Reciprocity and Transfer of Components


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The Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program (ACICP) allows for both reciprocity of certain credentials earned under other court interpreter credentialing programs, as well as the transfer of individual components thereof into the ACICP. Read below for more information on Reciprocity and Transfer of Components.

Reciprocity

Eligibility:

Interpreters who hold any of the following certifications may apply for reciprocity with the ACICP:

  • Administrative Office of the U.S Courts (AOUSC) certification. Federal certification qualifies for recognition at the Tier 4 level.
  • National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) certification. NAJIT certification qualifies for recognition at the Tier 4 level.
  • National Center for State Courts (NCSC) certification (also known as “Consortium” certification). NCSC certification qualifies for Tier 3 or Tier 4 recognition, depending on the underlying NCSC (“Consortium”) Oral Court Interpreter Exam scores. Please review the information and score requirements explained below.

NCSC ("Consortium") Certification:

NCSC certification is a credential granted by an administrative office of a state court that is a member of the Council of Language Access Coordinators (CLAC, formerly the “Consortium”) and which uses the NCSC interpreting exams. Candidates must have achieved scores of at least 70% on each component of the NCSC Oral Court Interpreter Exam in order to qualify for reciprocity. These candidates will qualify for recognition at either the Tier 3 or Tier 4 levels under the ACICP, based on their underlying test scores:

Sight
Translation
Consecutive
Interpreting
Simultaneous
Interpreting
Overall
Score
ACICP
Credential Tier
70% - 79%
(No score below 65%)
70% - 79%
70% - 79%
 70% - 79% 3
80% and Up
(No score below 75%)
80% and Up
 80% and Up 80% and Up  4

In addition to the credential requirements listed above, all candidates for reciprocity will be required to complete the ACICP online court interpreter ethics and Arizona courts overview classes.

How to apply for reciprocity:

  1. Create a profile in the Arizona Court Interpreter Registry.
  2. Complete the Reciprocity & Transfer of Credentialing Program Components Application Form and email it to [email protected]. Upon receipt of the application, you will receive instructions for payment of the reciprocity fee. (Click here to see all fees related to the ACICP.)
  3. Pay the reciprocity fee. The reciprocity fee includes the required ACICP online court interpreter ethics and Arizona courts overview classes. (The Arizona courts overview may be waived if you are a staff interpreter for an Arizona state court and your supervisor does not require you to take the class.) Information on how to complete the online classes will be sent after payment of the reciprocity fee.
  4. Complete the online court interpreter ethics course and, if required, the online Arizona courts overview course.
  5. The ACICP will verify the applicant's eligibility for reciprocity with the appropriate granting authority. This process may take several weeks. Once all of the requirements are satisfied and verification of eligibility is complete, an ACICP credential will be issued and the interpreter’s record in the registry will be updated.

Please note, there will be no refund of the reciprocity fee should an applicant not meet the necessary requirements. Applicants are advised to contact the ACICP at [email protected] or (602) 452-3333 with any questions about eligibility or ACICP refund policies before an application is submitted.
 

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Transfer of Components

ACICP candidates may also apply to have previously completed individual components of a certification program recognized in Arizona. This enables candidates to move through the credentialing process without having to retake exams they have already passed.

Eligibility:

 Previously
Passed Component...
May Satisfy
Arizona Requirement...
Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI):
   • “Advanced” score or higher; test completed within the last 2 years
The OPI requirement as part of Tier 1 and/or Tier A credentials
NCSC English Written Exam:
   • Score of 80% or higher
The English Written Exam as part of Tier 1 credential
Administrative Office of the U.S Courts (AOUSC) Written Exam:
   • Passing score based on AOUSC program criteria
The English Written Exam as part of Tier 1 credential
NCSC Oral Court Interpreter Exam – Sight Translation Component Only:
   • Combined score of 70% or higher with neither portion being less than 65%
   • Must have been completed within the last 2 years
The Sight Translation component of the Oral Court Interpreter Exam as part of Tier 3 or Tier 4 credentials.
NCSC Oral Court Interpreter Exam – Consecutive Interpretation Component Only
  • Score of 70% or higher
  • Must have been completed within the last 2 years
The Consecutive Translation component of the Oral Court Interpreter Exam as part of Tier 3 or Tier 4 credentials
NCSC Oral Court Interpreter Exam – Simultaneous Interpretation Component Only
   • Score of 70% or higher
   • Must have been completed within the last 2 years
The Simultaneous Translation component of the Oral Court Interpreter Exam as part of Tier 3 or Tier 4 credentials

For individual Oral Court Interpreter Exam components: Transferred scores may only be carried forward for two (2) years from the date of the exam giving rise to the transferred score. The remainder of the Oral Interpreting Exam must be successfully completed within that two-year window to earn a Tier 3 or Tier 4 credential. Otherwise, the transferred Oral Court Interpreter Exam score(s) will cease to be valid. 

How to apply for a transfer of components:

  1. Create a profile in the Arizona Court Interpreter Registry.
  2. Complete the Reciprocity & Transfer of Credentialing Program Components Application Form and email it to [email protected]. Upon receipt of the application, you will receive instructions for payment of the component transfer fee. (Click here to see all fees related to the ACICP.)
  3. Pay the component transfer fee.
  4. The ACICP will verify the eligibility of the component(s) for transfer with the appropriate granting authority. This process may take several weeks. Once the verification is complete, the applicant will be notified of the results and the applicant's profile in the Arizona Court Interpreter Registry will be updated, as necessary.

Please note, there will be no refund of the component transfer fee should a component not qualify for transfer. Applicants are advised to contact the ACICP at [email protected] or (602) 452-3333 with any questions about eligibility or ACICP refund policies before an application is submitted.
 

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