Notice
June 1, 2026

Current Interpreter Testing Opportunities

Court Interpreter Testing: June 2026 Update
Important Changes to Exam Registration and Testing

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) and the Oral Proficiency Examinations (required for registered languages) at Prometric test centers until June 30, 2026.

This will be the last day that Prometric administers court interpreter examinations, including 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 and Oral Proficiency Examinations (OPEs): OPEN

All candidates must first pass the Written Exam with a score of 80% or higher.
Registration for the Written and Oral Proficiency Examinations (OPEs) is open. 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.
  • For the OPE registration, please dial 1-(800) 967-1139, and select option 2, followed by option 2, and option 3.

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:

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 the Language Access Services’ Registered Spoken Language Interpreter web page.

 For information on becoming a credentialed interpreter, including the BIE, Written Exam, and OPE, consult the Prometric Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB).

Return to the Become a Court Interpreter webpage.