What You Need
- A government-issued photo ID is required.
- Specific software and hardware is required. See the requirements.
- All printed resources are allowed, but only specific online resources are permitted. See the full list of permitted online resources.
- Because you will be working without a spell or grammar checker, consider having a monolingual dictionary in your target language, a grammar book for your source language, and a stylebook for your target language.
Before You Begin Translating
- Read all of the passages before you decide which two to translate. Do your dictionaries cover the subject matter? Are there complicated sentences that will take time to untangle?
- Carefully read the Translation Instructions (TIs) provided for each passage and choose the correct register (language level, degree of formality) based on the specified target audience. The TIs set the context for the translation. Failure to follow the TIs will be penalized when the translation is graded.
- The TIs also instruct you to “Translate everything below the horizontal line.” This is a reminder that any headings or subheads are considered part of the passage and must be translated. Follow the conventions of your language combination with regard to words or terms that remain in the source language. Be sure not to add or omit information. Additions and/or omissions can change the meaning.
While You Are Translating
- Observe the formatting of the original. If paragraphs are separated by a line, do the same in the translation.
- Remember that you will be graded on your ability to render the entire message of the original in the target language, not on your ability to rewrite or improve upon it.
- Don’t add clarifications unless you’re certain that readers from the target-language culture will miss the meaning without them.
- Pay attention to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Conventions vary from one language to another, and failure to follow target-language rules can change or obscure the meaning.
- Be careful where you place qualifiers and modifiers. Remember that word order is not the same in all languages and that careless placement can completely change the meaning.
- Alternative translations will be considered errors. It is up to you to select a viable translation. The graders will not choose for you.
- Unwieldy sentences can be broken into shorter ones, provided nothing is added or omitted to change the meaning.
- If you find a typographical error in the exam passage, please write us a note at the end of your translation. Do not write on the exam passage itself.
- Avoid regionalisms wherever possible, using standard terms and phrases instead.
- It is especially dangerous to translate idiomatic expressions literally. Try to find an equivalent expression in the target language. For example, in the phrase “... hanging around the house,” “hanging around” conveys the idea that one is relaxing, being lazy. Don’t omit an idiom just because you can’t find an exact translation.
- You are not expected to make mathematical conversions of measures, distances, money, and the like. You will not be penalized if you convert correctly, but you will be penalized if the conversion is wrong.
After You Finish Translating
- Read your translated passage to yourself. Does it sound both grammatically correct and natural? Following the syntax of the source text too closely may be penalized if the resulting sentence is unidiomatic/awkward in the target language. Use the proofreading checklist below.
- Check for omissions. The most common avoidable mistake is an omission. Make sure you have not omitted a title, a heading, an item in a bulleted list, a sentence, or an entire paragraph.
- Proofreading Checklist:
- Spelling and capitalization
- Proper names
- Numerals and dates
- Placement of punctuation and diacritical marks
- Placement of qualifiers and modifiers
- Repetition (a bird in the the hand)
- Subject/verb agreement
- Prepositions
- Verb tenses
- Syntax (Is it too close to the source text?)
Take a Practice Test
The practice test is an excellent and affordable way to measure your readiness for the exam. It consists of an exam passage from a previous year and is designed to provide a practical introduction to the nature of the exam and how errors are marked.