 |
| Nutzer | Initiator des Themas: CarolineC ATIO certification |
|---|
CarolineC
Kanada
Englisch > Französisch
+ ...
|
Hello,
I am considering of becoming certified, and I was truly interested in taking the ATA exam, but there is nothing scheduled in Ontario, so I had a look at what is available here, and I found the ATIO. Has anyone taken their exam? How difficult is it? How long is the certification valid?
Any insights will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Caroline
| | | | xxxPRen 
Kanada
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
|
CarolineC wrote:
Hello,
I am considering of becoming certified, and I was truly interested in taking the ATA exam, but there is nothing scheduled in Ontario, so I had a look at what is available here, and I found the ATIO. Has anyone taken their exam? How difficult is it? How long is the certification valid?
Any insights will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Caroline |
|
check out their website? (www.atio.on.ca)
Paula
| | | | French Foodie
Frankreich
 Mitglied (2004)
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
| | ATIO certified | Sep 13, 2007 |
Hi Caroline,
I am ATIO certified, and I can assure you that it is certainly as valid as an ATA certification. I found it particularly useful when I was living in Canada, because the government considers ATIO certification as the equivalent to the exams they use to screen their translators (both inhouse and outsourcing), so once you're certified you don't have to go through the long, drawn-out government procedure if ever you want to work in those circles (and there is A LOT of translation work available through the Canadian government once you've tapped that resource!).
I do a lot of work directly for museums in Canada, and my certification and membership with ATIO was an asset. They saw it as a guarantee of quality. How true that is, is another debate you can read about in other forums, but it can't be denied that having certification has helped me get good, reliable, long-term, well-paying customers, as opposed to one-off projects through various different agencies.
I live in France now, but it still find the certification helpful. I have a seal that I can put on hardcopies and my invoices, and many clients here still see certification from a reputable professional organization as a sign of quality.
It's hard to say how tricky the exam is - some people I know passed it on the first go, others who I consider excellent translators nevertheless sat it 4 or 5 times before they were successful. Since I already had quite a few publications to my name, I was certified on dossier, which is another option to consider (check out web site for more info).
ATIO is a very active association - as I'm in France now my involvement is limited to say the least - but as Paula says it would at least be worth your while to check out the web site.
Good luck!
 
| | | | CarolineC
Kanada
Englisch > Französisch
+ ...
|
Hello,
Thanks a lot for the insightful answers!
I already had a look at their website, but I was looking for opinions of people who took the exam or know somebody who did. 
I will contact them and go from there.
Thanks again.
Caroline
| | | | Nadine Brittan
Kanada
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
| | ATIO: a big disappointment | Nov 21, 2007 |
Hi Caroline,
I just saw your post today and I hope that I'm not too late in responding.
I am a candidate for certification with the ATIO. Last year I took the preparatory course (French-English translation) in order the sit the exam. I found the course texts rather light and interesting to translate. The translator who marked them told me I should pass the exam etc.
The actual exam, however, is another story. There were two texts to translate. Neither of them in my opinion reflected a "real life" translation request. One of them was historical in nature, which given my background in financial and pharmaceutical work, was not my cup of tea.
Anyway, I came out of the exam thinking that I had understood the texts and managed to render a decent translation. I didn't believe there were any major stumbling blocks.
I was very surprised when I received my exam results a few months later. I failed miserably (a mark of around 40%)! Only a couple of translators actually passed the exam, despite the room full of those who wrote it...
Perhaps the most annoying point is that when you receive your grade, few comments are provided. You must apply to actually see the corrected version of the exam. Otherwise, you're left with a couple of quick notes, none of which actually allow you to understand why you fail. (in my case, I spelled "Baghdad" incorrectly, no doubt the reason for my demise...)
After having completed post-graduate studies in translation (and receiving a "mention très bien") and numerous years of experience in the translation field, both as a translator and a reviser, I was genuinely shocked that I did not pass, or even come close to passing! I do not believe that the exam is a fair reflection of a translator's skills. On dossier certification certainly sounds more attractive, but you need to be recommended by THREE ATIO certified members who can vouch for your work in order to apply. It's a tight knit bunch of professionals (most of whom I might add have been in the business for a while and have connections...). Yes, certification is useful as the previous post points out. Unless you have some strings to pull in the government, it is almost your only chance nowadays of getting a foot in the door. But, in my humble opinion, the Ontario translation certification system is unfair and does not allow for much young blood! Il faut du piston, c'est clair! This being said, I am going to sit the exam again this year in the hopes of faring better. ATIO certification is an asset and it opens quite a few doors in Canada. It's a tough game, but one that I have no choice but to play...
| | | | CarolineC
Kanada
Englisch > Französisch
+ ...
|
Hi Nadine,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer.
Unfortunately, it seems that there are quite a few people who had the same experience with the ATIO.
A couple of weeks ago, I sat the exam to be admitted as a member, and I am still waiting for the results (I found a bit odd that there was a part dedicated to correct English grammar and spelling mistakes as I am applying for the English > French pair, but this is another story).
If the exam itself is as you described, I will be in trouble myself as I am specialized in localization and technical translations. But I'll see, I have to pass the first exam first.
Good luck for the exam! Please let me know how it goes (crossing my fingers!).
Caroline
| | | | |
| |
The translation workplace 
