NAATI CPI
NAATI CPI test: format, assessment and how to prepare for the role-plays
By XINGO teamUpdated 4 min read
The Certified Provisional Interpreter (CPI) credential is NAATI's entry-level interpreting certification — the one many community interpreters start working with. Unlike the CCL, it's a professional credential, and the test is a step up: longer live role-plays, real interaction with role-players, and an assessment of how you manage the conversation as well as what you say.
This guide summarises NAATI's published information about the test and suggests how to practise. Rules, fees and eligibility change, so read NAATI's CPI page and CPI candidate instructions before booking.
The test at a glance
| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| Tasks | Three dialogue interpreting tasks, each a live role-play with an English speaker and a speaker of your other language. |
| Length | NAATI describes each role-play as about 10–12 minutes. |
| Modes | Two face-to-face consecutive dialogues and one remote consecutive dialogue. |
| Domains | Each task is set in a different domain, such as health, legal or community services. |
| Delivery | Online or in person at a NAATI venue, at the time of writing. |
| Prerequisites | An eligibility pathway (for example, a NAATI-endorsed qualification such as the Diploma of Interpreting) plus ethical and intercultural competency requirements. |
How the CPI is assessed
NAATI assesses CPI performance against a rubric with bands rather than the CCL's deduction marking. The criteria cover transfer competency — meaning transfer, application of the interpreting mode, interactional management and delivery — and language proficiency in both languages. To pass, you need to reach the required band on each criterion; NAATI's assessment rubric sets out exactly how much tolerance there is.
Two of those criteria have no real equivalent in the CCL:
- Application of mode — interpreting consecutively in the first person, at an appropriate length, without summarising or slipping into reported speech.
- Interactional management — managing turns, interrupting appropriately when segments run long, asking for clarification professionally, and keeping both parties informed.
CPI vs CCL: what changes
| CCL | CPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Community language credential (often for migration points) | Professional interpreting certification |
| Format | Two recorded dialogues | Three live role-plays, including one remote |
| Segments | Short (35 words or less), with a chime | Natural turns that can run longer; you manage the flow |
| Interaction | None — recordings can't respond | Role-players react to you; you can interrupt and clarify |
| Marking | Deduction out of 90 | Banded rubric across several criteria |
If you've passed the CCL, your language skills and accuracy habits carry over. What you'll need to build is stamina for longer turns, note-taking for consecutive interpreting, and confident management of a live conversation. See our CCL format guide for comparison.
Preparing for the face-to-face role-plays
- Introduce yourself to both parties at the start, as you would on a real assignment, unless the instructions say otherwise.
- Interpret in the first person. 'I've had this pain for three days', not 'She says she's had pain'.
- Manage long turns. Practise interrupting politely when a speaker goes on too long for you to hold accurately.
- Ask for clarification transparently — and tell the other party you've done so.
- Develop your note-taking for turns of 50–100 words. A light system that works for the CCL may need extending.
Preparing for the remote task
The remote task removes visual cues: you can't see who's about to speak, and overlapping speech is more likely. Practise with audio only. Our telephone interpreting tips cover openings, turn management, numbers and asking for repetition without visual cues.
Ethics and professional conduct
Ethical competency is a CPI prerequisite, and conduct shows up in the role-plays too: impartiality, accuracy, confidentiality and staying within your role. Read the AUSIT Code of Ethics and practise what you'd say if a party asks for your opinion or tries to have a side conversation with you.
Free official preparation
NAATI offers free CPI preparation material through NAATI Learn, with practice dialogues in many languages. Use it alongside the candidate instructions and assessment rubric.
A practice routine
- Three or four role-plays a week across different domains, at least one audio-only.
- Record every session and review against the criteria: meaning, mode, management, delivery, language.
- Keep a terminology log by domain, in both languages.
- In the final fortnight, do three role-plays in a row to build stamina.
XINGO's CPI practice runs CPI-style dialogues — GP registration, school enrolment, a rental repair, employment services, a police report — with two AI role-players, plus audio-only telephone dialogues for the remote task. Each assessed attempt gets feedback on accuracy, terminology, fluency, turn management and professionalism. It's independent practice and doesn't replace NAATI's assessment.
Moving to Australia?
New to Australia, or planning a career in interpreting? Read how to become an interpreter in Australia, from NAATI eligibility to finding work.
Questions
- Do I need the Diploma of Interpreting to sit the CPI?
- A NAATI-endorsed qualification such as the Diploma of Interpreting is one eligibility pathway. NAATI sets the current pathways and prerequisites — check its website.
- Is there sight translation in the CPI test?
- At the time of writing, NAATI describes the CPI test as three dialogue interpreting tasks. Sight translation is part of the Certified Interpreter (CI) test. Check NAATI's current CPI information.
- Is the CPI harder than the CCL?
- It's a different test with a higher bar: longer live role-plays, a remote task and assessment of how you manage the interaction. CCL holders usually need dedicated practice for those parts.
Official sources
- NAATI — Certified Provisional Interpreter
- NAATI — CPI candidate instructions
- NAATI Learn — CPI test preparation
- AUSIT — Code of Ethics
Exam rules, fees and dates change. Always check the official source before you book. XINGO is independent and not affiliated with NAATI or any exam body.