Failed CASLI twice — what am I missing in my study approach?

by Alex G. 471 views3 replies
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Alex G.OP
May 27, 2026

I'm a second-year interpreter training program graduate and I've now sat for the CASLI twice with no luck. My first attempt I felt completely blindsided by the consecutive interpreting portion — I thought my ASL production was solid but the evaluators clearly disagreed. Second attempt I scored higher on the interview but still didn't make the cut. I've been studying for about 8 months total now, probably 10-15 hours a week, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm just practicing the wrong things.

I've been using a CASLI practice test from a prep site and working through sample interview scenarios with a mentor, but I feel like I'm missing something about how the evaluation rubric actually weights different skills. Has anyone found a solid study guide that breaks down what evaluators are actually looking for, especially in the ethical decision-making portions? Any exam tips from people who passed on their second or third try would be genuinely appreciated — I really don't want to wait another full testing cycle.

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Chloe W.
May 28, 2026
I passed on my third attempt and honestly the thing that changed everything was recording myself and watching it back without sound. You notice so much about your mouthing, your use of space, non-manual markers — stuff you can't catch in real time. I also stopped studying alone and started doing weekly sessions with two other interpreters. We'd take turns interpreting and then the other two would debrief using the rubric criteria. That peer accountability was huge.
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Kevin O.
May 28, 2026
The ethical vignettes tripped me up too. What helped was reading the RID Code of Professional Conduct out loud and then asking myself 'what would I actually do and WHY' for every scenario — not the textbook answer, the real one. A lot of people know what the right answer is but can't articulate the reasoning clearly under pressure, and I think that's what evaluators notice. Also the consecutive portion rewards chunking, not trying to hold everything verbatim.
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rachel_s
May 28, 2026
Don't underestimate how much test-day nerves tank your production. I started meditating for like 10 minutes before every practice session just to simulate having a calm baseline. Sounds weird but by exam day it felt routine. You've clearly put in the hours — sometimes it's the performance anxiety more than the skill gap.

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