesburg ‡
Asia	China	Hong Kong ‡
		Shanghai ‡
		Beijing ‡
		Guangzhou ‡
	Philippines	Manila ‡
	Singapore	Singapore ‡
Europe	England	London ‡
	Greece	Athens ‡
Middle East	Iran	Tehran
	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh ‡
	United Arab Emirates	Dubai ‡
Sub Continent	India	New Delhi ‡

Test dates – Venues marked with a ‡ are limited to two test sessions per year.

    SESSION    TEST DATE (a fixed date within the period)            APPLICATION CUTOFF

1               First week in March                                         11 December

2               First week in September                                      22 June

Candidates will need to ensure they are available to sit the test at any time during the week. It is likely that tests will start at 9am local time.

If you intend to apply to sit a test in March 2016 NAATI would need to receive your complete application by 11 December 2015. For the September 2016 session NAATI would need to receive your complete application by 22 June 2016. 

For other overseas test venues, testing will be conducted once per month. The exact date and time for testing will be advised by the test venue once the application has been received. NAATI expects that there will be no more than eight weeks from your application being processed until when you will sit a test.

 

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TESTING LOCATIONS

The following lists the cities in which NAATI offers accreditation testing at the time of publication.

Australia	Adelaide	Brisbane	Canberra	Darwin
	Hobart	Melbourne	Perth	Sydney
	Depending on demand NAATI may be able to offer testing in Australian regional locations. For further information please contact the appropriate NAATI State/Territory Office
New Zealand	Auckland                   Christchurch              Wellington

NAATI by CCL

If you’re not interested to be a professional translator and you’re just seeking extra 5 points for immigration purposes then CCL is for you. I suggest you to take CCL ( Credentialed Community Language) test for 5 points. It is cheap , less time consuming and easier to pass ,as it doesn’t require a professional level compare to Diploma of Interpreting and translating in NAATI. You just need to book a test date in NAATI and if you wish ,take four weeks class to prepare for CCL test.

WHAT IS CREDENTIALED COMMUNITY LANGUAGE (CCL) TESTING?

As part of certain points-based visa applications made to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, individuals who pass the NAATI Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test can claim CCL points (sometimes referred to as the ‘five bonus points’) as part of their visa application for Australia PR.

An individual who has passed a CCL test is not qualified to act as an interpreter or translator in Australia. Individuals who obtain NAATI certification to work as an interpreter or translator would also be eligible to claim CCL points without sitting additional testing.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A CCL TEST?

You will need to attach a passport photograph and a scan of an appropriate identity document (e.g. passport) to apply. The fees associated with this test can be found under the ‘Forms and Fees’ section of our website.

1. Click the following link:  https://www.naati.com.au/MyNaati/Apply/1

2. Follow the steps and provide personal information, including submitting an Australian passport photo and the scanned copy of your passport.

3. You will received a NAATI number when you submit your application. Then wait for the confirmation email and pay the tuition fee according to the instruction.

Where can I sit a CCL test?

NAATI CCL testing will be available in the following cities:

• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Hobart
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney

What languages can I sit a CCL test in?

The following table provides details of the languages that NAATI offers CCL testing in. You can apply at any time to sit a test in these languages.

 NOTE: Languages available for testing can change. This list was accurate at the time of publication.

Albanian	Dari	Indonesian	Persian	Swahili
Arabic	Dutch	Italian	Polish	Tamil
Assyrian	Filipino	Japanese	Portuguese	Thai
Bangla	Finnish	Khmer	Punjabi	Tigrinya
Bosnian	French	Korean	Romanian	Turkish
Bulgarian	German	Lao	Russian	Urdu
Burmese	Greek	Malay	Serbian	Vietnamese
Cantonese	Hazaragi	Mandarin	Sinhalese
Croatian	Hindi	Nepali	Somali
Czech	Hungarian	Pashto	Spanish

When are CCL tests run?

In 2018, NAATI will run CCL tests in the following weeks:

• 19-23 March 2018 （application closed）
• 14-18 May 2018
• 18-22 June 2018
• 13-17 August 2018
• 22-26 October 2018
• 3-7 December 2018

Eligible applicants will be advised by email if a test place has been offered to them.

WHAT DOES A CCL TEST INVOLVE?

CCL candidates must be able to:

• Participate effectively in exchanges where relatively simple information is exchanged without any great deviation from the norms of pronunciation, with reasonable accuracy, standard of expression, style and register; and
• Give the sense of what is said by the speakers and demonstrate good quality language in both English and the LOTE (Language Other Than English).

CCL tests are conducted from a recording which is played to the candidate by a testing officer. The candidate’s responses are recorded for marking. The recording will include two dialogues. Each test dialogue is based on a conversation between an English speaker and a speaker of your LOTE.

