STC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield STC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A translation of a Peruvian medical pamphlet mentions 'curanderismo.' The culturally competent translator should: → Render it as 'folk healing' or 'traditional healing practices' with cultural neutrality
2. What is a microservices architecture? → An approach where an application is built as a collection of small, independent services
3. When a QA reviewer finds that a translator has consistently omitted a recurring disclaimer in a legal document, this is classified as a: → Systematic omission requiring global correction
4. What is a significant financial benefit of obtaining STC certification compared to working as a non-certified Spanish translator? → Ability to charge higher per-word or hourly rates
5. When reviewing a Spanish translation for 'register consistency,' a QA reviewer is checking that: → The level of formality remains appropriate and uniform for the document type
6. Which factor is most likely to affect the difficulty level of text passages selected for the ATA Spanish certification exam? → The specific language pair and specialty domain of the passages chosen
7. What is the mode of: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 3, 6? → 3
8. What does 'register' mean in the context of document translation standards? → The level of formality and style appropriate to a particular type of document or audience
9. What is one of the main benefits of becoming a certified Spanish translator? → It improves networking opportunities with other translators and clients
10. Which sentence uses the conditional correctly? → Si tuviera tiempo, estudiaría más.
11. What is parallel structure in writing? → Using the same grammatical form for similar ideas in a series
12. Which sentence correctly uses the 'se' for unplanned occurrences? → Se me olvidó el pasaporte.
13. How can a Spanish translator prove they have met continuing education requirements for certification? → By submitting proof of attendance at relevant courses or workshops
14. The 'implicitation' technique is the opposite of explicitation. It involves: → Condensing information that is recoverable from context in the target language
15. In a mental health assessment, the clinician uses the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) items verbally. The interpreter should: → Interpret each item as precisely as possible, preserving standardized phrasing
16. Which standard specifically addresses the competence requirements for translators working on certified translations in the US market? → ASTM F2575
17. What does the acronym TM stand for in translation technology? → Translation Memory
18. In formal written Spanish, which form is the correct second-person plural imperative of 'hablar'? → hablad
19. What is the range of the data set: 3, 7, 1, 9, 5? → 8
20. What is the correct handling of a photograph embedded in a source document during certified translation? → Reproduce the photograph and translate any caption or label associated with it
21. In the context of ATA certification eligibility, what does 'language pair' refer to? → The source language and the target language of translation
22. The Spanish verb 'tutear' describes which culturally significant communication practice? → Addressing someone using the informal 'tú' form rather than 'usted'
23. A translator who is a member of the ATA learns that a colleague has been fraudulently claiming ATA certification. The translator's ethical obligation is to: → Report the conduct to the ATA through appropriate channels
24. When translating a legal contract, which element must be preserved exactly as it appears in the source document? → Party names and defined terms
25. When a Spanish source document uses a numbered list, how should the numbering be treated in the English translation? → Preserve the same numbering system as in the source document
26. Which Spanish medical term corresponds to 'myocardial infarction'? → Infarto de miocardio
27. In translation QA, 'scope creep' refers to: → Unauthorized expansion of the translation project beyond the agreed-upon deliverables
28. What does inter-rater reliability measure in translation evaluation? → The degree to which different evaluators assign the same scores to the same translation
29. When setting professional fees, a certified Spanish translator's ethical obligations include: → Being transparent about rates and any additional charges before accepting a project
30. What is the role of a 'style guide' in translation QA? → It specifies preferred linguistic conventions, tone, and formatting standards for a client