Why is Jeenie developing assessments?

Jeenie is developing these assessments because we are continuing to grow and expand our client base to premier healthcare organizations, as well as leading institutions and organizations in other fields. There are many talented interpreters who wish to work on Jeenie, and these innovative assessments allow us to ensure that only those with the proper skills are active on the platform. Having assessments that cover these aspects of interpretation is common within the industry, though we are proud of the innovative and engaging nature of our unique tests.

What do Jeenie’s assessments test exactly?

Jeenie’s assessments test your ability to perform in settings that mirror real-world interpreting, and also your knowledge of how to act in challenging situations that can arise when engaged in video remote interpretation. We expect interpreters to come to Jeenie with advanced expertise in their respective languages, as well as knowledge of how to uphold such central tenets of interpreting such as accuracy, impartiality, confidentiality, and multiculturality.

How are these assessments broken down into smaller portions?

The assessments are divided into two main portions, one focused on gauging your ability to interpret in a simulated situation, and one focused on your knowledge of best practices. We call these two portions the “performative assessment” and the “interpreter skill modules”.

For the performative assessment, linguists must listen to utterances produced by a mock provider and LEP patient and, when given the chance, provide their own interpretations for how they believe a given utterance should be converted into the other language. Each assessment involves doing this for two different medical scenarios.

For the interpreter skill modules linguists must answer questions on the following ten areas of interpreting practice:

Accuracy and completeness
Impartiality
Transparency
Respect for individuals and cultures
Professionalism and integrity
Confidentiality
Breakdowns in understanding
Cultural mediation
Interpreter roles
Correction

Linguists are able to first watch brief videos where our team overviews key aspects of these ten areas, one at a time, before answering a series of multiple choice questions that are designed to ensure retention of the essential information about professional interpreting that was shared.

Linguists who are new to Jeenie are also required to watch additional Jeenie support modules, which describe details about how Jeenie works for interpreters who are new to our platform.

How can I prepare for Jeenie’s assessments?

For the performative assessment, we recommend that you:

Make sure your environment is completely quiet and free of any distractions
Review your medical glossaries to refresh your command over bilingual terminology, including but not limited to mental health, pediatric health and general medical practice.

For the interpreter skill modules, we recommend that you:

Review the CHIA interpreting standards
Review the IMIA interpreting standards
Make sure your environment is quiet and free of any distractions so that you can concentrate on the critical content shared in the modules presented by the Jeenie team

How long do I have to complete these assessments?

You are expected to complete both the performative assessment and the interpreting skill modules within one week of having been invited to take them. The performative assessment can be completed within a half hour, while the ten interpreter skill modules should each take 15-20 minutes to complete.

Will I be paid for the time to take the assessments?

You will not be compensated for the time spent completing these assessments. Passing the assessments is a precursor to being able to be part of Jeenie’s interpreting community.

What happens if I fail one or all of the assessments?

Failure to pass the performative assessment will result in you needing to wait a period of time before re-applying to join Jeenie’s platform. You may need to wait anywhere from 3-12 months to apply, depending on the range of your non-passing score.

Failure to pass one of the interpreter skill modules will result in you being encouraged to review US and international standards on interpreting practice, before re-watching the related module content and attempting to re-take the multiple choice questions after one month has passed. It is possible that members of our Jeenie Linguist Experience Team will reach out to support you in mastering the content associated with these modules.

Do I still need to take the assessment if I’m NBCMI/CHI or Court certified for interpretation?

Jeenie grants full assessment exemptions for interpreters who can present valid certification for NBCMI, CHI (Arabic, Spanish and Mandarin) or Court (either state or federal) interpretation. ASL interpreters are exempt from these assessments, provided that they present Jeenie accepted professional certifications.

Candidates who are certified with Core CHI can skip the interpreter skill modules but must complete the performative assessment.

No other forms of certification, other than those specified above, can exempt you from any portions of our assessment.