What are the *minimum requirements to get certified?

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) require the following:

  • Age 18 or older.
  • Minimum high school diploma or GED, or equivalent from another country.
  • Language proficiency in both English and the second language (see below)
  • Successful completion of 40 hours of interpreter training, like the InterpreterEd.Com Program

1. English Language Proficiency
Candidates must have one of the following:

  • High school graduation (or equivalent) from an English-speaking country, or from an American School abroad.
  • A bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral degree or any other degree from any U.S. college or university.

OR

One of the following tests:

  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): 570+ on paper; 230+ on computer version; 90+ on iBT.
  • ELPT (English Language Proficiency Test): 950+
  • MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): 80+
  • ECPE (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English): PASS
  • FCE (First Certificate in English, Level 3): A
  • CAE (Certificate in Advanced English, Level 4): B
  • CPE Certificate of Proficiency in English, Level 5): B
  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 7.0+

2. Second Language Proficiency 
Candidates for the national certification exams must have one of the following:

  • Graduation from a high school of the country where the second language is spoken.
  • Bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree or any other degree from an institution of higher education in a country where the second language is spoken.
  • 24 semester credit hours of second language or a degree with a major in the second language
  • ACTFL Oral Exams (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages): 3.5+/Advanced Mid-Level