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Court interpreter written exam in Washington
When the Written Examination runs, what it covers, and how to prepare for it.
At a glance
| Exam | Written Examination |
|---|---|
| Administered by | Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts, Court Interpreter Program |
| Format | 135 multiple-choice questions, 2 h 15 min. The NCSC Consortium written exam used by most states. |
| Pass mark | 80% (108 of 135) |
| When | Scheduled by the AOC Court Interpreter Program; see the program page for the current dates. A written pass stays valid for ten years. |
| If you don't pass | See the program's testing policy for the interval between attempts. |
| Interpreter Bench preset | General (NCSC Consortium) |
Steps to certification in Washington
- Register with the AOC and pass the written exam (108 of 135).
- Pass the oral certification exam for certified languages, or the Oral Proficiency Interview for registered languages.
- Complete the ethics and professional requirements and join the state roster.
What is on the written exam
Washington uses the written exam developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Consortium for Language Access in the Courts. It is in English only, closed book, four options per question, and has three parts:
- General English proficiency (75 questions): sentence completion, synonyms in context, synonyms, antonyms and idioms.
- Court-related terms and usage (50 questions): sentence completion with legal vocabulary, court questions and the sequence of a criminal case.
- Ethics and professional conduct (10 questions): rules of professional conduct and interpreter scenarios.
Interpreter Bench mirrors those sections, question counts and instruction wording, so a timed mock here feels like the real sitting.
How to prepare
Most candidates lose points on the court-terms and idioms sections rather than on general English. Take a full timed mock first to see your readiness score by section, then drill the weak sections with explanations.
Start practicing freeA 69-question sample set, flashcards and a timed mini mock are free. No account needed.