The dialogues used within the test will reflect real-life domains which typically form part of daily life in Australian society. This may include health, legal, community, immigration/settlement, education, social services, financial, housing, business, employment, insurance or consumer affairs situations.

In the test, you are required to transfer the meaning of what is said by each speaker into the other language (i.e. English into LOTE and LOTE into English). Each dialogue is approximately 300 words, approximately half in English and half in LOTE. These are divided into segments that do not exceed 35 words each.

The candidate will be played the recorded test by the testing officer. A chime will indicate the end of each segment. Candidates should wait until they hear the chime before providing their response in the other language.

The testing officer will pause the test recording at each chime and allow the candidate to complete their response to the segment. The testing officer will restart the recording and play the next segment only when the candidate has finished.

The dialogues are designed to assess the candidate’s ability to serve as a channel of communication between two persons who do not speak the same language.

ADVICE TO INDIVIDUALS SEEKING NAATI CCL TESTING

You can download materials in your language from the NAATI website to help you to prepare for a CCL test. Additional practice materials will be added as they become available.

CCL Test Practice Materials

In the CCL test, standard examination procedures are followed. Applicants should familiarise themselves with these policies before applying for a test. Any breach of the examination conditions may lead to an applicant being disqualified from the test.

Click here to read the Instructions for CCL Test Candidates. 

Click here to download practice materials.

How Are Tests Marked?

At least two trained examiners mark CCL tests independently. The CCL test comprises two dialogues and each dialogue is marked by the examiner using a deductive marking system.

CCL test candidates will primarily be marked on their ability to accurately transfer meaning between English and the Language other than English (LOTE). Also considered are language quality (both LOTE and English) and language register (the level of formality with which you speak) where this affects the success of meaning transfer.

Examiners consider the types of error present in the candidate’s performance and the impact of those errors in determining the deductions they will make.

Errors affecting accuracy will be more heavily penalised. In particular, errors, like distortions, omissions and insertions, affecting the meaning at the sentence or dialogue level will receive larger deductions. It may only take two or three of these significant errors per dialogue for it to be assessed as a fail.

The opinion of each examiner is taken into account in determining whether the candidate is successful. In situations where the examiners disagree about the performance of the candidate additional examiners will be involved in determining the final result.

Each dialogue receives a mark out of 45. In order to pass a candidate needs to score at least 29 out of 45 for each dialogue and score at least 63 out of 90 overall.

When NAATI issues the result for the CCL test it will be based on the mark achieved:

• PASS: 63 or higher (out of 90)
• MARGINAL FAIL: between 55 and 62.5 (out of 90)
• CLEAR FAIL: less than 55 (out of 90)

CCL test conditions & language policies

In the CCL test, standard examination procedures are followed. Written and verbal instructions are given to applicants before the commencement of each test and it is expected that these will be observed. Any breach of the examination conditions may lead to an applicant being disqualified from the test.

• Click here to read the CCL Test Policies.
• Click here to read the CCL Language Policies. 
• Click here to learn how NAATI will verify your identity when you take your test. 

All NAATI test materials are and remain at all times the property of NAATI. NAATI provides each applicant with test materials for the sole purpose of taking the test, and on the condition that the materials are returned immediately upon the conclusion of the applicant’s participation. NAATI does not return answer papers or test recordings to applicants, nor does it release copies of test materials.

Test Policies

CCL tests are marked independently by at least two trained examiners. Each examiner will consider whether any significant distortions of meaning, omissions or insertions are present. Clarity of language and register are also considered, particularly where this impacts on the effectiveness of meaning transfer.

Why Choose CCL Tests? --- Difference between NAATI accredition and NAATI CCL

 Compared to other NAATI tests, CCL enjoys many advantages----saving your time, money and effort.

	Before 2018		After 1 Jan 2018  (Only external tests available)
	Internal Test	External Test	CCL Test	Test after completing a endorsed qualification	Test after fulfilling prerequisites
Cost	Endorsed   course tuition: > $3000； Accreditation: $529.	Test Fee: $780； Accreditation: $529.	CCL Test Fee:  $800.	Endorsed  course tuition: > $3000； External Test Fee: $550.	prerequisites: a. On-line Module Learning: $308 b. Pass intercultural competency test: test fee $99 c. Pass ethical competency test: test fee $99 2. External Test Fee: $550-$880  (depending on the test type)
Time	Course Duration: 6 months; Results waiting time: 1-2 months; Accreditation: 1 months.	Very few tests in a year; Results waiting time: 2 months; Accreditation: 1 months.	A test in every 2 months in 2018; Results waiting time: 6-8 weeks; Can claim 5 points after passing the test (no need to wait for accreditation )	Course Duration: 6 months; Results waiting time: 1-2 months; Certification: 1 months.	On-line Module: 40 hours; Only after you get the results for intercultural and ethical competency tests and pass both of them, you can apply for an external test. External test results waiting time: 1-2 months; Certification: 1 months.
Whether “ethics & culture” is tested	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Comment	Unavailable	Unavailable	Save time, money & effort	Time & money consuming	Complicated procedure, not easy to follow

