This page is for sign language interpreters preparing for the joint NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC), and for anyone studying the NAD certification track. It gives you free practice sets on ASL, ethics, interpreting skills and settings, plus a plain summary of exam format, fees, retakes and renewal.

NAD Exam at a Glance

What the NAD is and how it works

According to Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), which issues the joint NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC), wi, “The CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam is a computer-based exam composed of two (2) parts, the Fundamentals of Interpreting, a 120 multiple-choice question test, and the Ethical Decision Making and Cultural Responsiveness Exam, an exam comprised of eight (8) multi-step case studies.”^[1]

The NIC is issued by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) together with NAD. Candidates take exams run by CASLI. The Generalist Knowledge Exam is computer-based: after you buy it, CASLI and Scantron send instructions for scheduling your appointment. It has a 120 multiple-choice question part and 8 case studies. The fee is $500, or $400 for RID members.

The Generalist Performance Exam is also computer-based. It uses multiple interpreting scenarios of 5 to 20 minutes each, and it costs $550, or $500 for RID members. It is scored pass or fail against a minimum-competency standard.

Eligibility starts at age 18. You need a bachelor's degree (or the Alternative Pathway) before the performance exam, and all required exams must be passed within 5 years.

Knowledge exam results arrive by email within 10 business days. Performance results are estimated at about 90 days. If you fail a knowledge portion, you wait 3 months and retake only the failed part for $200. The performance retake wait is 6 months.

To keep certification, you need 8.0 CEUs per 4-year cycle, with at least 6.0 in Professional Studies. Holders of legacy NAD III, IV or V certification must keep their dues current with RID. Check rid.org and casli.org before you pay, because fees and rules can change.

Worked examples: how to reason through NAD questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the role of classifiers in ASL?

1. Classifiers are used to spell out words in ASL.
2. Classifiers represent categories of objects or people and show how they move or interact.
3. Classifiers are only used to form questions.
4. Classifiers are used to indicate emotions.

Answer: B. Classifiers represent categories of objects or people and show how they move or interact.

Explanation:

The correct answer is that classifiers represent categories of objects or people and show how they move or interact. A classifier is a handshape standing in for a noun, and the way you move it shows location, motion or relationship.

Spelling out words is fingerspelling, which is a different tool, so the first option is wrong. Classifiers are not limited to forming questions; questions rely mainly on facial grammar and non-manual markers. Emotion is also carried largely by facial expression and body, not by classifiers.

Rule to remember: a classifier tells you what kind of thing it is and what it is doing in space. If an option links classifiers to spelling, questions or feelings, it is describing a different part of ASL.

Example 2

Question: In ASL, the sign FINISH placed before a verb (e.g., ME EAT FINISH) most commonly marks:

1. Future tense
2. Completed aspect
3. Negation
4. A question

Answer: B. Completed aspect

Explanation:

The correct answer is completed aspect. In ME EAT FINISH, the sign FINISH marks that the action is done, which linguists call a perfective marker.

Future tense is wrong because ASL usually marks future with a time sign such as a future sign, not with FINISH. Negation is wrong because negation uses signs like NOT or a headshake. A question is wrong because yes-no and wh-questions are marked with eyebrow position, head tilt and sometimes question signs.

Rule to remember: ASL often shows when something happens through time signs and shows whether it is finished through aspect markers. Do not map English verb tenses directly onto ASL signs when you interpret.

Example 3

Question: What is simultaneous interpretation?

1. Interpreting only after the speaker finishes talking.
2. Interpreting the message in real-time, with no delay.
3. Interpreting only for written content.
4. Interpreting only during pauses in speech.

Answer: B. Interpreting the message in real-time, with no delay.

Explanation:

The correct answer is interpreting the message in real time, as the speaker talks. Simultaneous interpreting means producing the target language while still receiving the source, which is why the cognitive load is high. In practice there is a short lag as you process, so treat the phrase about no delay as meaning no waiting for the speaker to finish.

Interpreting only after the speaker finishes describes consecutive interpreting. Interpreting only written content describes translation, not interpretation. Interpreting only during pauses is a form of consecutive work too, since it depends on the speaker stopping.

Rule to remember: simultaneous means overlapping with the speaker, consecutive means taking turns, and translation deals with text.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Read the CASLI exam pages and the RID certification pages so you know the format, eligibility and retake rules before you study content. Then use our sets to find gaps.

Take the Start Practice Test set first as a baseline. Note which topics you miss, then work through the matching sets: ASL proficiency, ethical standards, interpretation skills and cultural competency. Add legal and medical settings and educational settings once the core sets feel steady.

For every wrong answer, read the explanation and write the rule in your own words. Retake a set only after you have studied the topics you missed, so the score reflects learning and not memory of the answers.

Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions. They cannot replace practice interpreting. For the performance exam, record yourself interpreting varied material in consecutive and simultaneous modes, and review the recordings critically.

Sources & last verified

1. casli.org — number of questions, passing score, retake policy, score release (official source). “The CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam is a computer-based exam composed of two (2) parts, the Fundamentals of Interpreting, a 120 multiple-choice question test, and the…” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
2. drive.google.com — exam fee, retake fee (official source). “CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam $500 $400 (consists of both Fundamental of Interpreting & Case Studies portions)” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
3. casli.org — retake policy (official source). “CASLI Generalist Performance Exam (both NIC and CDI)(six months waiting period for retake)” Verified Oct 23, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
4. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), which issues the joint NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC), wi — validity, renewal (official source). “Those who hold NAD certification must also keep their NAD certification dues in good standing with RID.” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
5. casli.org — delivery (official source). “Once purchase is complete, you will receive further instructions from CASLI and ScanTron Corporation for scheduling your exam appointment!” Verified Oct 23, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
6. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), which issues the joint NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification (NIC), wi — eligibility (official source). “Candidates are eligible for CASLI’s examinations if they are at least 18 years old. To successfully obtain the certification, candidates must have passed all the…” Verified Oct 22, 2026 · source checked Oct 22, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.