National Interpreter Certification testing

So I took a test today I have been preparing for for about a month( well technically years but I signed up for it a month ago). I took my NIC  (National Interpreter Certification) test. This is my first step in becoming nationally certified as a sign language interpreter. I am certified as a novice interpreter for Utah and will be taking my professional level performance test in a month as well. My goal is to take the NIC near the end of the year - November or December. I am feeling quite the push to become nationally certified because as of next year you have to have a Bachelors degree to be nationally certified and unfortunately I only have an Associates degree and really I'm not going to go back to school until my kids are grown up (at least that is the plan IF i decide to go back).

      ANYWAY, this test is to test your knowledge of ASL lingustics, culture, interpreting situations, the Code of Professional Conduct, the history of sign language interpreting, the history of sign language versus oral methods, different signing styles, and etc. etc.. It really felt like there was so much we were expected to know. 

     I felt  pretty good at first but as I went on there were so many situational that I thought was more opinion than right or wrong. I felt fairly strong about the linguistics and culture it was just the interpreting situations that made me a bit nervous. Needless to say I needed 500 to pass and my score was 633. So I PASSED! I scored high in all twelve categories except two I scored medium in. My lowest percent was a 69 and my highest was a 92 which I got in five categories. So overall I feel pretty good about my test. Me and my friend, Robin, studied and studied and STUDIED. She passed too. Whew! Now for a BIG, LONG, nap!