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Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
Translation Research and Instruction Program
PO Box 6000
Binghamton, New York 13902-6000
607-777-6556
TRIP Certificate Translation Practice Exam
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Preparing for the Exam:
Translation Practice exams must receive a high grade, an A-, because the Graduate Certificate in
Translation is meant to demonstrate recipients’ ability to translate at a professional level. TRIP
encourages students to take advantage of practice opportunities well in advance of the exam date
to prepare. Ask the faculty member giving you your exam for practice materials and suggestions.
Arranging the Exam:
Begin the process of scheduling the practice exam early in the semester (typically the Spring
semester) by requesting a faculty member of your choice to serve as your examiner. In general,
you should select a faculty member based on your shared first language (e.g. native speakers of
Arabic would select a faculty member who is a native speaker of Arabic). Confirm the source
text language with the faculty member and let them know whether the exam will be in a literary
or non-literary text. You may contact the TRIP Coordinator to request a list of faculty for your
language pair.
Next, inform the TRIP Coordinator of your examiner. The TRIP Coordinator will work with
your faculty examiner to ensure your exam content is provided to the University Testing Center
by the designated week for the exam (typically early April).
Exams will be proctored by the University Testing Center. Follow this link to schedule your
practice exam during the designated week for a three hour time block. The testing center requires
a minimum of 48 hours advance notice to schedule the exam, so be sure to plan ahead. Once you
open the link, for “Choose a group,” select “Translation Research and Instruction Program
(TRIP).” Then, for “Choose an exam,” select “TRIP Certificate in Translation Practice Exam.”
Taking the Exam:
The literary or non-literary text to be translated, as chosen by your examiner, will be provided to
you at the time of the exam. You are expected to translate the piece provided by your examiner
in its entirety at a high quality. The length will be appropriate for the three-hour exam.
You are responsible for being able to type your translation on the University Testing Center
computer. If you have not already learned how to type on an English language keyboard and will
be translating into a language other than English, you must practice in the Testing Center in
advance to prepare. No alternative arrangements may be made. This skill must be learned.
You have three hours (maximum) to complete the translation from source text into the target
text. If you do not stop translating at the end of three hours and submit your translation, you will
fail the exam.
