Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Certificates

The certificates described below are an indication that the interpreter or transliterator was assessed by a group of professional peers according to a nationally recognized standard of minimum competence. The individual’s performance was deemed to meet or exceed this national standard.

Certificates accepted by RID are recognized as valid certificates provided the interpreter/transliterator meets all requirements of membership including participation in the Certification Maintenance Program. All interpreters and transliterators are required to adhere to the RID Code of Professional Conduct (formerly Code of Ethics) governing ethical behavior within the profession. Violations of the Code of Professional Conduct could result in a complaint filed against the interpreter/transliterator through the RID Ethical Practices System.

NIC (National Interpreter Certification) – Individuals achieving certification at the NIC, NIC Advanced or NIC Master level are all professionally certified interpreters. The National Interpreter Certification exam tests interpreting skills and knowledge in three critical domains:  

1. General knowledge of the field of interpreting through the NIC Knowledge written exam

2. Ethical decision making through the Interview portion of the NIC Performance test and

3. Interpreting and transliterating skills through the Performance portion of the test.

In all three domains, certificate holders have demonstrated professional knowledge and skills that meets or exceeds the professional standards to perform in a broad range of interpretation and transliteration assignments.

NIC – Individuals who achieve the NIC level have passed the NIC Knowledge written exam as well as scored within the standard range of a professional interpreter on the Interview portion and Performance portions of the test.  

NIC Advanced – Individuals who achieved the NIC Advanced level have passed the NIC Knowledge written exam, scored within the standard range of a professional interpreter on the Interview portion, and scored within the high range on the Performance portion of the test.  

NIC Master – Individuals who achieved the NIC Master level have passed the NIC Knowledge written exam and scored within the high range of a professional interpreter on both the Interview portion and Performance portion of the test.  

Individuals holding the NIC Advanced and/or Master level certifications may be expected to perform competently in all routine interpreting assignments as well as in assignments that may be more complex in nature or require interpreting skills above standard levels.  

CI (Certificate of Interpretation) - Holders of this certificate are recognized as fully certified in interpretation and have demonstrated the ability to interpret between American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English in both sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign. The interpreter's ability to transliterate is not considered in this certification. Holders of the CI are recommended for a broad range of interpretation assignments.  

CT (Certificate of Transliteration) - Holders of this certificate are recognized as fully certified in transliteration and have demonstrated the ability to transliterate between English-based sign language and spoken English in both sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign. The transliterator's ability to interpret is not considered in this certification. Holders of the CT are recommended for a broad range of transliteration assignments.  

CI and CT (Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration) - Holders of both full certificates have demonstrated competence in both interpretation and transliteration. Holders of the CI and CT are recommended for a broad range of interpretation and transliteration assignments.  

CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) - Holders of this certification are interpreters who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing.  Holders of this certificate are recommended for a broad range of assignments when it is beneficial.  

CSC (Comprehensive Skills Certificate) - Holders of this full certificate have demonstrated the ability to interpret between American Sign Language and spoken English and to transliterate between spoken English and an English-based sign language. Holders of this certificate are recommended for a broad range of interpreting and transliterating assignments. 

SC:L (Specialist Certificate: Legal) - Holders of this specialist certificate have demonstrated specialized knowledge of legal settings and greater familiarity with language used in the legal system. Generalist certification and documented training and experience are required prior to sitting for this exam. Holders of the SC:L are recommended for a broad range of assignments in the legal setting.

*This is a brief listing of RID certifications. Full descriptions are available at www.rid.org (exit DHS).

National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Certification Levels

NAD V (Master) – Possesses superior voice-to-sign skills and excellent sign-to-voice skills. Demonstrates excellent to outstanding ability in any given area. Performance is with a minimum of flaws. Demonstrates interpreting skills necessary in almost all situations.

NAD IV (Advanced) – Possesses excellent voice-to-sign skills and above average sign-to-voice skills, or vice versa. Demonstrates above average skill in any given area. Performance is consistent and accurate. Fluency is smooth, with little deleted, and the viewer has no question to the candidate’s competency. Should be able to interpret in most situations.

 *This is a brief listing of NAD certifications. Full descriptions are available at www.rid.org (exit DHS).

  Wisconsin Interpreting Transliterating Assessment (WITA) 
Verification Levels  

Wisconsin has no legal mandate for minimum skill in interpreting settings. The Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, however, strongly encourages all interpreters and consumers of interpreting services use the recommended guidelines below for interpreter and transliterator usage. All levels have met a requirement to take and pass a valid and reliable examination assuring the candidate's knowledge of the RID Code of Professional Conduct. (exit DHS)

When selecting an interpreter, consumer's preference, the interpreter's familiarity with the subject matter of the situation as well as the interpreter's skill level need to be considered.

Wisconsin accepts RID certification (exit DHS) as a national minimum standard of proficiency in interpreting field. The RID maintains its own evaluation. RID has established ethical standards for the interpreting profession known as the Code of Ethics. ODHH recognizes RID certified interpreters as qualified for all listed settings/situations including areas not recommended for WITA Level 1 interpreters and/or transliterators.

Level 1 Interpreters and/or Transliterators - Level 1 practitioner interpreters and/or transliterators are able to interpret/transliterate so as to convey the content of the message. Can function expressively and receptively in most situations. Can function well as an interpreter/transliterator in most situations excluding legal, serious medical or mental health.

Level 2 Interpreters and/or Transliterators - Level 2 intermediate interpreters and/or transliterators are able to interpret or transliterate a significant portion of the message clearly. Can function expressively and receptively in many situations.  

Level 3 and 4 Interpreters and/or Transliterators are not considered as possessing adequate skills to be deemed qualified for most interpreting/transliterating environments.  

For WITA verified interpreters, the following list will help to determine if an interpreter's verification qualifies him/her to do a specific type of assignment.  

Situations                                                                          Can Be Used    Should Not Critical situations of any nature                                                                         1, 2
Legal situations                                                                                                   1, 2  
Civil or criminal court cases                                                                               1, 2 Serious mental health situations                                                                        1, 2 Basic mental health situations                                                  1, 2                   Serious medical situations                                                                                 1, 2    Basic medical situations                                                           1, 2
Educational settings                                                                   1                       2  Employment situations                                                               1, 2 
Platform interpreting                                                                   1, 2 Recreational/social                                                                     1, 2 

WITA levels appear as the interpreting level/transliterating level of skill. For example, an interpreter with a Level 1 interpreting skill and a Level 2 transliterating skill will have a WITA level of I1/T2. The score to use when hiring an interpreter should depend on the type of communication mode requested by the consumer.