Current Interpreter Testing Opportunities
Important Changes: June 1 to June 30, 2026
Written Exam and Oral Proficiency Exams
Candidates interested in becoming court interpreters may schedule and take the Written Examination in English (mandatory for all languages) at Prometric test centers until June 30, 2026.
Oral Proficiency Exams (required for registered languages) will no longer be administered in June, but registration will open starting on July 1.
June 30 will be the last day that Prometric administers court interpreter examinations, including the Written and the Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE), on behalf of the Judicial Council of California’s Court Interpreters Program.
July 1, 2026: New Testing Changes
Starting July 1, 2026, the program will implement several testing initiatives, including a new online registration process and exam administration model. Candidates will be able to register and schedule appointments online for all court interpreter exams administered in California, including:
- Written Examination in English (required for all languages)
- Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE) (oral exam required for certified languages)
- Oral Proficiency Examinations in English and the candidate’s target language, if available (required for registered languages)
BIE Fall Administration
The Court Interpreters Program anticipates administering the BIE in Fall 2026 for all exams that have qualified raters available. Registration is expected to open sometime in July 2026.
Additional information about the upcoming testing changes will be posted soon. Candidates should visit this page regularly to stay informed about the latest updates on court interpreter testing. We appreciate your dedication to language access and your pursuit of credentials as a California court interpreter.
🛠️ Need Assistance or Want to Share Feedback? Whether you experience issues during exam administration—such as technology malfunctions, proctor errors, or noise disturbances—or wish to share positive feedback about your experience, please contact the Court Interpreters Program at: 📧 courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov
Written Examination: OPEN
All candidates must first pass the Written Exam with a score of 80% or higher.
Registration for the Written exam is open with the Prometric testing administrator until June 30, 2026. To schedule your next exam, contact Prometric candidate care, Monday through Friday, between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. (PST).
- For the Written Examination, please dial 1-(866) 241-3118, and select option 2.
American Sign Language (ASL):
Currently, there is no state ASL exam to become a court interpreter, but interested candidates have two reciprocity pathways to enroll on the Judicial Council Master List as a credentialed ASL Court Interpreter:
- The Texas Board for the Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) Court Interpreter Certification (currently testing)
- The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Specialist Certification: Legal (current holders of this formerly offered certification)
To learn more about reciprocity visit our ASL webpage.
If you have one of the valid credentials listed above, please email us to request a reciprocity application: courtinterpreters@jud.ca.gov
Japanese, Khmer, and Western Armenian Languages:
January 1, 2025, candidates pursuing court interpreter credentialing in Japanese, Khmer, and Western Armenian must pass both the Written Exam and the Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) in English and the target language.
For more details, visit our Registered Court Interpreter webpage.
Return to the Become a Court Interpreter webpage.