Do I need to reside in the United States / be a U.S. citizen to become certified?

You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to be certified by CCHI or to become a medical interpreter in the U.S.  CCHI tests candidates regardless of their immigration status, but keep in mind that the CHI and EtoE performance exams can be taken only at Prometric testing centers in the United States and Canada.

If you plan to be physically present to work in the U.S., you will be required either to have a work visa or a work permit, which CCHI cannot facilitate for you.

Can I take the CCHI certification exams outside the United States?

CCHI now administers the CoreCHI™ written exam in two modalities: at a physical test center OR online. Eligible interpreters may therefore obtain CoreCHI certification from outside the United States.

However, CCHI does not offer the ETOE™ exam or CHI™ language-specific performance exams remotely due to the nature and specific parameters (e.g. audio capture, allowing note taking) of those exams. All candidates who need to take the ETOE™ exam or a CHI™ language-specific performance exam must do so at a physical test center of the Prometric network in the U.S. or Canada.

If you are considering taking the CoreCHI™ (“written”) certification exam online, please visit our online testing info page.

What is CCHI’s Refund Policy?

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:

  • you have not scheduled your exam appointment yet, OR
  • if you have cancelled your exam appointment with Prometric, CCHI’s testing vendor. (Please be aware a $25 cancellation/rescheduling fee paid to Prometric will not be refunded.)

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:

  • For the CoreCHI™ exam – 6 (six) months from the date of the application approval;
  • For a CHI™ exam – 12 (twelve) months from the date of passing the CoreCHI exam.

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:

  • Initial application
  • Renewal application

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.

How can I change the name on my CCHI account and application?

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:

  • non-expired U.S. driver’s license
  • non-expired passport
  • marriage or divorce certificate with the name change
  • court order confirming name change.

What ADA accommodations does CCHI provide for its exams?

Whenever possible, CCHI is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in its examination processes to individuals with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Appropriate accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent that such accommodation does not fundamentally alter the examination, or cause an undue burden to CCHI or the agency administering the examination.

It is the responsibility of individuals with disabilities to notify CCHI in writing of the applicant’s need for an accommodation and submit the pertinent supporting documentation in electronic format at the time of submitting a request for scheduling an exam via our online application system no later than 45 days before the examination date.

There are two ways to notify CCHI of the ADA accommodation request:

  • If a special need or disability is present at the time of submitting the application or paying for a CCHI examination and before receiving a Notice to Schedule, the applicant should choose the “Request ADA Accommodation” option before they select the orange “Pay fees” button in the online application system. At this time the applicant will be directed to explain the nature of their request and to upload necessary documentation in an electronic format.
  • If a special need or disability occurs after the applicant has already received their Notice to Schedule, they must complete and submit via email to apply@cchicertification.org the CCHI’s ADA Accommodation Request Form (click here to download this form or see it in Appendix C of the Candidate’s Examination Handbook), along with the supporting documentation.

Regardless of how the ADA accommodation request is submitted – via the online application system or via email – an applicant/candidate must state the type of accommodation(s) needed, in addition to providing current and appropriate documentation of the disability. The applicant’s/candidate’s request will not be considered complete and reviewed without the CCHI’s ADA Accommodation Request Form.

The documentation provided in CCHI’s ADA Accommodation Request Form must not be more than three years old from the date of the application. It should include an official statement from a healthcare provider who has first-hand knowledge of the disability, describing the nature of the disability and specific recommendations regarding the type of accommodation required to address the disability. The letter should be on the letterhead stationery of the healthcare provider in question, and include his or her title, address, phone number, and original signature.

The applicant/candidate grants CCHI permission to contact the professionals who submitted documentation in support of a request for accommodation in order to obtain further clarification concerning a request.

Examples of requests for special testing accommodations that may be granted include: modification of seating or other physical arrangements in the examination facility; providing for the examination to be taken in an accessible location; providing a human reader for individuals who are blind or with low vision (available only for test-center delivery); allowing medicine of food; or providing for a reasonable extension of testing time.

Examples of requests for special testing accommodations that may be denied include: modification of the content of an objective multiple-choice examination; providing for unlimited testing time; allowing the candidate to leave the examination room for a break; permitting a reader to paraphrase test material or translate the material into another language.

The following testing accommodations, if granted by CCHI, are available only at test centers (i.e., they are not available for online-proctored delivery of the CoreCHI™ exam): human reader, notetaker, actuator, bathroom break.

