What are the approved third-party testing entities for medical interpreter candidates?

Please visit the LTC website’s Test Information page for more details on medical interpreter test requirements.

  • Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)

LTC accepts written and oral tests that CCHI administers (for Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin) or recognizes as evidence of proficiency in a language other than English (LOTE).

Please register for the test(s) directly with CCHI. For more information, please visit their website Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI).

  • The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI)

LTC accepts written and oral tests that NBCMI administers (for Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese) or recognizes as evidence of proficiency in a language other than English (LOTE).

Please register for the test(s) directly with NBCMI. For more information, please visit their website The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI).

  • ALTA Language Services (available in Screened Languages – please see list on the LTC Test Information page) 
    • Not available for Certified Languages: Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese

Candidates must pass all three ALTA Language Services tests below to apply for a DSHS Medical Interpreter-Recognized credential:

  1. English Reading Test (Passing score: ILR 3 / ALTA 9, or above)
  2. English Interpretation Code of Ethics-Medical Test (Passing score: Qualified)
  3. Consecutive Medical Interpreter Test with passing score of ALTA Level 10 – Advanced Plus, or above.

Please email LTC at dshsct@dshs.wa.gov for test registration and provide full name, Gateway Candidate ID Number, email address, phone number, language, and a copy of official photo ID.

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