Dear Medical Interpreter National Certification Applicant:

You have been instructed by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters to contact Language Testing International (LTI) in order to have your speaking ability assessed in English and/or the target language as part of the medical interpreter certification process. LTI is the testing office of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)®.

The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)® is a telephonic conversation, that will last approximately 30 minutes, with a Certified ACTFL Tester in the target language. The interview is digitally recorded for evaluation purposes and afterwards you will receive a final rating certificate. You must include a copy of your final rating certificate when submitting your application to IMIA.

The Oral Proficiency Interview by computer (OPIc)® is a computer-delivered assessment that lasts approximately lasts from 20 to 40 minutes. The recording of your responses is made available via the internet to Certified OPIc Raters for evaluation. You will receive a final rating certificate. You must include a copy of your final rating certificate when submitting your application to IMIA.

The OPI and OPIc are evaluated according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Speaking (Revised 1999), which is available for reference at http://www.languagetesting.com/actfl_guidelines_select.html. Candidates must score at the Advanced Mid or higher range in order to proceed with IMIA Certification. International Medical Interpreters Association only receives the test rating; they do not receive information about the contents of your conversation. You may apply online or via downloadable form. We encourage you to submit the form online.

Before submitting your application, please be sure to:

• Provide an email address and telephone number where we will be able to reach you to confirm your test information.
• Include payment or payment information with your application. No applications will be processed without payment.
• For the OPI: Indicate a few dates and ranges of time on those days that you will be available for the interview, which are at least ten days after the date you will be submitting your forms.
• For the OPI: Select the U.S. time zone or, if international, state hours to New York (Eastern) time from the location where you plan to take the OPI.
• For the OPI: Once we receive your application, we will match your availability with that of a tester in the language you indicated and set up an appointment with this tester. We will then contact you to advise you of the appointment date and time, and give you the name of the tester and a telephone number to call for the interview. If for any reason you need to reschedule an appointment, please contact the LTI Coordinator immediately at 1-800-486-8444. If you miss an appointment without contacting our office 24 hours in advance, you will be charged a $55.00 no-show/rescheduling fee.
• OPIcs do not have set appointment times and can be administered at any time. You will have 2 weeks after your proctor receives your test information to take the test, at you and your proctor's convenience. If you plan to take the test within this 2 week period, you do not need to notify LTI of the date and time of your test.

If you have any questions about the tests, please contact us between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time at 914-963-7110. Our email address is testing@languagetesting.com.

Sincerely,

LTI