The Diploma in Translation (DipTrans) is the gold standard for anyone wanting a career as a freelance translator or to work as a translator for international corporations worldwide and meets the need for a high-level professional translating qualification.

Level: Postgraduate Level Qualification.

What are the benefits?

• Ofqual accredited, internationally recognised qualification
• Improved career prospects. You will be entitled to:
• Use the title DipTrans IoLET after your name
• Apply for membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists

The Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) is a qualification for those who work, or would like to work, in one of these areas:

• Law: courts, solicitors, immigration
• Healthcare: hospitals, clinics, GP practices
• Local Government: housing, social work, education

Level: First Degree Level qualification in terms of language skills required.

The qualification is available in the following pathways:

• English Law
• Scottish Law
• Northern Irish Law
• Health
• Local Government

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits to holding the qualification:

• Ofqual accredited, nationally recognised qualification
• Exemptions for the DPI (Diploma in Police Interpreting) qualification
• Improved career prospects.

You will also be entitled to:

• Use the title ‘DPSI’ after your name
• Apply for membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists
• Apply for registration on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)

The CBS is an oral-only exam and is a benchmark of competence, at a foundation level, where bilingual competence is required. The qualification is composed of three units:

• Unit 1 (role-play)
• Unit 2 (sight translation into English)
• Unit 3 (sight translation out of English)

Taken in English and one ‘Other Language’ the qualification tests a candidate’s language competence in both languages and their ability to transfer information between the two. Alongside speaking and listening skills, candidates need to be able read their Other Language (including other script languages) in order to complete the Unit 3 out of English Sight Translation.

This qualification can be adapted to any business sector or industry where face to face language skills are regularly required in communications with the public, customers and clients or other stakeholders.

Why the Certificate in Bilingual Skills?

The CBS is of use in career development for the following reasons:

• It gives confidence to public service users living in communities where English is the second language
• It can be combined with parallel training for professional or vocational work in a work place based context and the public services in particular, eg bilingual social work
• It provides access to training for IoLET’s Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI). Successful DPSI candidates can apply for registration on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters

Note: The CBS does not qualify successful candidates to act as interpreters in the public service. It can, however, serve as a first step towards training as a public service interpreter via IoLET’s Diploma in Public Service Interpreting.

Diploma in Translation

The Diploma tests the ability of candidates to translate from a source language into the mother tongue (target language) to a professional standard and their awareness of the professional activity of translation. Candidates are required to have an appropriate level of writing skills in their target language prior to registration. The passages set for translation will be of a standard of difficulty that translators would expect to meet in their daily work. They will not, however, be of a highly technical or specialised nature.

Diploma in Public Service Interpreting

The Diploma in Public Service Interpreting examination is set within the four public service contexts of English Law, Scottish Law, Health and Local Government. Candidates must stipulate at the time of registration for the examination in which of these pathways they wish to be examined. Candidates are examined in English and one  language, other than English.
Candidates are expected to be familiar with public service procedures and specialist vocabulary relating to the pathway chosen. These will be tested in all of the examination tasks both in English and the Other Language.

Level 3 Certificate in Bilingual Skills

If you work, or would like to work, in the public or voluntary sectors using your language skills, the CBS qualification is for you.

Diploma in Translation

The examination is made up of 3 units which are:

Unit 1 – Written Translation of a General Text (3 hours)
A text of about 600 words of a demanding but non-specialised nature will be set. Candidates will be required to translate the text into their target language to a professional standard of accuracy.

Unit 2 – Written Translation of a Semi-specialised Text (2 hours)
Three texts of a semi-specialised nature, each of approximately 450 words, will be set within the following broad subject areas:

(A) Technology
(B) Business
(C) Literature

Candidates must choose one of these three texts to translate into their target language to a professional standard of accuracy.

Unit 3 – Written Translation of a Semi-specialised Text (2 hours)

Three texts of a semi-specialised nature, each of approximately 450 words, will be set within the following broad subject areas:

(D) Science
(E) Social Science
(F) Law

Candidates must choose one of these three texts to translate into their target language to a professional standard of accuracy.

Candidates are required to pass all three Units in order to qualify for the Diploma in Translation.

Diploma in Public Service Interpreting

The examination consists of five Units, testing candidates’ professional knowledge and vocabulary in their chosen pathway and are as follows:

UNIT 1 – Interpret Consecutively and Simultaneously (Whispered) in the Public Services

UNIT 2 – Provide a Sight Translation into English in the Public Services

UNIT 3 – Provide a Sight Translation from English in the Public Services

UNIT 4 – Translate into English in the Public Services

UNIT 5 – Translate from English in the Public Services

All Units must be successfully completed within a five year period for candidates to be awarded the DPSI. Successful candidates will be awarded the full Diploma; candidates successful in one Unit only will be awarded a Unit Certificate. DPSI candidates can take the Units in any order.

Certificate in Bilingual Skills

The qualification is composed of five units, each set in a practical, work-related context:

• Unit 01 Transfer spoken information between English and another language
• Unit 02 Provide a sight translation into English from another language
• Unit 03 Provide a sight translation from English into another language
• Unit 04 Transfer written information into English from another language
• Unit 05 Transfer written information from English into another language

IoLET Level 7 Diploma in Translation

Examination Session: January 2017

• Tuesday 17 January 2017 – from all languages into English
• Wednesday 18 January 2017 – from English into all languages

IoLET Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting

• Oral Units: 19-23 June 2017
• Written Units: 27 June 2017

Level 3 Certificate in Bilingual Skills

Contact CIOL for more information

IoLET Level 7 Diploma in Translation

Exam fees 2017

Centre fees – To take the examination at our centre also includes a centre fee. Contact us to find out more.

IoLET Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting

Exam fees 2017

Centre fees –To take the examination at our centre also includes a centre fee. Contact us to find out more.

Level 3 Certificate in Bilingual Skills

Exam fees – Contact CIOL for more details

Centre fees – To take the examination at our centre also includes a centre fee. Contact us to find out more.