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Federal Court interpreter exam candidates must be well prepared, especially now. Exam workshop. By Tony Rosado.

Dear Colleagues:

A few days ago, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts sent notice to those examinees victim of the last examination fiasco informing them the exam will be offered at the beginning of May for those who want to take it. The communication states these colleagues can decide to wait to take the exam this Fall when it will be offered to all eligible candidates. The notice says the exam will be free, but we know well that in reality this refers to the test itself, not the rest of the expenses such as travel and lost income these colleagues must disburse once again.

I would like to remind you all that the contents of the exam, and its design have never been questioned. It remains the toughest court interpreter exam in the United States. The horrendous consequences of two years ago resulted from the terrible administration of the exam by the contractor at that time, and the negligence and lack of due diligence of those in the federal government who awarded the contract to such incompetent bunch.

I can say that, after the Attorney State Bar exam, and maybe the State Department Conference-Level test, the federal court interpreter exam is the most difficult test I have ever taken. Those about to take the exam in May or later this year need to study, practice, and take a preparation workshop. All recently graduated law students take the Bar-Bri or other similar prep course. I did.

For years I have offered a FCICE exam workshop to prepare candidates to pass the test, and so far, our results have been good. There are several workshops a candidate can take, some are very good. The one I offer is good and unique.

Because my goal is to get those attending the workshop to pass the test, I have joined forces with my good friend and trusted colleague Javier Castillo, himself an experienced interpreter, to teach a workshop that covers everything needed to pass the test. Those attending our workshop get the perspective of two veteran federally certified court interpreters: Javier, a native English speaker, and myself, a native Spanish speaker. They also get to learn and understand the legal terminology and concepts needed to interpret the sections of the test.

But that is not all they get; our exam prep workshop includes a detailed explanation of the parts of the exam. All candidates learn what to look for possible scoring units, test traps, and type of subjects that may be in the test. A test like this one requires the examinee knows how to take a test, and this is taught and practiced in the workshop. Colleagues attending the workshop will not know what the exam asks, and we will reveal none of its contents, but they will learn how to tell apart those terms and words designed to throw them off from those that really count and could affect their score.

 Because of the sad events we all know, this time we added a section to the workshop where we will show the examinees how to protect themselves and defend from irregularities and incompetent actions by those administering the exam if something bad happens again. Candidates will feel confident if they show up to take the exam knowing their rights and the options they have if they are treated by the AO the way they were treated last time.

Our workshops are unique because we use all original materials, created for the workshop, and covering all relevant subjects, legal terms, embedded words, and speech speeds needed to get ready for the test. At the end of the workshop, we offer the one-on-one private evaluation to those who want it, so everyone who goes to the workshop can leave with a tailor-made study plan for the weeks between the workshop and the exam.

Please remember that we will not reveal the contents of the test, and we do not give legal advice to anyone, but by orderly presenting the appropriate information available to the public, we give them the tools they need to succeed.

Finally, we are unique because instead of having the workshop at a hotel ballroom, public library, or community center, our workshop will be once again on the campus of the prestigious University of North Carolina, Charlotte. This beautiful campus is surrounded by affordable hotels and places to eat, the city is centrally located for those living on the East Coast and the South, and for the rest, even those coming from abroad, Charlotte’s airport is a major airline hub for American Airlines. This means direct and inexpensive flights.

The enrollment fee will be the same one candidates paid two years ago. If you, or a colleague you know, are interested, or want to enroll, please click on this link: https://fciceexamworkshop.com/2019/03/15/the-workshop/ See you in Charlotte from April 11 to 14!