RID Certifications

RID Certification Programs

The excerpts below are descriptions of the primary certifications offered by RID.  Click on the links for each category for more information.

• NIC Certification

Individuals who have achieved NIC certification are nationally-certified interpreters.

Holders of this certification have demonstrated general knowledge in the field of interpreting, ethical decision making and interpreting skills. Candidates earn NIC Certification if they demonstrate professional knowledge and skills that meet or exceed the minimum professional standards necessary to perform in a broad range of interpretation and transliteration assignments. This credential has been available since  2005.

The NIC certification process begins with a multiple-choice NIC Knowledge Exam. Candidates are eligible for the NIC Knowledge Exam if they are at least 18 years old. Candidates who have passed the knowledge exam within 5 years and meet RID’s educational requirement may then take the NIC Interview and Performance Exam. The NIC Interview and Performance Exam is a vignette-based assessment using video to deliver and record the assessment.

Anyone who wishes to seek NIC certification should first read the entire NIC Certification Process to ensure a complete understanding of the certification process.

• OTC Certification (Under Moratorium)

OTC (Oral Transliteration Certificate)

This credential is fully recognized by RID, but the designation is no longer awarded by RID. This designation went into moratorium effective January 1, 2016.

Holders of this certification demonstrated, using silent oral techniques and natural gestures and the ability to transliterate a spoken message from a person who hears to a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Holders also demonstrated the ability to understand and repeat the message and intent of the speech and mouth movements of the person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. This credential was offered from 1999 to 2016.

For more information on this certification, click here.

• CDI Certification (CDI Performance Exam Under Moratorium)

CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) Certification

Holders of this certification are deaf or hard of hearing and have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of interpreting,  deafness, the Deaf community, and Deaf culture. Holders have specialized training and/or experience in the use of gesture, mime, props, drawings and other tools to enhance communication. Holders possess native or near-native fluency in American Sign Language and are recommended for a broad range of assignments where an interpreter who is deaf or hard-of-hearing would be beneficial. This credential has been available since 1998.

The CDI certification process begins with a multiple-choice CDI Knowledge Exam. Candidates are eligible for the CDI Knowledge Exam if they meet the 40 hour training requirement. Candidates who have passed the knowledge exam within 5 years and meet RID’s educational requirement may then take the CDI Performance Exam. The CDI Performance Exam is a videotape assessment.

Anyone who wishes to seek CDI certification should first read the entire CDI Candidate Process to ensure a complete understanding of the certification process.

• SC:L Certification (Under Moratorium)

SC:L (Specialist Certificate: Legal)

This credential is fully recognized by RID, but the designation is no longer awarded by RID.  This designation went into moratorium effective January 1, 2016.

Holders of this specialist certification demonstrated specialized knowledge of legal settings and greater familiarity with language used in the legal system. These individuals are recommended for a broad range of assignments in the legal setting. This credential was offered from 1998 to 2016.

For more information on this certification, click here.

 

• Educational Certification K-12 (Ed:K-12) (Under Moratorium)

Ed: K-12 (Educational Certificate: K-12)

Holders of this certification demonstrated the ability to interpret or transliterate classroom content and discourse between students who are deaf and hard of hearing and students, teachers and school staff who are hearing. Certificants demonstrated EIPA Level 4* skills using spoken English and at least one of the following visual languages, constructs, or symbol systems at either an elementary or secondary level:

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Manually Coded English (MCE)
• Contact Signing (aka: Pidgin Signed English (PSE) or English-like Signing)
• Cued American English (CAE) (aka: Cued Speech)

This credential was offered from 2007 to 2016.

For more information on this certification, click here.

• CLIP-R Permit

CLIP-R (Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay)

Holders of this conditional permit have completed an RID-recognized training program designed for interpreters and transliterators who work in legal settings, and who are also deaf or hard-of-hearing. Holders of this conditional permit are recommended for a broad range of assignments in the legal setting. This credential has been available since 1991

Candidates are eligible for CLIP-R Certification if they are a current RID CDI or RSC Certified member, meet the experience requirements, have the proper letters of recommendation, and meet RID’s educational requirement.

For more information on this certification, click here.