NIC Knowledge Exam Sample Questions and Suggested Reference Materials

Sample NIC Knowledge Exam Questions

These are some sample questions from the RID Generalist Written Test administered between 1995 and 1998. These questions are to serve as an example of the question types and format a candidate may see on the NIC Knowledge Exam and are not necessarily questions included in the current NIC Knowledge Exam. These sample questions are also not meant to indicate or reflect what one may score on the actual NIC Knowledge Test. For the answers to these sample questions, scroll to the bottom of this page.

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NIC Exam Sample

1. Approximately what percentage of Deaf and hard of hearing children have hearing parents?

a. Less than 25%
b. 25% to 45%
c. 55% to 75%
d. 85% to 95%

2. During an interpretation for a large audience, the lighting should?

a. be directed at the interpreter’s face
b. come from directly above the interpreter
c. come from more than one angle
d. come from directly behind the interpreter

3. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 includes which of the following provisions?

a. employers in businesses with more than 50 employees cannot discriminate against disabled people
b. qualified disabled individuals cannot be discriminated against by programs receiving federal funding
c. employers must provide rehabilitation services to disabled employees
d. state governments must provide rehabilitation services to disabled job seekers

4. When an interpreter is subpoenaed as an expert witness in court, the interpreter’s area of expertise is

a. cultural and linguistic implications of deafness
b. sociological aspects of the Deaf community
c. political implications of being a member of the Deaf community or of deafness
d. communication issues and cross-cultural mediation

5. The focus of the cultural/humanistic view of Deaf people is on the:

a. disadvantaged person
b. person rather than the deafness
c. overall communication process
d. effect of the disability

6. Which of the following is a community-based, non-profit organization that works specifically with African American Deaf persons to advocate for their rights?

a. BDA
b. RID-ITOC
c. AARP
d. AADB

7. According to RID, a certified interpreter can lose certification for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

a. failing to pay current national dues
b. failing to complete the Certification Maintenance Program
c. failing to join an affiliate chapter
d. violating ethical standards

8. To sociolinguists, the intimate register of discourse is characterized by:

a. reliance on information that is stated explicitly
b. reliance on information that is left implicit
c. the use of furtive glances to see who might be eavesdropping
d. cupping of the hand at the side of the mouth

9. While working, an interpreter is asked by one of the hearing participants how long it took to become an interpreter. Without responding, the interpreter directs this question to the Deaf person. The interpreter is functioning under the:

a. helper model
b. conduit model
c. communication facilitator model
d. bicultural mediator model

10. Which of the following is always true of an effective English-to-ASL interpretation?

a. It is a pure ASL rendition.
b. It consists of conceptually accurate signing.
c. It uses minimal fingerspelling.
d. It adapts to audience preference.

Suggested Reference Material

The following is a list of references that may be helpful in reviewing for the NIC Knowledge Exam. This listing is intended for use as a study aid only. RID does not intend the list to imply endorsement of these specific references, nor are test items necessarily taken directly from these sources.

View Exam Reference Materials

NIC Exam Reference Materials

Baker-Shenk, C. & Cokely, D. (1980). American sign language: a teacher’s resource text on grammar and culture. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Cartwright, B. E. (1999). Encounters with reality: 1,001 interpreter scenarios. Alexandria, VA: RID Press.
Christensen, K. M. & Delgado G. L. (2000). Deaf plus: a multicultural perspective. San Diego, CA: Dawn Sign Press.
Code of Professional Conduct. 2005 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
Cokely, D. (2000). Exploring ethics: a case for revising the code of ethics. Journal of Interpretation, 2000, 25-57.
Excerpt from a lecture given by George Veditz in 1913 titled “Preservation of the Sign Language” translated by Carol A. Padden.
Frishberg, N. (1990). Interpreting: an introduction. Alexandria, VA: RID Press.
Humphrey, J. H. & Alcorn, B. J. (2001). So you want to be an interpreter: an introduction to sign language interpreting (3rd ed.). Clearwater, FL: H&H Publishing.
Kelly, J. (2001). Transliterating: show me the English. Alexandria, VA: RID Press.
McIntire, M. (Ed.). Proceedings of the Ninth National Convention of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, July 4-8, 1985. Interpreting: the art of cross cultural mediation. Alexandria, VA: RID Press.
Mindess, A. (1999). Reading between the signs: intercultural communication for sign language interpreters. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
National multicultural interpreter project (NMIP) curriculum. Posted in 2000 to the TIEM Project Web site, NMIP, El Paso Community College.
RID Bylaws
RID Sample Written Generalist Test. 1998. the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Written by the Test Development Committee, 1992. (Discontinued)
RID Standard Practice Paper: Business Practices, 1996 Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Written by the Professional Standards Committee,1993-1995. REV 8/97, Updated 2007.
RID Standard Practice Paper: Use of a Certified Deaf Interpreter. 1997 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Written by the Professional Standards Committee, 1995-1997. REV5/00, Updated 2007.
RID Standard Practice Paper: Team Interpreting. 1997 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Written by the Professional Standards Committee, 1993-1995. REV 8/97, Updated 2007.
RID Standard Practice Paper: Interpreting in Mental Health Settings. 1997 the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Written by the Professional Standards Committee,1993-1995. REV 8/97, Updated 2007.
Seal, B. C. Best practices in educational interpreting. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Stewart, D. A., Schein, J. D. & Cartwright, B. E. (1998). Sign language interpreting: exploring its art and science. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Valli, C. & Lucas, C. (1995). Linguistics of American sign language: an introduction. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Vickrey Van Cleve, J. & Crouch, B. A. (1989). A place of their own: creating deaf community in America. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
RID Sample Written Generalist Test. 1998. the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Written by the Test Development Committee, 1992.

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