{"id":3991,"date":"2020-09-03T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/?p=3991"},"modified":"2025-02-26T23:15:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T23:15:14","slug":"what-is-certified-translator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/what-is-certified-translator\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Certified Translator, and Does It Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3991\" class=\"elementor elementor-3991\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3310cef6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3310cef6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2798ccec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2798ccec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>You\u2019d think finding a translator would be easy. You head over to Google and type something like \u201cEnglish to Swedish translator.\u201d Then, you\u2019d pick somebody whose site landed in the top three. But you\u2019ll quickly find it\u2019s not that simple.\u00a0 Finding a competent, professional translator that meets your needs feels more like wading through the aisles at a health food store. However, instead of buzz words like \u201corganic\u201d and \u201cfat-free,\u201d you\u2019re wading through pages littered with industry-specific acronyms and accreditations. In this scenario, it won\u2019t take long for you to stumble on a translator bandying about the word \u201ccertified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-does-it-mean-to-be-certified\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Does It Mean to Be Certified?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>A certified translator is one that has passed a test demonstrating his or her skills in a specific language. The structure and content of the exams required vary widely by country and vertical. In acquiring one of these certifications, a translator affirms that he or she has the skills needed to translate professionally. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Though commonly confused, there is a difference between a certified translator and a certified translation. A certified translator has passed a quality test to prove their skills. In contrast, a certified translation is a\u00a0<strong>translated document<\/strong>\u00a0accompanied by a signed statement from the\u00a0<strong>translator<\/strong>\u00a0attesting to the completeness and accuracy of the\u00a0<strong>translation<\/strong>. A notary public can also notarize the statement. Once a\u00a0<strong>translation<\/strong>\u00a0is\u00a0<strong>certified<\/strong>, it becomes a legal record. Many certified translators provide certified translations.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-does-it-take-to-be-a-certified-translator-in-the-united-states\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Does It Take to Be a Certified Translator in the United States?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>To be considered certified, American translators must pass an exam proctored by the American Translators Association (ATA). \u00a0It was first given in 1973 and serves as the only generalized translation certification in the United States. But you\u2019d be amiss to equate generalized with easy. The exam is designed for mid-level professionals with several years of experience, and the test\u2019s failure rate ranges from 91 to 71 percent depending on the language.<\/p>\n\n<p>The ATA exam is an open-book, proctored test that takes roughly three hours to complete. \u00a0Once completed, skilled translators review the submissions and grade them based on:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The smoothness and flow of the submitted piece<\/li>\n\n<li>Number of mechanical errors including grammar, punctuation, and spelling<\/li>\n\n<li>The degree to which the target text reflects the information supplied in the source material<\/li>\n\n<li>How well idioms are adapted to meet the needs of the target market<\/li>\n\n<li>How closely aligned the newly written piece is with the target language\u2019s syntax<\/li>\n\n<li>The appropriateness of vocabulary chosen for the requested audience and market<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-does-that-mean-certified-translators-better-than-uncertified-ones\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Does That Mean Certified Translators Better Than Uncertified Ones?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>As someone who\u2019s certified by the ATA, I have an insider\u2019s perspective on how it works. First, I do believe the test is valuable. It gives translators a way to differentiate themselves in industries where other credentials, such as OSHA certifications or medical degrees, are not required. It also shows clients that the chosen language professional is dedicated to their craft. In an uncertain world full of charlatans and wannabe translators, certifications offer peace of mind. Furthermore, many professional agencies and organizations make certification a pre-requisite for entry.<\/p>\n\n<p>But, as ATA testing is only available in 27 languages, it isn\u2019t something every translator can get. It\u2019s also not a foolproof indicator that one translator is better than another. After all, nothing about my skillset changed just because I passed the ATA\u2019s exam for English into Swedish certification. Certification is not a magic wand nor a boot camp\u2014just a way to testify to your existing skillset. Many experienced translators have flourishing businesses, and provide quality translations, without a certification. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-should-i-only-hire-certified-translators\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Should I Only Hire Certified Translators?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Certification is something you\u2019ll want to consider when hiring a freelance translator. It\u2019s proof that they can translate passages accurately and possess ample experience in their field. But know that their experience, portfolio, and record of customer service is far more critical. So, I\u2019d look at those first and use certifications to break ties between otherwise equivalent translators, To learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/contact\/\">the qualities you should look for in a good translator, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-ready-to-get-started\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ready to Get Started?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Now that you know the difference between a translator who is certified and one who is not, you are better equipped to choose your next translator. By focusing on their skillset and ignoring the buzzwords, you\u2019ll have an easier time spotting true professionals\u2014ATA certification or not. \u00a0If you\u2019re in the market for a Swedish translator and want someone who\u2019s certified, <a href=\"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/contact-swedish-translation-services\/\">click here to contact me<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Check also:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/understanding-my-professional-english-to-swedish-translator-certifications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Understanding My Professional English to Swedish Translator Certifications<\/a><\/li>\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swedishtranslationservices.com\/im-officially-certified-in-ux-writing\/\">I\u2019m Officially Certified in UX Writing!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019d think finding a translator would be easy. You head over to Google and type something like \u201cEnglish to Swedish translator.\u201d Then, you\u2019d pick somebody whose site landed in the top three. But you\u2019ll quickly find it\u2019s not that simple.\u00a0 Finding a competent, professional translator that meets your needs feels more like wading through the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[237,95,98],"class_list":["post-3991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-translation-2","tag-certified-translator","tag-professional-translator","tag-translation"],"yoast_head":"<title>What is a certified translator, and does it matter?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting a certified translator on board is essential to your project success. 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