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Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) Oral Examination
Find the current format, timing, scoring, fees, eligibility, and testing options for CMI Exams, with direct links to official sources.
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QuestionsTwo examinations — Written exam: 51 multiple-choice single-answer questions (plus five to ten unscored pretest questions); Oral exam: a bilingual performance examination in the candidate's certification language (question count not published)
Testing timeWritten exam: 75 minutes; oral exam: scheduled session through ProProctor or a testing center (individual timing not published)
ScoringWritten exam: percentage score of at least 75% to pass, with results received right away. Oral exam: per-language passing scores — 70% for Cantonese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish; 80% for Mandarin; 65% for Vietnamese
Exam feeUSD 40 program registration (non-refundable, annual — grants 1 year to pass both exams, then USD 40 re-registration); USD 190 written exam; USD 300 oral exam (USD 25 rescheduling fee); exam fees non-refundable and expire after one year if unused; CMI renewal USD 300 every 5 years (plus 3 CEUs); total first-time CMI path USD 530
Prep options
Study resources for CMI Exams
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NBCMI
- Category
- Healthcare Interpreting
- Current version
- Current CMI program under the fee schedule effective January 1, 2025 (first fee increase since NBCMI launched in 2010, funding the ProProctor virtual testing platform); the National Board brings all CMI language exams under the same standards per its credential-update announcement
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- Percentage scores on both examinations; written pass mark 75%, oral pass mark 65–80% depending on certification language (cut scores developed per the National Board's published methodology)
- Testing provider
- SMT - Prometric (written exam testing centers and ProProctor remote proctoring for both exams)
- Format
- Written exam: computerized multiple-choice, delivered at SMT-Prometric testing centers or online from home (online permitted only once — subsequent attempts at a center). Oral exam: live online proctoring through Prometric's ProProctor platform (on-demand, including nights and weekends) or at a testing center; a paper (non-electronic) dictionary, 2 pencils or pens, and 4 sheets of blank scrap paper are permitted for the oral exam
- Availability
- The National Board tests every business day of the year (some testing centers offer Saturdays); ProProctor online sessions are on-demand including nights and weekends; a program advisor preregisters candidates for home testing before scheduling
- Results
- Written exam: results received right away. Oral exam: results notified by email within 6–8 weeks
- Score validity
- Registration grants 1 year to document prerequisites and pass both exams (then USD 40 re-registration); after passing the written exam the Hub-CMI is granted and the candidate has 2 years from the written pass date to complete the oral exam for the CMI — in the six CMI languages the Hub-CMI expires after those 2 years with no renewal option; the CMI credential itself renews every 5 years (USD 300 plus 3 CEUs / 30 contact hours of approved continuing education)
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
Two-stage certification: (1) a 51-question English multiple-choice written exam covering the medical interpreting profession — ethics, standards of practice, role boundaries, and medical terminology — which alone grants the Hub-CMI credential; (2) a language-specific oral performance exam in English plus the certification language (Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, or Vietnamese) covering interpreting skills, required for the full CMI
Where rules vary
National U.S. certification for medical interpreters; the CMI credential is language-specific, offered in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese (interpreters of other languages may hold the written-only Hub-CMI). The credential is recognized, among others, by California's Division of Workers' Compensation as an approved credentialing program.
Eligibility
Register (USD 40) and document: minimum age 18; at least a high-school education (diploma/GED/higher degree); a professional profile photo; medical-interpreter-specific training — a 40+ hour certificate of completion or at least 3 college credit hours of medical interpreting coursework (not waivable for anyone); oral proficiency in English (English-language degree/high-school diploma or a listed test such as TOEFL iBT 90+, IELTS 7.0); and oral proficiency in the certification language (e.g., for Spanish: degree or high-school diploma from a Spanish-speaking country, 24+ semester credit hours of Spanish, ACTFL OPI/OPIc Advanced Mid, or Parrot ILR 2+)
Retake policy
Both exams: a failed exam may be retaken after a 3-month waiting period at the same fee and procedure; after 3 retakes, only 1 attempt per calendar year (oral exam capped at 5 total attempts); online (from home) delivery is permitted only once, with further attempts at testing centers; the Hub-CMI may be re-earned only one time after its original expiration