The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021 - 38

CERTIFICATION FORUM By Michèle Hansen
The Online Exam Is Here!
ATA is excited to offer our certification exam online to complement our
traditional in-person format. For the first time, members are now able
to take the exam from anywhere in the world without having to travel
to a live sitting!
How Does the New
Format Work?
We've partnered with
ExamRoom.AI, a remote
online proctoring company
that works with associations,
industry, and academia.
Online exam sittings are
scheduled twice per month
from June to September this
year (the schedule can be
found at https://bit.ly/ATAexam-schedule).
All dates
this year fall on a Wednesday
during U.S. business hours so
the staff at ATA Headquarters
can be available to answer
any last-minute questions.
ExamRoom.AI has a
website and phone number
candidates can access any
time, including during the
exam should they encounter
any difficulties.
When you register for the
exam through ATA, you'll
receive a confirmation email
and instructions from both
ATA Headquarters and
ExamRoom.AI. Be sure to
read and save these emails
so you have the proper login
credentials at your fingertips
on exam day.
Security
Online exam security is
significant, through a
combination of artificial
intelligence (AI) and live
proctors. Candidates' screens
are recorded (archived for
later review if needed) and
the AI catalogs suspicious
activity. The working
environment is monitored
through the 360 app, which
candidates will need to
download on a mobile phone
or a tablet prior to exam day.
The device where the app
is downloaded will need to
be placed on a table or chair
behind the test taker. Finally,
ATA proctors will view
candidates and their screens
remotely and can chat or
speak live with candidates to
warn them if they engage in
prohibited behavior.
Taking the Exam
On exam day, you log onto
the ExamRoom.AI website
to be guided through a
system check (the details are
included in the instructions
sent after registration) and
onboarded by one of their
agents. Onboarding includes
verifying your identification
and showing a scan of your
surroundings.
Once the verification
and onboarding process is
complete, candidates are
handed off to ExamRoom.
AI and ATA proctors, who
provide the final code used
to access the exam passages
and start the three-hour
timer. As usual, you'll have
three passages from which
to choose. Read through
38 The ATA Chronicle | July/August 2021
them and choose the two
you want to translate. Type
your work in the answer box
on the screen. Your work is
saved automatically, you
can switch back and forth
between the two passages,
and you can always go back
and revise what you've
written as many times as
you like. Candidates can feel
secure knowing their work
will not be lost, even if they
get disconnected.
A count-down timer is
displayed to show how much
time remains. When you're
finished (or the time is up),
you click on a button to end
the test and then log out.
Your exam is sent to ATA
Headquarters electronically.
More Accessible
than Ever!
Exam-related materials
have been updated on our
website to reflect the new
online option. Most of the
information remains the
same-and there's quite a
bit of it-since the main
change is how to access a
sitting. If you're thinking
about becoming a certified
translator, be sure to refer
to the resources on ATA's
website as you prepare,
whether you're planning on
an in-person or online
sitting. The staff at ATA
Headquarters and
volunteers for the
Certification Program have
worked hard to make the
exam more easily accessible
to more of our members, so
we hope you're able to take
advantage of the various
options...and wish you good
luck! Also, thanks for your
understanding and patience
as we get this new platform
running optimally.
Michèle
Hansen, CT is
chair of ATA's
Certification
Committee. An
ATA-certified French>English
translator and editor since
1990, she specializes in the
health-related international
development, medical, and
pharmaceutical sectors.
She previously served as
administrator of ATA's French
Language Division. michele@
globalhealthlanguage.com
More on ATA's
Certification Exam
ATA Certification Website
www.atanet.org/certification
ATA Computerized Exam
Online Resource List: What's
Permitted and What's Not
http://bit.ly/ATA-examresources
Skills
You Need before Taking
ATA's Certification Exam, "
http://bit.ly/extra-linguistic
www.atanet.org

http://www.ExamRoom.AI https://www.bit.ly/ATA-exam-schedule https://www.bit.ly/ATA-exam-schedule http://www.ExamRoom.AI http://www.ExamRoom.AI http://www.ExamRoom.AI http://www.atanet.org/certification http://www.bit.ly/ATA-exam-resources http://www.bit.ly/ATA-exam-resources http://www.bit.ly/extra-linguistic http://www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021

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