Applying for the New York Court Interpreter Position? Here’s What You Need to Know

Many Americans claim they don’t like exams because they don’t test well. Recent surveys also prove that Americans struggle to make it through most forms of standardized testing, although the reasons for such a trend remain unclear.

So does this trend apply to the written exam for the New York Court Interpreter position? Most likely, yes. The court interpreter test is just like any other exam, but your nerves can get to you on D-day.

A surefire way out of the mess is to make sure you practice the test pattern enough times till you feel confident about your knowledge. Give our NYS court officer exam preparation classes a shot! We’ve been helping civil service candidates ace their exams for over 45 years! Our tuition classes can put you at an advantage since they can help you understand the paper pattern like the back of your hand.

Here’s what you can expect from the NYS court interpreter exam on testing day.

Testing platform

Since October 2018, the NYS Unified Court System has been administering the court interpreter exam on a computer. The paper and pencil test are no longer applicable.

Test topics

Candidates will be tested in two key areas. The first includes their English language proficiency and the second includes their knowledge of legal lingo. Test questions will include reading and comprehension tasks, sentence and paragraph completion, grammar, vocabulary and figure of speech exercises. You can view a sample test paper here.

Test pattern

Currently, there are two parts to your NYS court interpreter exam: the first is a written test and the other is an oral test. Let’s talk about the written test first. Here, you’ll have to demonstrate both, your English language skills as well as your Spanish language proficiency in a multiple choice format.

We understand that New York is home to an incredibly diverse community with people from over 60 different national backgrounds. While Spanish is the most widely spoken language in New York; there are nearly 800 other language speakers statewide. To accommodate this diversity, the oral test is administered in over 20 different languages. You can also submit a proposal to have your test taken in an unlisted language.

We hope this piece of information makes you feel a little less stressed out about your NYS court interpreter exam. For more information, you can log onto this government website. To begin your preparation for the exam, register with one of the best civil service schools in New York, here.