Medical  Interpreter  Position  Qualification  (MIPQ)  

Information  for  Candidates  
Overview  
  The  MIPQ  is  an  assessment  of  a  candidate’s  ability  to  accurately  and  completely  
interpret  one  or  more  medical-­‐based  role-­‐play  scenarios  between  two  different  languages,  
including  high  level  medical  terminology.  It  evaluates  the  ability  to  understand  and  retain  
information  provided  in  a  language,  and  then  clearly  and  accurately  communicate  that  
information  in  the  other  language.  The  test  is  available  in  general  medicine  as  well  as  
specialized  areas  such  as  women’s  health  and  pediatrics.  Also  available  are  add-­‐on  modules  
for  knowledge  of  terminology  meanings  and  for  knowledge  of  medical  interpreter  ethics,  
protocol  and  industry  standards.    

How  it  works  

  This  test  is  available  for  live  delivery  or  automated  delivery.  In  both  cases  the  test  is  
taken  over  the  phone,  and  in  both  cases  your  responses  are  recorded  for  subsequent  
grading  by  a  qualified  human  rater.  The  difficulty  level  and  the  approach  are  the  same  
regardless  of  administration  method.      
  When  you  begin,  you  will  first  hear  a  short  series  of  instructions.  After  that  the  role-­‐
play  scenario  will  begin.  You  do  not  need  to  introduce  yourself  to  the  speakers  in  the  
scenarios.  You  will  listen  closely,  taking  notes,  and  at  the  end  of  each  spoken  segment,  you  
will  interpret  the  message  into  the  other  language.  You  should  pay  attention  to  the  overall  
meaning,  as  well  as  to  the  specific  terms  and  concepts,  and  do  your  best  to  convey  the  
messages  accurately  and  completely.  You  are  allowed  to  request  repetitions  (once  per  
segment),  but  you  are  not  directly  evaluated  on  your  use  of  transparency  or  interpreter  
protocol  during  this  section  of  the  test.  
If  you  or  your  coordinator  has  chosen  to  include  any  optional  specialty  scenarios  or  
modules,  such  as  pediatrics,  women’s  health,  or  terminology  meanings,  stay  on  the  line  and  
you  will  be  presented  with  those  scenarios  and  exercises,  as  well  as  any  additional  
instructions.  If  you  have  signed  up  for  the  knowledge  of  medical  interpreter  ethics,  
protocol  and  industry  standards,  those  questions  may  be  presented  on  a  computer  by  your  

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coordinator  in  a  written  format  before  or  after  your  test  appointment,  or  they  may  be  
included  verbally  during  the  test.  
Taking  the  test  
You  are  not  allowed  to  use  any  reference  materials,  dictionaries,  glossaries,  
translation  programs,  or  smartphones  during  your  test.  You  will  need  to  be  alone  and  in  a  
quiet  area,  and  you  will  need  a  pen  and  2-­‐3  sheets  of  blank  paper  for  note  taking.  You  may  
wish  to  use  a  headset  during  the  test  to  free  up  your  hands  for  note-­‐taking.  The  test  usually  
takes  about  20  to  30  minutes,  depending  on  your  pace.  (Add  20-­‐40  minutes  if  appending  
vocabulary  meanings  module).  It  is  administered  over  the  phone,  and  we  highly  
recommend  using  a  landline  telephone,  as  cellular  phone  reception  issues  can  impede  your  
performance.  Many  schools  or  employers  may  require  you  to  take  the  test  on  site,  or  in  
another  proctored  setting.    

Frequently  asked  questions  

(continued  on  next  page)  
Am  I  required  to  use  first  person  interpreting?    
For  this  test  you  are  encouraged  to  interpret  in  first  person  (using  “I”  or  “me”  and  speaking  as  
though  you  were  the  original  speaker).    
When  are  results  ready?  Do  I  receive  a  copy?  Who  else  sees  my  results?  
Results  are  usually  sent  out  within  five  working  business  days  (or  one  week,  unless  there  are  
holidays).  You  may  receive  results  sooner.  If  you  ordered  through  the  website  and  paid  for  the  
test  yourself,  you  will  receive  a  copy,  and  we  will  also  send  a  copy  to  any  other  parties  you  
requested  on  the  order  form.  (If  you  did  not  list  any  other  recipients,  only  you  will  receive  a  
copy).    If  your  employer/school  ordered  and  paid  for  the  test,  only  they  will  receive  a  copy,  
which  they  may  or  may  not  be  able  to  share  with  you,  according  to  their  own  internal  policy.  
Self-­‐paying  candidates  who  chose  the  option  to  enroll  in  the  “ON-­‐FILE”  program  will  have  their  
results  added  to  a  database  that  LanguageStat  and  our  partner  organizations  may  refer  to  when  
seeking  talent.  
Which  national/regional  accents  are  considered  standard  in  English?  
LanguageStat  acknowledges  several  standard  regional/national  dialects  and  accents  in  English  
including:  Australian,  British  (including  Scottish*),  Canadian,  Caribbean*,  Indian*,  Irish,  New  
Zealander,  US  American  (Including  regional  accents:  Southern,  Northeastern,  Mid-­‐western,  and  
Southwestern/Native  American)  and  South  African*.    (*No  points  will  be  deducted  for  clear  and  
easy  to  understand  speech  in  these  dialects/accents.  However,  if  speech  is  deemed  to  impede  
understanding  for  listeners  from  other  countries  or  regions,  score  may  be  lowered  and/or  
include  notes  mentioning  impact  on  communication  as  applicable,  depending  on  the  degree  of  
severity.)    

