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For those who work in the translation field, becoming a certified translator and attaining certifications can help you stand out in your career. Professionals in the workforce earn their reputation in many ways, but credentials can provide authentication of someone’s achievements. Earning professional credentials sets you apart from your competitors, demonstrates a commitment to your field of study, and provides your clients with the assurance that you can deliver top-tier certified translations.  

Career and Salary Impact

Investing the time to learn how to become a certified translator yields significant professional dividends, allowing you to:

• Unlock access to highly regulated work – Many high-stakes industries require certified translations. Translating legal contracts, immigration papers, medical records, and government documents often requires certification to ensure the highest level of proficiency. 
• Charge higher rates – A certified translator can charge a higher rate by gaining access to premium projects in sectors where accuracy is legally binding. Government contracting, healthcare, and corporate law all mandate certified translation, which helps expand your client base. 
• Stand out against AI – As artificial intelligence takes over routine language tasks, the work that holds its value is the work where certified translators have value-added skills – jobs where legal, medical, or financial consequences are on the line. 

ATA Certification vs. State/Court Certification

• ATA certification – The American Translators Association (ATA) was founded to support and advance the translation and interpreting profession. Its translation certification is widely considered the gold standard for general and commercial written translation in the U.S. 
• State, court, and NAJIT certification – State, court, and National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) certifications focus on legal and courtroom settings. They emphasize the highest professional standards to ensure due process, equal protection, and equal access to the administration of justice. 

Step 1: Verify Your Language Combination

Make sure your language(s) are supported by the exam. Current language combinations include:

ATA updates its available combinations periodically, so available prior to your exam. 

Step 2: Join the ATA

You must for at least four weeks prior to testing and take their pledge of ethics. Membership does not require prior certification.

Step 3: Pay the Certification Cost

You must pay the costs associated with the certification exam to register. This includes the exam registration fee, the associate membership dues, and any applicable practice exams you choose to purchase. The ATA Certification Committee strongly recommends taking and returning a practice test in your language combination before registering for the exam.

Note: Because exam fees are updated periodically by the association, you should independently verify the exact current cost and registration fees directly on the official .

Step 4: Take and Pass the Certification Exam

You are only allowed to take the ATA exam once a year per language combination, so successfully preparing is crucial if you want to obtain a translator certification. You may, however, take the exam in a different language combination in the same year. 

The current passing rate is less than 20%

Passing the ATA takes extensive preparation

The ATA Test

• Format – The ATA exam is designed to test your translation abilities at a professional level. You will be provided with three passages of around 225–275 words each. You must complete two of the passages, demonstrating full comprehension of the passages, an accurate translation, and a stylistic match using correct grammar and tone. You will have three hours to complete the exam and can only accumulate 17 or fewer error points to earn a passing score.
• Preparation – Because the exam tests for professional-level translation competence, self-study is rarely enough for a passing score. �Ը������� University’s M.A. in Translation will not only put you on a rewarding career path but will also help prepare you for the American Translators Association Exam. Our curriculum is mapped to the standards of the ATA exam, and you will be mentored by faculty with professional experience, some of whom are ATA-certified, and who know exactly what it takes to pass.

Step 5: Maintaining Your Translation Certification

To maintain your status as a certified translator, the ATA requires you to remain a member of ATA and to complete 20 Continuing Education Points every 3 years. This regulation ensures you are not just “exam ready,” but “career ready.” 

Why �Ը�������'s M.A. in Translation Is Your Best Exam Preparation Option

With a below-20% average pass rate for the exam, you will want to be as well-equipped as possible before you take it. �Ը������� University’s Master of Arts in Translation serves as one of the longest-running and most comprehensive M.A. programs in translation in the U.S., and we provide students and professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their careers.

Our program is available both on-site at our �Ը������� campus and 100% virtually. We set ourselves apart through:

• ATA-recognized excellence – In 2019, �Ը�������’s translation programs were awarded the Alexander Gode Medal from the American Translators Association. This is the most prestigious award offered by the association.
• Coursework that maps to the exam – The ATA exam demands accurate and practical application of complex texts. Our M.A. curriculum provides coursework in specialized translation, including commercial, legal, scientific, technical, and medical translation. This curriculum is designed to reflect areas you will practice in your career and examine in your certification.
• A mastery of translation technology – Modern certified translation requires fluency in technology. Our program offers students the opportunity to learn and apply state-of-the-art computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, machine translation, terminology management, and software localization, both in the classroom and beyond.
• Flexibility and breadth – We offer M.A. translation concentrations in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish, so you have a variety of specialization options. Also, this program can be completed in as few as four semesters if you are eager to start your professional career.

Contact Us with Questions on Certified Translation

If you are wondering how to become a certified translator, �Ը������� can help you get on the right path. Our department is committed to helping you plan your future and discuss the right options for your skills and interests.

Visit our online M.A. in Translation page for key insights on our program, and be sure to reach out to us with any questions or to apply. We look forward to assisting you and putting you on the career path to become a certified translator.