Poll: What is your opinion about test translations (as a translator)? Auteur du fil: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What is your opinion about test translations (as a translator)?".
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If I’m really interested in that job or in that translation agency (I have never been asked for a test by a direct client) I'm happy to do a short translation test (up to 300 words), providing we have already agreed on price and payment terms and there is no deadline set for the test, so I can do it at my own pace. I would rather do a translation test than sending diplomas, references and the like and having to fill endless forms. I see these tests as a good investment and they go both ways: t... See more If I’m really interested in that job or in that translation agency (I have never been asked for a test by a direct client) I'm happy to do a short translation test (up to 300 words), providing we have already agreed on price and payment terms and there is no deadline set for the test, so I can do it at my own pace. I would rather do a translation test than sending diplomas, references and the like and having to fill endless forms. I see these tests as a good investment and they go both ways: the way it is handled is usually a good indicator of how organized the potential client is… ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B 
Bosnie-Herzegovine
Local time: 13:32
Membre (2009)
anglais vers croate
+ ...
| Only paid ones (selectively) | Oct 22, 2024 |
I may only accept to do paid tests (but not always, depending on the client), and never do any other type.
Last year, I landed a huge contract after a paid test at my regular rate. It rarely happened with a free test, during the time I used to do them.
| | | | | I do them occasionally | Oct 22, 2024 |
I don't mind doing test translations as long as they are short and the client seems worth the investment. It's not something I do very often, but they have generally worked out well for me and been worthwhile, sometimes leading to long-standing relationships.
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Iulia Parvu
Roumanie
Local time: 14:32
Membre (2022)
anglais vers roumain
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| I do free tests... | Oct 22, 2024 |
...if I'm interested in the field. I'm a sucker for texts that require transcreation and am quite excited to be challenged while trying to find the best possible translation. I rarely get the job as I charge above my usual rate for these, but they're still fun to do.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgique
Local time: 13:32
Membre (2020)
français vers néerlandais
+ ...
Despite its shortcomings test translations are the best way to assess the translation skills of translators, imo. In any case they are better than samples (I've never understood the value of these since basically anyone can come up with decent samples), diplomas, references (these are really a joke), supposed experience etcetera.
So I'm always willing to do a translation test in any specialization field up to 300 words free of charge, even for existing clients. That said I only have... See more Despite its shortcomings test translations are the best way to assess the translation skills of translators, imo. In any case they are better than samples (I've never understood the value of these since basically anyone can come up with decent samples), diplomas, references (these are really a joke), supposed experience etcetera.
So I'm always willing to do a translation test in any specialization field up to 300 words free of charge, even for existing clients. That said I only have to do them rarely. Last time was at the end of 2023, when a potential client contacted me through LinkedIn and asked me to take a test. I passed easily, but it never materialized into jobs until this day. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ana Vozone
Local time: 12:32
Membre (2010)
anglais vers portugais
+ ...
| Other - Up to 200 words | Oct 22, 2024 |
I only do short tests (for free), provided they accept my rate beforehand.
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 12:32
Membre (2015)
anglais vers portugais
+ ...
| One of the best ways to assess translators, but don't determine whether they are good or bad | Oct 23, 2024 |
They are one of the best ways for clients or agencies to assess a translator.
Also, they can provide more confidence at the start of a working relationship.
I've just delivered one. I'm happy to do them whenever they fit in with some of my fields of specialisation, and with no more than 500 words.
However, it's not the tests that judge whether a translator is good or bad.
I think there are other factors that can be more valuable than translation tests: experience, educa... See more They are one of the best ways for clients or agencies to assess a translator.
Also, they can provide more confidence at the start of a working relationship.
I've just delivered one. I'm happy to do them whenever they fit in with some of my fields of specialisation, and with no more than 500 words.
However, it's not the tests that judge whether a translator is good or bad.
I think there are other factors that can be more valuable than translation tests: experience, education, good knowledge of the field(s) and client testimonials. ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki
Turquie
Local time: 15:32
Membre
anglais vers turc
| I don't believe in them, paid or otherwise | Oct 23, 2024 |
I work with European agencies and they all use their Turkish freelance translators to assess English to Turkish pieces.
I've encountered one too many biased 'assessors' (i.e. persons whose very livelihood depend on the odd Turkish job coming from those agencies) to believe it's a 'proper/fair method' to assess one's capabilities.
