Healthcare Interpreter Assessment (HCIA®)

The Healthcare Interpreter Assessment tests whether an interpreter meets the standard to be qualified as an interpreter by demonstrating sufficient skill and understanding of professional standards of conduct. It is based on the formats of national certification exams. MasterWord’s Healthcare Interpreter Assessment® (HCIA) specifically tests that the interpreter is able to meet the standards for qualification as a healthcare interpreter as established by Health and Human Services guidelines and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. If your organization or business is interested in testing prospective interpreters in a different industry, please contact us for additional information. 

Interpreter Skills Assessment Features

Standards of Practice

Consecutive Interpreting

Sight Translation

Industry Specific Knowledge

Administered Remotely

Technical Requirements

Browser

Latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla FireFox, Apple Safari, or Microsoft Edge

Bandwidth

Internet connection of at least 10Mbps or 4G cellular connection

Sound

Quality headphones and microphone

Webcam

Internet connection of at least 10Mbps or 4G cellular connection

Frequently Asked Questions

The HCIA assessment has two components – the written Knowledge Assessment, and the oral Performance Assessment.

Currently, the full HCIA assessment is available in Spanish. Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Burmese Performance Assessments are coming soon.

Other languages are also assessed by professional evaluators using a modified version of this assessment. Contact us for information regarding a specific language.

To pass the knowledge component of the test, 80% of the items must be answered correctly in each of the four knowledge elements.

To pass the performance component of the test, the
examinee must earn a score of 75% or greater.

Proctoring of assessments is utilized to protect test content, confirm the identity of the test taker, and avoid cheating. MasterWord’s assessment has design and administration security measures to protect test content and prevent the consultation of external resources during the test. However, the standard administration of the test does not confirm a test-taker’s identity, nor does it prevent them from consulting other individuals who are present while they complete the assessment.  

Many organizations and business that use MasterWord’s assessments opt for proctoring the assessment through their Human Resources department. Additionally, MasterWord offers online proctoring. Contact us for information about our proctoring options. 

Evaluation results for Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, and Vietnamese are available within 72 business hours. Many more languages may require no more than 7 business days for evaluation results to be provided. For rarely requested languages, such as Dutch, longer turn-around time may be required. If that is the case, our team will communicate any expected delays with your team prior to scheduling the assessment.

Before Taking Your Healthcare Interpreter Assessment

MasterWord helps businesses and organizations, who have an ongoing need for interpreter testing, establish a process that ensures their staff’s skills are evaluated in the most cost and time efficient manner. 

Testing Environment

The test is accessible through any device that meets the specifications 24/7. Our Team can also help you decide whether test-takers access the test from their computers or a designated testing area, as well as, the best proctoring scenario.

Mock Assessment

Our Team can schedule a Mock or trial assessment to ensure no technical or security features will interfere with the assessment. Additionally, our team can work with your technical support team to ensure all technical requirements are met.

Point of Contact

To ensure a smooth and effective testing process, we help our clients identify authorized assessment requesters as well as an appropriate distribution process for testing instructions and the delivery of test results.

Take the Healthcare Interpreter Assessment (HCIA®)