Current Interpreter Testing Opportunities

Spring Bilingual Interpreting Examination (BIE) Registration to open on January 21, 2026

Eligible candidates with valid Written Examination scores can schedule for the BIE during the registration period from January 21 through February 11, 2026.

A second BIE administration for all languages with qualified raters is anticipated to take place in the Summer/Fall.

Registration Details:

Registration period for BIE languages as follows:
- January 21 – February 4, 2026: Arabic (Egyptian/Levantine) & Mandarin
- January 21 – February 11, 2026: Farsi (Persian), Punjabi (India) & Spanish
Exam Administration Dates: March 18 – April 6, 2026
Exam Locations: Camarillo, Culver City, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.
To register: Please contact Prometric, the Judicial Council’s interpreting testing vendor, at (866) 241-3118, option 2, Monday–Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (PST). Registration is only available by phone.
Seating is limited to 250 candidates on a first-come, first-served basis.
The administration will adhere to federal, state, and local health and safety guidelines.

Required Information for Registration:

Prometric ID number
Testing language(s)
Valid Written Exam scores
Exam Registration Fee: $386.32
Your contact information and other requested information to verify your identity.

Important: Candidates are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible while test seats are still available. Please visit the Prometric website for additional details concerning registration and testing.

🛠️ 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:

Effective 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.