If it were the end client that was doing the assessing or if I were translating into English so that the PM or the VM could check out and verify my claims... See more I work with European agencies and they all use their Turkish freelance translators to assess English to Turkish pieces.
I've encountered one too many biased 'assessors' (i.e. persons whose very livelihood depend on the odd Turkish job coming from those agencies) to believe it's a 'proper/fair method' to assess one's capabilities.
If it were the end client that was doing the assessing or if I were translating into English so that the PM or the VM could check out and verify my claims or if I were translating from Dutch, German or French etc., then my view would be totally different.
But on a positive note, AI is increasingly making translators redundant, and so those biased c***s will soon be replaced by AI bias (or biased AI), which might be fairer in my pair. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Unless you have recommendations from someone with a very high standing... | Oct 23, 2024 |
... a test is pretty much the only way a company can see what a translator is worth. I don't believe education is indicative of anything in this regard (unless it was completed at a top university). Neither is work experience (in another thread, I mentioned a guy with 20+ years of translations under his belt who failed our test and had nothing to answer to my arguments; he just admitted he'd failed). Most translators whose work happens to get on my radar don't even bother looking things up in di... See more ... a test is pretty much the only way a company can see what a translator is worth. I don't believe education is indicative of anything in this regard (unless it was completed at a top university). Neither is work experience (in another thread, I mentioned a guy with 20+ years of translations under his belt who failed our test and had nothing to answer to my arguments; he just admitted he'd failed). Most translators whose work happens to get on my radar don't even bother looking things up in dictionaries: they have word pairs in their heads, and when they see a word that's familiar to them, they whip out its (one and only) counterpart from their mental storage and call it a day. An exaggeration, but a good one. That's where years of experience can do you a disservice: you begin to automate the process. I believe this relaxed and effortless take on any work is part of the zeitgeist.
My tests have won me jobs pretty much every time. I even did a test for a company with very stringent requirements while being kind of drunk. I effed up a few points, so they wrote me back and asked me to do the test again; then I went to Moscow for an interview and wrote another test in a cafe—and got the job. With my current employer, I did tests to be included in bid packages; some of them were very long, but who cares now that they paid me for them. Sometimes a manager would ask me if I'm okay with a specific subject area, and the test on that subject would go to me regardless of my answer. That's pretty stressful. Good thing they usually honor my request not to give me anything that has to do with medicine
[Редактировалось 2024-10-23 11:26 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 12:32
Membre (2015)
anglais vers portugais
+ ...
| Passing a translation test is one thing, but being a good professional involves much more... | Oct 23, 2024 |
Denis Fesik wrote:
... a test is pretty much the only way a company can see what a translator is worth. I don't believe education is indicative of anything in this regard (unless it was completed at a top university). Neither is work experience (in another thread, I mentioned a guy with 20+ years of translations under his belt who failed our test and had nothing to answer to my arguments; he just admitted he'd failed).
My tests have won me jobs pretty much every time. I even did a test for a company with very stringent requirements while being kind of drunk. I effed up a few points, so they wrote me back and asked me to do the test again; then I went to Moscow for an interview and wrote another test in a cafe—and got the job. [Редактировалось 2024-10-23 11:26 GMT]
... like delivering consistent quality, understanding the nuances of language, and building trust with clients over time, in addition to experience, education, and knowledge.
I understand that a translation test performed under those conditions you mentioned might seem easy and have worked for you, but in my experience, professionalism, reliability, and subject matter expertise are what truly sustain a translator's career.
Passing a test is one thing, but delivering consistent, high-quality work over time is what sets a good translator apart.
As I said before, tests can be useful for clients/agencies, but they’re only one part of the bigger picture when it comes to professional success.
But all this is just the modest opinion of a modest translator.
| | | | | A test is how they know you can do the job | Oct 23, 2024 |
delivering consistent quality, understanding the nuances of language, and building trust with clients over time, in addition to experience, education, and knowledge
That's how it all starts: they don't know you are all that, so how do they get to know they can take your word for it? Maybe by word of mouth, I mentioned this and even got a couple of order flows this way, and then even a letter of recommendation from an employer often doesn't amount to much (some companies here use template forms for such letters). What are some other good credentials you can produce? Well, maybe a paper saying you won a translation contest. A test, in the other hand, can tell much about a translator, at least to me. I passed two of them myself for my current employer despite the fact that they wrote me first: they knew me and were happy with my work, and I was even in a position to set my own pay rate. Being a pro in every respect is another thing; that's what you demonstrate after winning a customer (as a freelancer) or getting hired
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