Season 2 Episode 10 - Ask NAATI July 2021, Part 3 - Certification Policy and Development Manager, Aurelie Sheehan and National Operations Manager, Michael Nemarich
Ask NAATI July 2021, features Certification Policy and Development Manager, Aurelie Sheehan and National Operations Manager, Michael Nemarich on the panel.List of Questions for Part 3:I watched the 4-part podcast – All Graduates Conversations: Interpreting and Translating: Ask NAATI, March 2021. It is very likely this will be glossed over, or I will receive some vague answer, that will not actually be answering this. Michael Nemarich said something along the lines of ‘’people who do skills set courses have a higher failure rate.’’ So other than the skills set course being a prerequisite to be completed before the exam. What other purpose does this course have? So NAATI can fail people before the exam?How can someone who cannot find any courses in their language that are NAATI endorsed or any prep courses that can help them to become an interpreter, translator, or both? According to Mr Nemarich, they are already disadvantage and likely to fail. I have done my skills set course and sat for my NAATI test and failed. I have applied for the next available test next year. I have put my name down on a waiting list/expression of interest for a Diploma of Interpreting in Greek with both RMIT and TAFE NSW. I will need to wait to see if the demand is there. Seems like I must fork out more money to increase my chances. It's not like the exam is cheap either. When I jumped on the NAATI website for endorsed qualifications, I get a list of RMIT courses but when someone does not have a diploma or a degree, the slim choices become even slimmer. RMIT has Graduate, advanced graduate, master courses. I only have an undergraduate certificate from a university. NAATI does not help to give out learning materials (I asked and got nothing), when asked on ASK NAATI back in March 2021 how to study, the answer was very vague. Apart from using the material that I got in my skills set course, and my glossaries. I really do not where else to do or turn to increase my chances of passing the test. I even asked RMIT for study materials and their answer was, apply for a course which is $24000. I even found a prep course for Greek on the website it was via TAFE SA. I enquired with TAFE SA and was told that the course no longer exists. I even sent them a snapshot of the NAATI website. Even the website isn’t updated. The only learning materials I have is the two workbooks from RMIT and TAFE SA, which I had access to during my RMIT skills set course. In addition, participate in as many PD, podcasts, and short courses as possible with All Graduates, NAATI, AUSIT etc. Please explain how someone is meant to pass the test with only a Skills Set qualification which is the minimum requirement? You guys go on and on about practice, practice, practice but how and with what? I cannot find learning materials, online, with AUSIT, NAATI, RMIT etc or courses to further my skills. Or is NAATI deliberately failing people who only do the skills set and diploma courses? I cannot be the only person who is in this situation. Is NAATI failing the people who only done the skills set course as a way for NAATI and educational institutions to make easy money? The only reason I bring up money is several times during the 4-part, two-hour podcast Mr Nemarich mentions money. Specifically goes into detail how NAATI loses money when hosting CPI exams etc. These comments made by Mr Nemarich does not inspire any confidence at all. I hope I will get a proper answer and not a vague response. I noticed on the CPI test for Greek is set for 14th April 2023 (Sunday, 16 April Orthodox Easter 2023). That is the date of Orthodox Good Friday. Very disrespectful from NAATI. You think of a multicultural place like NAATI would have been aware of this. https://www.conversations-interpretingandtranslating.com.au/w/AU/