NAATI test - What to expect? Thread poster: Baraa Ajaj (X)
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Baraa Ajaj (X)
Local time: 05:55
English
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hello,
I am soon to take the Naati test in Australia. I'm just wondering if anyone has already taken this test or can inform me about what to expect. I already went through several posts about this subject and seems like there are too many contradictions and confusing data
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2010-06-15 11:54 GMT]
| | | | Anna Herbst 
Australia
Local time: 05:55
English to Swedish
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Moderator of this forum SITE LOCALIZER | Go straight to NAATI | Jun 15, 2010 |
Hi,
The best advice I can give you is to go to NAATI's web-site at http://www.naati.com.au/ and have a good look at what is there.
You can order their Translation Sample Test Kit which will give you valuable material to practice on, and if you are in Australia, you could also attend workshops that prepare you for the tests.
Best of luck,
Anna
| | | | ACOZ (X)
Australia
Local time: 05:25
French to English
| Still on the subject of NAATI | Jun 16, 2010 |
My only regret as regards NAATI is that there is no grandfather clause. I set up my business in France in 1979, became a sworn translator/police translator/Court translator in 1981 and was accepted as an external EU translator in 1993 for the then statutory 3-year period.
Despite this long experience and proof of a certain level of expertise, I cannot become a member of NAATI without taking their tests, the first level being designed for school leavers!!
To receive accr... See more My only regret as regards NAATI is that there is no grandfather clause. I set up my business in France in 1979, became a sworn translator/police translator/Court translator in 1981 and was accepted as an external EU translator in 1993 for the then statutory 3-year period.
Despite this long experience and proof of a certain level of expertise, I cannot become a member of NAATI without taking their tests, the first level being designed for school leavers!!
To receive accreditation on a level with the work that I have been doing for many years now, I would have to sit tests on at least 3 levels, which seems crazy to me.
As I still receive work from long-standing customers in France, I decided against putting myself through all these tests again.
Any thoughts on the matter? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Patricia Will
Australia
Local time: 03:55
Member (2004)
German to English
| NAATI test - What to expect? | Jun 16, 2010 |
I agree with you. It is ridiculous that people with vast experience and tertiary qualifications are not automatically granted NAATI accreditation but are expected to sit the NAATI test, which as you say, is roughly school-leaver standard (I certainly considered this to be the case for my language pair German-English). I think most people sitting the test believe that they will not get any work in Australia without this accreditation. However, the NAATI accreditation is mostly required for gov... See more I agree with you. It is ridiculous that people with vast experience and tertiary qualifications are not automatically granted NAATI accreditation but are expected to sit the NAATI test, which as you say, is roughly school-leaver standard (I certainly considered this to be the case for my language pair German-English). I think most people sitting the test believe that they will not get any work in Australia without this accreditation. However, the NAATI accreditation is mostly required for government-related and public sector work, i.e. immigration documents, court documents, driver's licences etc. In the private sector, a large number of Australian agencies do prefer to work with NAATI translators and state this on their websites. However, if you have other relevant qualifications and experiences I believe you will still get jobs even without the accreditation. And of course translation is a global business these days so you don't need to focus on the purely local market, which may be limited anyway for certain languages. If I had known then what I know now I wouldn't have bothered with the NAATI test when I came to Australia ten years ago (with 20 years experience and an M.A. from Glasgow under my belt). I find that most of work comes from overseas anyway, from Germany and other European countries.
If most of the work in your language pair is going to be in the government/public sector then you will probably need to do the NAATI test. So do your research and find out the demand to see if it is worthwhile.
As for what to expect - you have to translate 3 passages of around 250 words each - roughly the standard of a newspaper article - and then answer some ethics questions. This is probably the trickiest part and you have to study carefully the code of ethics and the examples given. You will need to get all this material from NAATI to prepare properly.
Hope this helps
Trish Will ▲ Collapse
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Patricia Will
Australia
Local time: 03:55
Member (2004)
German to English
| NAATI test - what to expect? | Jun 16, 2010 |
I assumed you were talking about the translation test and not the interpreting test. I don't know what the situation is regarding interpreting but as most interpreting in Australia seems to be in the government/community sector you would probably not get much work without the NAATI accreditation, as it is government policy in most states to use NAATI-accredited interpreters.
On another note, if you are using the NAATI test as a means of gaining extra "immigration" points you need t... See more I assumed you were talking about the translation test and not the interpreting test. I don't know what the situation is regarding interpreting but as most interpreting in Australia seems to be in the government/community sector you would probably not get much work without the NAATI accreditation, as it is government policy in most states to use NAATI-accredited interpreters.
On another note, if you are using the NAATI test as a means of gaining extra "immigration" points you need to be aware that the government has recently removed the occupation of interpreter/translator from the list of its "in-demand" skilled occupations, so this may no longer apply. Best to contact the immigration department if this is the case.
Trish ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baraa Ajaj (X)
Local time: 05:55
English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thank you all | Jun 17, 2010 |
Thank you everyone for your replies.
Thank you too Patricia for the useful information, I am moving back to Australia with my husband and since I'm not that familiar with the Australian translation market, I thought that setting for an test in an obligation to get a work permit there. I am already a sworn translator in my country and have 10 years of work experience in my hands. I emailed the Naati yesterday and seems like I still have to take the test as they do not " recognize" ... See more Thank you everyone for your replies.
Thank you too Patricia for the useful information, I am moving back to Australia with my husband and since I'm not that familiar with the Australian translation market, I thought that setting for an test in an obligation to get a work permit there. I am already a sworn translator in my country and have 10 years of work experience in my hands. I emailed the Naati yesterday and seems like I still have to take the test as they do not " recognize" other countries' qualifications . The whole process doesn't look logical to me, but then again I am not the one who make the rules as studies, experience and hard work should be taken into account!!.
Thank you all again!!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baraa Ajaj (X)
Local time: 05:55
English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Patricia | Jun 19, 2010 |
Thank you Patricia, I have received your email and it was very nice of you to give me all these information. I will surely keep in contact once in Oz, but I don't know when exactly I'll be there ( not before 2 months). Thank you a lot and Bless you
[Edited at 2010-06-19 08:59 GMT]
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Hi everyone,
Just wanted to say thank you for the information you have shared. It is very valuable to me as I am about to take the NAATI test next couples of months (Translator Vietnamese - English)
If you guys having any additional information please help to share with me to my email address [email protected]. It is much appreciated.
Regards
Mike Nguyen
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