All CoreCHI certificants qualify to take the ETOE exam and earn the CoreCHI-P certification. At this time, transitioning to the CoreCHI-P certification is voluntary. Starting in 2025, this transition will become mandatory, and the CoreCHI certificants will have to earn the CoreCHI-P certification within 1-2 years.
CCHI’s ETOE performance exam (oral exam) tests certain cognitive skills required for healthcare interpreting in a monolingual (English-to-English) format. It consists of 22 scored items in the following sections:
1. Listening Comprehension – one (1) audio item
2. Shadowing – one (1) audio item
3. Memory Capacity – eight (8) audio items
4. Restate the Meaning – seven (7) audio items
5. Equivalence of Meaning – four (4) text items
6. Reading Comprehension – one (1) text, between 170-220 words long, with three (3) questions based on it
7. Speaking Skills in the Language Other Than English – one (1) unscored item; candidates need to describe the image in their LOTE. (ASL interpreters will be describing the image in English.)
For more information, you can review the ETOE Exam Specifications or watch this webinar explaining the ETOE exam content. A free practice test is available here.
All CCHI certificants, applicants, and candidates must comply with this Refund Policy. Submitting an application online constitutes understanding of and agreement to follow this Policy.
1. Examination Fees
You may receive an exam fee refund ONLY IF your eligibility to take the corresponding exam has not expired, AND:
After you have taken the examination, OR if you missed your exam appointment, NO refunds will be granted.
Requests for a refund must be received prior to the end of your exam eligibility period:
CCHI does not grant refunds after that date (i.e., after the end of your eligibility).
CCHI charges a processing fee of $12 on all refunds. This amount is subject to change without notice.
To request a refund, you must contact CCHI via email at info@cchicertification.org.
To apply for a future exam after cancelling and receiving a refund, you must pay full costs.
2. Application Fees
Application fees are non-refundable.
CCHI does NOT refund the following processing fees for:
Reversing transaction charges in connection with payment of these fees without requesting a refund constitutes non-compliance with this policy and may incur disciplinary actions.
Yes, the CCHI Candidate’s Examination Handbook and other clarifying information can be found at the Eligibility webpage (https://cchicertification.org/certifications/eligibility/).
Only CCHI staff can change the name on your account after verifying the information. Please email a valid document confirming your correct spelling of the name or name change to our Registrar at apply@cchicertification.org. The attached file must be either in JPG, PNG or PDF format; other formats are not accepted.
Some examples of accepted name verification or name change documents:
In 2015, CCHI adopted a tradition to administer the Certified Interpreter Oath at conferences and other professional events to affirm our certificants’ adherence to the healthcare interpreter code of ethics. The text of the oath is available at the Certified Interpreters wepbage.
Language (linguistic) proficiency is the ability of an individual to communicate and/or perform their job in a specific language. Proficient speakers demonstrate both accuracy and fluency, and use a variety of discourse strategies.
For interpreters, language proficiency in two languages is a starting point; they also must possess interpreting skills that enable them to successfully convert meaning from one language into another.
There exist several reputable language proficiency scales:
ILR scale: The U.S. Interagency Language Roundtable descriptions of proficiency levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 characterize spoken-language use (http://www.govtilr.org/Skills/ILRscale1.htm).
ACTFL scale: Developed from the U.S. Federal Government’s ILR scale by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the ACTFL proficiency scale has four main levels (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior). The first three levels are each subdivided into three sublevels (Low, Mid, and High) (https://www.actfl.org/resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012).
CEFR scale: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries. The CEFR distinguishes between four kinds of language activities: reception (listening and reading), production (spoken and written), interaction (spoken and written), and mediation (translating and interpreting). Four broad domains are distinguished: educational, occupational, public, and personal. A language user can develop various degrees of competence in each of these domains and to help describe them the CEFR has provided a set of six Common Reference Levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2). (https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/level-descriptions)
IELTS scale: The International English Language Testing System is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from “band 1” (“non-user”) to “band 9” (“expert user”) and each institution sets a different threshold. (https://www.ielts.org/en-us/about-the-test/how-ielts-is-scored)
TOEFL scale: Test of English as a Foreign Language is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. TOEFL is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points by adding scores from each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) which each receives a scaled score from 0 to 30. The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions; each institution establishes the minimally accepted score which varies from 61 to 111. (https://www.ets.org/toefl/institutions/scores/interpret/)
As of November 15, 2023, the minimum levels accepted by CCHI are Advanced-Mid on the ACTFL scale and 2+ on the ILR scale (or an equivalent to these levels established for other tests).
Please review the screenshots of the CCHI online application system at Your Profile.
Yes, as long as you have taught 40 hours of courses related to healthcare interpreter training and can document this. If you have developed a healthcare interpreter training program that has been administered, you may also count the number of hours the course runs (you may not count the number of hours you spent developing the course). The application requires you to upload the necessary documentation (one PDF file for each course):
1. Proof of training delivery – any publicity material (flyer, ad, brochure, conference schedule, etc.) about their training which lists the following information:
2. Proof of training experience (e.g., Curriculum Vitae, personal or advisor’s attestation) specifying delivery of any combination of academic and non-academic (conferences, workshops, in-service).
If the number of hours of the curriculum is less than 40, only the amount that has been taught will be applied toward the 40-hour requirement. Likewise, if the applicant created a healthcare interpreter training program of less than 40 hours, they will only be awarded the exact amount of hours in the training program.
Yes, we publish an electronic newsletter to our subscribers. To see the previous issues, please go to the CCHI Stakeholders webpage at http://cchicertification.org/our-community/ and click on the blue bar “CCHI Newsletters”.
To subscribe, enter your email in the subscription field at the bottom of on any page.
