While becoming a member of the ATA is a good idea for a translator, it is a rather complicated procedure where 3 tests are involved and proven record of at least 5 years of previous experience as a translator is required. What you get is the ATA certification as a translator, your own member id and a listing on their website, which is well-worth the effort in the long run.

1. Universal Translation Services,
20801 Biscayne Blvd, 33180 Aventura,
Miami, USA
Phone: 1-844-wetranslate
Fax: 1-212-933-9849
www.universal-translation-services.com
info@universal-translation-services.com
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2. Success is something that everyone hopes to achieve in their lifetime, but only a few of us
end up becoming famous in our respective fields. The reason behind that is not everyone is
ready to put in the effort required for achieving success. No one becomes world-famous
overnight. People have to work tirelessly for years in order to climb the ladder of success.
Along with putting in the effort behind gaining experience, it is also necessary to pass
high-level examinations to get certificates and diplomas. This practice can be observed in
almost every field. For translators, the highest honor is clearing the certification
examination of ATA.
There are a lot of experienced professionals in the language industry who are not certified,
which makes people wonder what the purpose of the examination designed by ATA is. The
association created the test to measure the translation skills of linguistic professionals. The
examination seeks to answer four questions related to the field. Here are they:
Purpose Behind the Examination:
Just like in a real-life scenario where clients give instructions to experts, ATA gives
guidelines to everyone taking the examination. If the resulting document complies
with the instructions, only then is it considered good. It must match the style and
wording of similar documents written in the target language. It must also contain all
the relevant information in the given context.
• Is the translation according to the instructions?
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3. This is measured by checking whether or not the linguistic expert was able to use
dictionaries competently. It is also observed whether all the important data from the
source text was included in the final translation or not. If the target text is in
accordance with the presented information on all levels, that proves that a thorough
understanding of the source material was developed before working on it.
• Does the translation prove that the translator understood the purpose, content,
and argument of the passage?
The answer to this question can be acquired by observing the translation to see if it
is appropriate for the target audience or not. This includes replacing idioms from the
source text with phrases that mean the same thing in the target language. Writing an
unambiguous text is also pretty important.
• Were translation strategies followed during the completion of the task?
The answer to this will be in affirmative if there are no grammatical errors in the text,
and it flows smoothly.
• Does the translation show good writing skills in the target language?
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4. Once the examination is completed, trained graders of ATA will evaluate each test. They will
grade the tests according to the errors and what effect they had on the overall quality of the
translation. Since this is a competitive exam, only a few candidates manage to clear it every
year. The passing grade is considered equivalent to Level 3 of the IRL Skill Level
Descriptions for Translation Performance.
Evaluation:
In order to apply for the test, you must be a member of the
ATA. It is better to get registered as a member at least four
weeks before the test. Your registration, along with a $525
fee, must be sent to the ATA headquarters at least two weeks
before the test. You can access study material and take a
practice test on the website of ATA. The practice test will help
you figure out whether or not you are ready for the
certification examination. Once you have registered, you will
receive further instructions via email.
How to Apply?
It is important to learn everything you can about the
examination before you appear for it because that way, you will
be able to mentally prepare for it. It will be a three-hour-long
open book test. Candidates will be offered three passages of 225
to 275 words each and given a chance to choose two out of them
for translation.
Although some terminology will be included in the passages, highly
complicated terms will not appear on the test. Translation instructions will also be provided
to the candidates. They will be the equivalent of the real-life instructions from clients. The
instructions will be different for each passage. They will help the candidates in figuring out
the tone they should maintain in their translation.
The Examination:
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5. In case you change your mind and wish to get a refund,
make sure you apply before the day of the sitting. If your
request reaches the headquarters after the sitting, you
won’t be able to get a refund. You will have to pay a fee of
$25 to request a refund. You can send your request for a
refund to the certification program manager.
Many famous translators happily work in the field without
getting the title of certified. There are various reasons why someone would not take the
examination. But lack of time is one of the biggest reasons. However, if someone could take
out time from their schedule and attempt to clear this test, they will never regret it. Even if
someone fails to clear the test, it will still be a great learning experience for them. But if
candidates reach out to their seniors for guidance, they just might end up succeeding in
becoming certified.
How to Get a Refund?
One fact that you must keep in mind is that there is a limited sitting capacity for the
examination. In metropolitan areas, the sitting capacity is filled weeks in advance. So, make
sure you apply at least a month before the test.
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