California’s Assessment of the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts’ Exams

In May of 2009, the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) contracted ALTA Language Services, Inc. (ALTA) to assess the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts’ (CLAC or Consortium) examinations for certifying member state court interpreters. The purpose of this assessment was to determine the level of functional equivalency between California’s court interpreter certification examinations and the Consortium’s exams, and to determine how California could use Consortium exams if comparable testing standards were established.