If you wanted to test a translator's skills, how would you test them?

Well, it depends on the particulars of such position. considering the field of translation needed, you will need to send the candidate a relevant document after removing confidential information, with a reasonable deadline to complete the requested translation. the last step will be revision & proofreading for the outcome of candidate's translation.

Hi Sarah, 

this is the easy part of this career! 

To make a long story short, just send the translator some of the texts you are interested in, or the texts you need in your job and let the translator shows his/her abilities. 

you might say that the translator may fabricate the test and let someone else do the job on his/her behalf, well this is possible but you will catch him/her red-handed in the first paid file you sent after the test. 

P.S: if you are interested in legal texts, send the translator contracts, MOAs, AOAs, POAs, agreements, Sharia documents and so forth 

if it is media, send him/her press releases, advertisement materials and so on. 

regards, 

Initially, one should test the translator by letting him\\her translate a written. This text should preferably be of an average level of difficulty and combine general content with more specific content from the area of specialization he should be working in. (Ex. the legal, health or technical field.)

This test helps in initially identifying the linguistic capabilities of the applicant and the extent of the initial ability to work in the field of translation. Then it comes to recognizing the potential translator to figure out the rest of his abilities and personal nature, and the extent of its relevance to the workplace's nature. I.e. some employers may accept a weak or average translator, whereas other employers looking for translators with outstanding self-commitment, very powerful linguistic style and strong general knowledge and specialized backgrounds ... etc.

I would have him/her translate what is in the "comment" into English

Testing a legal knowledge of a translator can be measured via having the required vocabulary and the ability to connect them perfectly to provide a meaningful text, provided they shall keep the legal spirit of the original. 

·        Give him a test. When he submits taste it.

·        Check the translation is not word by word.

·        Check if the words consider geography, culture, time in Geography for example color is for America but color with u is for UK.

I hope this points support.

In my point of view, the translator should be provided with a text or a paragraph whish can be translated for example from arabic to english or the opposit, then you evaluate his or her skills according to the translation that he or she has made, i Think this is the best way to test a tronsator skills, because that can help you even to see if he (she) follows the mechanismes of translation.

Start normal conversation by talking both language and see his face Expressions with ability answer   

Give them a sample dose of the work they are being interviewed for to see their performance.

-Note that some translators are good at fields and bad at others! Make sure to know what fields they excel at.

If we mean oral translator - give him a 5-minute talk for a consecutive translation and then run thru lexics. If a written text - then, give them a text, a glossary, and dictionary and then some time spell

I would like to test him by making a full conversion with him and test him with most important word meanings deals with his work field .