Rule 8.05 - Court Interpreter Certification Examination for Legal Intrpreting Comptency(a) Eligibility for Examination. An applicant is eligible to take the court interpreting competency examination if the applicant: (1) meets the requirements under Rule 8.01 and is included on the Statewide Roster:(2) has paid the examination fee: and(3) has registered to take the examination and met all other requirements for examination as determined by the State Court Administrator.(b) Examination. Examinations for court interpreting competency in specific languages shall be administered at such times and places as the Coordinator may designate. (1) Scope of Examination. Applicants for certification in interpreting in a spoken language may be tested on any combination of the following: b. Consecutive Interpretation: andc. Simultaneous Interpretation(2)Denial of Opportunity to Test. An applicant may be denied permission to take an examination if an application, together with the application fee, is not complete and filed in a timely manner.(3) Results of Examination. The results of the examination, which may include scores, shall be delivered to examinees to the address listed in the Coordinator's files. Statistical information relating to the examinations, applicants, and the work of the State Court Administrator's Office may be released at the discretion of die State Court Administrator's Office. Pass/fail examination results may be released to (1) District Administrators by the State Court Administrator's Office for purposes of assuring that interpreters are appointed in accordance with Rule 8.02, and(2) any state court interpreter certification authority, including the National Center for State Courts. (4) Testing Accommodations. A qualified applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodations must submit a written request to the Coordinator at the same time the application is filed. The Coordinator will consider timely requests and advise the applicant of what, if any, reasonable accommodations will be provided. The Coordinator may request additional information, including medical evidence or other written documentation, from the applicant prior to providing accommodations to the applicant. (5) Confidentiality. Except as otherwise provided in Rule 8.05(b)(3). all information relating to the examinations is confidential unless the examinee waives confidentiality. The State Court Administrator's Office shall take steps to ensure the security and confidentiality of all examination information.(c)Notification of Certification. The Coordinator shall notify applicants in writing, including by electronic means, regarding whether the applicant has passed the examination and has met all other requirements for certification.As amended, effective 1/1/2007; amended effective 7/1/2020.Drafting Committee Comment-1996
The Minnesota Supreme Court is one of the founding states of the State Court Interpreter Certification Consortium. It is the function of the Consortium to develop tests for court interpretation in various languages and administration standards, and to provide testing materials to individual states and jurisdictions. The Minnesota State Court Administrator's Office will in most circumstances utilize tests and standards established by or in conjunction with the Consortium.
Advisory Committee Comments-2007Amendment
Rule 8.05(a)(3) is amended to facilitate verification of interpreters' qualification by permitting the release of the interpreter test results to court administrators or interpreter program administrators.
Rule 8.05(a)(5) is amended to provide for the waiver of confidentiality by examinees for the purpose of permitting the release of examination information upon their request