 

 Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

General Information	Due to past incidents involving the unauthorised publication of NAATI test materials on the internet, the following conditions will apply: •         Candidates cannot use electronic communication functions on any devices during the test session (from the time you are admitted to the waiting room until you exit the test venue), which includes the time waiting for your test to be conducted. •         Devices (including mobile phones, laptops, tablets and other smart devices) must be turned off and will be stored securely before the test session starts. Any candidate using a device to record or photograph test materials or communicate with a third party will have their test cancelled. •         In order to be admitted to the test session, candidates will need to provide proof of their identity (i.e. the photo ID provided with your application – normally your driver’s licence or passport). •         Due to NAATI’s use of multiple testing venues, candidates may be advised of other venue-specific conditions on the day of the test. •         All candidates will be required to arrive for the test session at the time advised. If you are late you will not be tested. •         All candidates will wait in a separate waiting room until they are required for their test. •         Candidates will not be able to leave the venue until their test has been conducted. If you leave, you will not be permitted to return to complete your test. Some candidates may have to wait an extended period of time, with testing being conducted from 8.30 am until 4.30 pm in some locations. •         Once your test is over, you must leave the test venue and are not permitted to return for the remainder of that day. •         All candidates should be prepared with food and drink. NAATI will ensure that candidates are able to have a place to eat during the day. The waiting room will have seating and access to toilet facilities. •         The NAATI test supervisors in the waiting room will have the final say in relation to acceptable conduct within the room. If any candidate is unsure if a behaviour is acceptable, they should discuss this with a NAATI test supervisor. If you do not comply with the conditions stated above, NAATI will not test you.
Test Description	The CCL test involves two dialogue tasks delivered through recorded materials, with alternating segments of a conversation between an English speaker and a Language Other Than English (LOTE) speaker. The CCL test assesses the candidate’s ability to comprehend source utterances (in English or the LOTE) and reproduce them in the target language with a reasonable level of accuracy and following the linguistic norms and conventions of both languages. The test dialogues will require meaning transfer skills in both language directions and each of the dialogues will be from different domains and settings.
Domains	Real-life domains which typically form part of daily life in Australian society: health, legal, community, immigration/settlement, education, social services, financial, housing, business, employment, insurance and consumer affairs.

Equipment Allowed	You may bring your own paper-based resources (e.g. bilingual dictionary, glossary) for preparation while in the waiting room. You will not have access to any of this material during the actual test. You are not permitted to use any electronic resources during the CCL test session, however you may refer to any written notes made during your test.
Equipment Provided	Pen and note paper for taking notes during the test. These materials must be returned to the test supervisor at the conclusion of each task.
Resources Policy	You are not permitted to use any electronic resources during the CCL test session, however you may refer to any written notes you make during your test, and you will have a pen and paper to take notes.
Task Instructions	1.       You will be greeted by the Test Supervisor and invited to enter the testing room. 2.       You will be seated for the test and the Test Supervisor will complete the necessary pre-test administration. 3.       Once this administration is completed the Test Supervisor will advise you that the test will start. 4.       During the dialogues you are required to transfer, in the consecutive mode, the meaning of what each speaker says into the other language. This means that you should start your response immediately after the segment is finished. 5.       At the completion of the dialogue you need to leave any notes on the table and you will be escorted from the testing room by the supervisor. Your notes will be destroyed. You are not permitted to speak to any other test candidate.
Repeats  Policy	You may ask the Test Supervisor for any segment to be repeated. In such instances, the whole segment will be repeated. The first repetition in each dialogue may be requested without penalty; however, any further requests for repetitions will be penalised by the examiner.
Clarifications, repeats, pauses and corrections	You are not allowed to ask for a clarification of any part of a segment and the test supervisor cannot provide any advice about the test content. Lengthy pauses and repeated rewording (self-checking) of segments will be viewed as detracting significantly from the dynamics of the test task. If you realise, during the test that you have made an error, you are permitted to insert a correction of that part before continuing. Any correctons should be prefaced by some suitable phrase (e.g. Sorry, I’ll just say that part again).
Test Supervision	During the test, a supervisor will be in the testing room to handle all electronic equipment, manage start and finish times of the tasks, and manage any unforeseen issues. The test supervisor is not permitted to engage in a discussion about the content of the task or comment on your performance. You must follow the test supervisor’s instructions at all times. Failure to do so may result in you being disqualified from participating in CCL testing.
Test Recording	Your test will be recorded by the test supervisor for assessment purposes. This recording will be retained by NAATI after the marking of your test is completed.
Confidentiality	By participating in the testing, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of the test materials.