How to apply for medical interpreter certification with CCHI

How to apply for CCHI’s

exams (and become

certified)? March 28, 2014

Natalya Mytareva, M.A., AHI™ Managing Director

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)

www.cchicertification.org

A National, Valid, Credible,

Vendor-Neutral Certification Program

National – A portable credential that follows the Interpreter throughout their career

Valid – The single most important concept – the certification test measures what it intends to measure

Credible – Created by Interpreters, for Interpreters and the public good

Vendor-Neutral – Developed from the ground up and not reliant on any existing certification, training, testing or assessment developed or licensed by other organizations. No individual, organization, vendor or entity has any financial or other stake in the program's administration

Accomplishments

By Interpreters, for Interpreters and the Public Good

13 Commissioners

20 Advisors and 1 Managing Director

50 Supporters

2,479 Job Task Analysis Participants

115 Test Development Subject Matter Experts

Over 1,280 AHI™ and CHI™ Credentials Awarded

47 Continuing Education programs accredited with CEAP

What is Certification?

Assessment of an individual’s professional competencies, and

Recognition that an individual has met certain predetermined standards recognized as sufficient for the professional performance

Voluntary process

Not a “teaching” experience


CCHI Certification

is available to

Interpreters of all languages

Interpreters working in all modalities:

Face-to-face

Telephonic

Video

Interpreters in any state

Staff, contractor or volunteer interpreters


Who is CCHI Certification for?

An Entry-Level Interpreter:

A person who is able to perform the functions of a healthcare interpreter competently and independently in a healthcare setting with the knowledge, skill and ability required to relay messages accurately from a source language to a target language in a culturally competent manner and in accordance with established ethical standards.

Credentials Offered

Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ (AHI™)

Core knowledge credential available to all interpreters EXCEPT Spanish-, Arabic- and Mandarin-speaking interpreters

Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ (CHI™)

Language-specific credential, currently available to Spanish-, Arabic - and Mandarin-speaking interpreters


Test Development Process

347 candidates participated in the pilot

A group of volunteers under the guidance of psychometricians evaluates and validated the results

The process was validated by NCCA accreditation of the CHI™-Spanish certification

Pilot & Validate the Tests

Two nationally recognized psychometricians directed the process

Followed the best practices for certification tests

Create Psychometrically

Valid Tests

115 volunteers became our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

Demographic, linguistic, cultural, experience and geographic diversity

Select Volunteers to Represent the

Profession

National Survey – Job Task Analysis

2,479 participants

Describe the Profession

Step 1 - Review the Certification

Process

Review Eligibility Requirements, the certification process, and test center locations – at our website:

www.CCHIcertification.org

– and in the Candidate’s Examination Handbook: www.cchicertification.org/images/pdfs/candidatehandbook.pdf


http://www.cchicertification.org/

http://www.cchicertification.org/images/pdfs/candidatehandbook.pdf

Healthcare Interpreting

Training Requirement

It must be training, i.e. not just interpreting (even if under someone’s supervision) and not self-study

It may be on-the-job training provided by your employer, but you must have a document which states: Your name

Organization’s contact info that provided the training

Dates and specific hours of training

Specific topics of training


Healthcare Interpreting

Training Requirement

30 hours must be on the subject of healthcare interpreting

5 hours may be attending any interpreting conference

5 hours may be in a related professional training, e.g. court or conference interpreting, medical specialty

http://www.cchicertification.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=4#HIT


Credentialing Exams

1. AHI™ credential – 1 exam:

multiple-choice AHI™ exam in English

2. CHI™ credential – 2 exams:

the same multiple choice exam as for the AHI™

+

An oral language-specific CHI™ exam


AHI™ Test Centers

CHI™ Test Centers

Step 2 - When ready, create

a CCHI Profile

2. When ready, create

a CCHI Profile

Create a CCHI Profile

Your CCHI Profile

CCHI Interpreter Registry

Application Process

Fill out online application and pay $35 application fee, click “Submit” button.

It takes 30 days to review an application. Then you get an email “Your Exam Eligibility” –

this is your prompt to pay for the AHI™ exam. Our emails will come from the @cchi.learningbuilder.com address.

After you pay the AHI™ fee ($175), you will get an email “Scheduling Your AHI™ Exam” which explains that you need to get an AHI™ Notice to Schedule before you can call a test center and schedule your exam.


mailto:[email protected]

Payment

for Application & Exams

All payment is done online via PayPal.

All fees are non-refundable.

Exam fees is for one administration only.

Your employer may also pay for you. CCHI can issue an invoice to the employer. The employer may pay by check.

CCHI has volume discounts for employers purchasing 10+ exams. Contact us at [email protected] for details.



Your CCHI Profile

Notices to Schedule

AHI™ & CHI™ Notices to Schedule are issued twice a month by our testing vendor:

If you paid between 12:01 am on the 16th and 12:00 am on the 30th – your Notice will be emailed on the 3rd of the month, and you can call to schedule starting the 5th of the month.

If you paid between 12:01 am on the 30th and 12:00 am on the 15th – your Notice will be emailed on the 17th of the month, and you can call to schedule starting the 20th of the month.


Notices to Schedule

1. In the AHI™ Notice to Schedule email from Comira you will get a link to the test center network.

2. You will get a different CHI™ Notice to Schedule email from McCann Associates with a link to a different test center network.

3. Please DO NOT schedule your exam before you get the Notice for the specific exam. You will forfeit the fee you paid.


Notice to Schedule gives you a

specific link


Interpreter Registry and

Credential Verification

Credential Verification



[email protected]

Like us on www.facebook.com/CCHIcertification

Follow us on Twitter @CCHIcertify

http://www.cchicertification.org/


How to apply for medical interpreter certification with CCHI

Healthcare

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