All accommodation determinations will be made by CCHI at its discretion. Failure to notify CCHI of needed accommodation(s) in one’s application and/or no later than 45 days before scheduling an exam may result in the accommodations not being available at the time of the examination.

Applicants/candidates shall not hold CCHI accountable for any lack of appropriate accommodation deriving from the applicant’s/candidate’s own failure to notify CCHI of their needs on a timely basis. Once special accommodations have been granted, they may not be altered during the examination.

For more information visit our Policies page and click on the blue bar “ADA Accommodation Procedures.”

How is the CHI™ exam score calculated? What do the percentages on my score report mean?

Your CHI exam score report states two separate things: the overall scaled score, and how well you did in specific parts of the test. There is no relationship between the percentages reported for the parts of the test (subdomains) and the overall scaled score. We report the percentage correct for 3 subdomains: consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, and sight translation/translation. The percentage correct for any part of the test (subdomain, e.g. consecutive interpreting) is computed as the portion of the points that you earned relative to the number of points it is possible to earn in that part.  For example, if the maximum number of points that it is possible to earn in a part of the test is 72 and you earned 51 points, the percentage on your score report would be 71%.

Your total score is not the average of your performance in all subdomains. Please recognize that since the examination is scored on a totality, the percentages reported for subdomains are intended only as a guide. In order to improve your score if you failed an exam, you need to practice and improve all modes of interpreting.

I experienced technical issues during testing, who do I contact?

All communication with CCHI about testing experience must be in writing. If you experience any technical issues during testing, you need to do 2 things:

  • tell your proctor about the issues during the exam so he/she may call our IT support staff and assist you right away, or after the exam but before you leave the testing site, AND
  • email us the description of issues at apply@CCHIcertification.org within 24 hours of taking the exam (i.e. the sooner the better).

Can I take the exams remotely? Can I take the exams from my home?

No, all exams are administered at CCHI-approved testing sites. The IT complexity of our exams, security requirements, and specific accreditation requirements do not allow us to administer CCHI exams without a proctor present (i.e., at a candidate’s home).

I need to reschedule or cancel my exam. What do I do?

You can reschedule or cancel your exam without any fee penalty, as long as you do so more than 30 (thirty) full calendar days before your scheduled exam date. Candidates must make and confirm all cancellations/changes through the same method (online or via phone) they used to schedule their exam with Prometric. See our instructions in the Notice to Schedule email. Leaving a voice mail for Prometric or test site or CCHI is NOT sufficient to confirm cancellation/change. Your cancellation/change is only complete when you receive a confirmation via email from Prometric or CCHI’s staff.

Rescheduling/Cancellation Fees:

  • If you want to reschedule/cancel your exam more than 30 (thirty) full calendar days before the exam date, there is no additional fee.
  • If you want to reschedule/cancel your exam within 6-30 days before the exam date, you must pay Prometric the $35 reschedule/cancellation fee. The fee is paid online via Prometric’s scheduling webpage (https://www.prometric.com/CCHI).
  • If you want to cancel/reschedule your already scheduled exam less than 5 calendar days before the exam date (i.e. 1-5 days before the exam date), you, FIRST, must contact CCHI and pay the $150 reschedule/cancellation fee.
  • If you don’t show up for the scheduled exam, OR if you are more than 10 minutes late, your exam fee is forfeited, and you’ll have to contact CCHI and pay again the full exam fee (the amount depends on which exam you missed).

Please plan your exam date carefully. If you have any questions, contact our testing coordinator Eddie Alnadi at CMSspecialist@cchicertification.org.

When can I take the CoreCHI exam?

You can take the CoreCHI™ exam at any time, year-around, depending on the specific testing site availability. There are no “testing windows” for the CoreCHI exam.

You can schedule your exam only after you receive a Notice to Schedule in an email from us. You can always login to your CCHI Profile account and check our emails under the “Communications” tab. Scheduling is done online at https://www.prometric.com/CCHIBefore you start, locate your Eligibility Number on the Notice to Schedule that was emailed to you. Plan your testing date carefully because rescheduling or cancelling your appointment may incur an additional fee (see the Rescheduling/Cancellation Process described on the Scheduling page).

Watch this brief  video tutorial on how to schedule the exam online: https://youtu.be/VY8qYwemikI

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