Gallaudet’s prep courses give interpreters striving for certification a boost

Preparing for professional examinations offered by the Center for Assessment of Sign Language Interpreters (CASLI) can be tough on your own. But Ali Faridi, G-'19, G-'23, a deaf interpreter and Gallaudet staff member, raves about the support he got as a student taking CASLI Knowledge Exam prep courses earlier this fall through Gallaudet's Center for Continuing Education's (CCE). "CASLI only informs you if you pass or fail. Not what you missed, so you're left not knowing what to do. The course helped me so much to understand why I was getting questions wrong and what I need to read and understand so I get them right in the future for the real test," he says.

Practice tests and discussions with peers and his instructor allowed Faridi to analyze specific questions. "Without the class, it's possible I would repeatedly pay for and fail the real exam, and I wouldn't understand why," he says.

Becoming a certified interpreter is no small task, but it is a goal for many. Interpreters must first pass a Generalist Knowledge Exam covering a breadth of topics, including the history, models, and best practices in the interpretation field. Their ethical decision-making skills and cultural responsiveness skills are evaluated by how they navigate a series of real-world interpreting situations. If they pass this exam, they are halfway there.

After passing the knowledge portion, a five-year clock starts ticking to pass the performance, or interpretation skills, part of the exam. Once both sections are passed, the interpreter obtains an NIC (National Interpreter Certification, for hearing interpreters) or CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter, for deaf interpreters) credential.

Gallaudet's restructured CASLI test prep courses

CCE recently revamped its certification test prep courses to reflect changes made by CASLI to great interest and uptake. The two knowledge prep courses (PST 169 and PST 170) offered in September were maxed out, as is the performance preparation class (PST 171) running from mid-October to mid-November.

PST 169 focuses on the ethics and cultural responsiveness section of the knowledge exam, while PST 170 focuses on the wide range of topics (ten domains) that are presented through multiple-choice questions. The Generalist Knowledge exam is in ASL and English, and hearing and deaf interpreters alike take this portion.

"It's a really great space to connect with others and share resources and support," says instructor Andrea Rehkopf. Rehkoph has worked as a freelance professional interpreter since 2006, has been nationally certified since 2009, and a BEI Master since 2015. She has been teaching in the interpretation field since 2020.

Students who pass the Generalist Knowledge exam are then eligible to take PST 171, the NIC Generalist Performance exam preparation course for hearing interpreters. Russell Stein, '95, Director of CCE, hopes to develop a CDI performance prep course in the near future.

The NIC performance prep class (PST 171) is capped at 10 students. "This course involves recording student work to share with the instructor and allows for 1:1 feedback, and discussion using GoReact, a platform widely used in ASL and interpreter education that allows for detailed video analysis. We cap it at ten to maximize positive student experience and success," he explains.

Don't go it alone: prepping in a supportive community

The level of interest is high in CCE's prep courses partly because of their in-depth immersive structures. The four-week courses are asynchronous and self-paced with flexible weekly deadlines and ample space for interaction and discussion. Students praise the structure and pace of the class.

The content for the knowledge exam is broad and all-encompassing, making it feel overwhelming when interpreters go it alone. However, approaching it with a supportive cohort cheering each other on and sharing tips and resources transforms the experience. The confidence boost itself can improve chances of success if a person suffers from test anxiety or simply doesn't know where to start or how to organize and plan their preparation. This supportive space can ease students' vulnerability. In true GU fashion, the courses are bilingual in ASL and English; this first cohort had several deaf interpreters studying for the knowledge and ethics test, enriching the class for all.

Students are given access to an impressive selection of resources, including ASL databases, academic articles, bibliographies on ASL, Deaf experiences, cultural experiences, and general interpreter knowledge. There are practice videos, summaries on processes of interpreting, and Demand Control Schema, a widely taught method for making and analyzing the consequences of social, practical, and technical decisions made in interpreting situations. When the September classes were over, CCE responded to students' requests to keep the platform open so they could continue accessing the resources for an additional month, which they plan to do going forward.

Rehkopf notes the varied backgrounds of students, from people who have recently completed an Interpreter Training Program (ITP) to working interpreters who have been in the field for years, and hearing and deaf interpreters from various regions in the country. Recent graduates have the content for the knowledge exam fresh in their minds, while more experienced interpreters have a lot of professional experience on which to draw for the ethical and performance portions of the exam. This mix makes for a rich community with a diversity of experiences and knowledge, which benefit each student.

The next round of CASLI test prep courses will be offered starting in January 2025 (see below) with the likely possibility of adding sections to accommodate the high interest of the community. Interpreters: Good luck on that exam and here's to bringing the best of yourself to your work!

Sign up for the next round of CASLI prep courses:

Spring 2025:

January: PST 169 CASLI Generalist Knowledge - Ethics and Cultural Responsiveness Exam Preparation

February: PST 170 CASLI Generalist Knowledge - Fundamentals of Interpreting Exam Preparation

March: PST 171 CASLI Generalist Performance Exam For Hearing Interpreters Preparation (NIC)

Fall 2025:

September: PST 169 CASLI Generalist Knowledge - Ethics and Cultural Responsiveness Exam Preparation

October: PST 170 CASLI Generalist Knowledge - Fundamentals of Interpreting Exam Preparation

November: PST 171 CASLI Generalist Performance Exam For Hearing Interpreters Preparation (NIC)