Healthcare Interpreter Written Exam (CCHI CoreCHI / NBCMI) — Practice
Professional Responsibility and Interpreter Ethics: practice questions
Our Healthcare interpreter (CoreCHI / NBCMI) bank has 57 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
How often must CCHI certification be renewed?
- Every year
- Every 2 years
- Every 10 years
- Every 4 years
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D. Every 4 years — CCHI's certification credential is valid for four years.
Question 2
An interpreter is asked to interpret a psychiatric evaluation but has no training in mental health interpreting. No one else is available. What does the NCIHC commentary suggest?
- Interpret without saying anything about the limitation
- Refuse and leave the patient without an interpreter
- Tell all parties about the limitation and do the best job possible
- Ask the patient's teenage son to interpret instead, since he knows the family
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C. Tell all parties about the limitation and do the best job possible — Where withdrawal is not practical, interpreters may continue after making their capabilities known to all parties.
Question 3
An interpreter takes notes during a long consultation. What should happen to the notes afterward?
- They should be kept private and destroyed according to policy
- They should be given to the patient as a record
- They should be kept in the interpreter's car for the next visit
- They should be posted to the patient's portal
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A. They should be kept private and destroyed according to policy — NCIHC Standard 8: the interpreter protects written patient information, for example by not leaving notes in public view. Notes are typically shredded after the session.
Question 4
Under the NCIHC code, whose responsibility is it to further an interpreter's knowledge and skills?
- The interpreter's employer only
- The certifying body only
- The patient's provider
- The individual interpreter
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D. The individual interpreter — The commentary says the obligation to further knowledge and skills resides in the individual interpreter, not the employer.
Question 5
An interpreter is a trained nurse as well. During an interpreted encounter, the provider asks her opinion in English about the diagnosis. What should she do?
- Answer as a nurse, since she is qualified and the provider asked her directly
- Interpret the question and stay in the interpreter role
- Answer in English without telling the patient
- Leave the room so the provider can think
Show the answer
B. Interpret the question and stay in the interpreter role — NCIHC Standard 18: an interpreter with an additional role follows all interpreting standards while interpreting and is transparent about any role change.