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Frequently  Asked  Questions  (continued  from  previous  page)  

How  are  results  provided?  What  is  the  passing  score?    

Candidates  receive  a  two  scores-­‐  one  for  accuracy  and  one  for  vocabulary-­‐  as  well  as  on  overall  
blended  score.  Scores  are  presented  as  percentages,  and  are  accompanied  by  an  A-­‐F  ranking,  
corresponding  to  a  standard  US  grading  scale.  LanguageStat  recommends  a  75%  passing  score    
in  both  accuracy  and  terminology  for  this  test,  although  each  organization  will  set  their  own  
criteria  according  to  their  needs,  and  some  may  have  higher  (or  lower)  score  requirements.  
Notes  and  comments  are  included  in  report.  

What  are  the  differences  in  live  test  administration  and  automated  test  administration?    

The  MIPQ  is  available  for  automated  test  administration  in  most  common  languages.  The  test  
difficulty  level  and  modality  are  the  same,  and  the  candidate  experience  is  very  similar.  For  a  live  
test,  the  candidate  will  receive  a  call  at  the  scheduled  test  time;  the  tester  will  then  read  the  
instructions  before  beginning  the  test.  The  candidate  should  listen  and  take  notes,  and  when  the  
speaker  pauses  at  the  end  of  their  statement,  the  candidate  should  interpret.  The  session  will  be  
recorded  and  graded  at  a  later  time  by  a  qualified  human  rater.  
For  a  test  using  the  automated  system,  the  candidate  (or  facility  coordinator)  will  receive  an  
email  with  a  link  to  start  the  test.  Once  clicked,  the  link  will  prompt  you  to  enter  your  phone  
number,  and  then  it  will  call  you  to  begin  the  test.  Like  the  live  test,  the  first  thing  you  will  hear  is  
a  series  of  instructions,  and  then  the  test  will  begin.  You  will  hear  each  line,  followed  by  a  short  
pause  for  you  to  finish  your  notes,  and  then  a  prompt  for  you  to  record  your  response  or  
request  a  repetition.  You  will  need  to  follow  the  prompts  and  instructions  using  your  touchtone  
keypad.  Your  responses  will  be  recorded  for  subsequent  evaluation  by  a  qualified  human  rater.  

What  is  transparency?    

Transparency  is  the  concept  that  all  parties  involved  in  the  interpreted  session  have  the  right  to  
know  everything  that  is  said,  and  by  whom.  It  is  particularly  important  in  medical  interpreting.  
For  example,  an  interpreter  should  inform  the  party  expecting  the  interpretation  of  the  need  to  
intervene  if  a  repetition  or  clarification  is  required.  Transparency  can  take  many  forms  
depending  on  the  format  (for  example,  in-­‐person  interpreters  might  raise  their  hand  for  a  
repetition,  whereas  an  over-­‐the-­‐phone  interpreter  would  need  to  verbally  intervene  using  a  
protocol).    Please  check  with  your  employer  or  training  program  to  see  what  standards  and  
protocols  for  transparency  they  have  in  place.  By  default,  transparency  and  protocol  are  not  
evaluated  as  part  of  the  MIPQ  unless  the  corresponding  add-­‐on  module  has  been  selected  prior  
to  the  test.  Your  employer  may  use  another  test  or  training  to  ensure  this  skill.  

(continued  on  next  page)  

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 Frequently  Asked  Questions  (continued  from  previous  page)  

I  have  been  interpreting  in  this  language  at  work  for  years.  Why  do  I  need  to  take  this  test?  
Your  employer  may  wish  to  confirm  or  recertify  your  skill  level  for  hiring,  quality,  safety  or  
regulatory  reasons.    

How  soon  can  I  retest?  How  many  times  may  I  retest?    

Please  check  with  the  organization  (employer  or  school)  that  requested  the  test  to  see  what,  if  
any,  retest  guidelines  they  have  in  place.  LanguageStat  recommends  at  least  6  months  before  
retesting  in  most  circumstances,  but  does  not  enforce  that  recommendation.  You  may  only  
attempt  the  MIPQ  three  times  in  one  year  (365  day  period).  After  your  third  attempt  you  will  be  
required  to  wait  one  year  from  the  date  of  your  first  attempt.  
Where  can  I  find  study  materials?    
National  Code  of  Ethics  and  Standards  of  Practice  for  Interpreters  in  Health  Care  (PDFs  -­‐  NCIHC)  
Interpreter  Training  Videos,  Part  1/2  (Youtube  -­‐  Clarity  Interpreting)  
Interpreter  Training  Videos,  Part  2/2  (Youtube  -­‐  Clarity  Interpreting)  
Medical  terminology  Course  on  iTunes  U  (Free  course,  requires  iTunes  -­‐  Des  Moines  University)  
Glossary  of  Medical  terms  (English)  (Webpage  -­‐  New  York  Presbyterian  Hospital)  
English/Spanish  Dictionary  of  Health  Related  Terms,  3rd  edition  (PDF  California-­‐Mexico  Health  
Initiative,  CPRC,  University  of  California  Office  of  the  President  Office  of  Binational  Border  Health,  
California  Department  of  Health  Services)  
These  are  not  the  only  resources.  You  are  encouraged  to  check  with  your  employer  or  training  
company  to  see  what  other  resources  may  be  available,  and  to  seek  out  additional  language  
specific  resources  on  your  own.    

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