STC Professional Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The ATA Framework for Standard Error Marking distinguishes between 'meaning errors' and 'language errors.' Which of the following is a language error?
- Incorrect numerical value transferred
- Omission of a key clause
- Subject-verb disagreement in the target text (Correct answer)
- Wrong medical dosage translated
Correct answer: Subject-verb disagreement in the target text
Subject-verb disagreement is a grammatical (language) error in the target text, not a failure to transfer source meaning.
Question 2: A client requests a 'fit-for-purpose' evaluation. What criterion guides this assessment?
- Whether the translation matches the source word-for-word
- Whether the translation fulfills its intended communicative function for the target audience (Correct answer)
- Whether the translation passes automated MT quality scores
- Whether all technical terms appear in a glossary
Correct answer: Whether the translation fulfills its intended communicative function for the target audience
Fit-for-purpose evaluation (aligned with Skopos theory) focuses on whether the translation achieves its intended function and audience goals.
Question 3: Which practice helps ensure consistency when multiple translators work on the same document during evaluation?
- Allowing each translator to follow personal style preferences
- Using a shared style guide and termbase (Correct answer)
- Assigning different evaluators to each translator
- Completing all evaluation after final delivery
Correct answer: Using a shared style guide and termbase
A shared style guide and termbase enforces terminological and stylistic consistency across multiple translators working on one project.
Question 4: In the STC certification examination, a 'passage test' evaluates candidates on their ability to:
- Translate entire books within a time limit
- Demonstrate accurate and idiomatic translation of varied text types (Correct answer)
- Pass a written grammar test in Spanish
- Conduct a consecutive interpretation session
Correct answer: Demonstrate accurate and idiomatic translation of varied text types
The STC passage test assesses translation competence across different text types, testing accuracy, idiom, and professional quality.
Question 5: Which type of error would cause a translation evaluator to automatically fail a legal translation?
- A minor spelling error in a heading
- An inconsistently rendered party name across the document
- A mistranslation that reverses the meaning of an obligation (Correct answer)
- An overly formal register in a conversational clause
Correct answer: A mistranslation that reverses the meaning of an obligation
Reversing the meaning of a contractual obligation is a critical error that fundamentally changes the legal effect of the document.
Question 6: How does back-translation function as an evaluation tool?
- The evaluator re-translates the source text independently and compares
- The target text is translated back into the source language to check for semantic drift (Correct answer)
- Machine translation is used to verify human output
- The translator revises their own work before submission
Correct answer: The target text is translated back into the source language to check for semantic drift
Back-translation involves translating the target text back to the source language to identify unintended meaning changes, often used in medical and clinical research.
Question 7: A translation evaluator rates a text as 'acceptable with minor revisions.' In a quality tier system, this typically means:
- The translation is rejected and must be redone
- The translation passes but requires small corrections before delivery (Correct answer)
- The translation is perfect and ready to publish
- The translator must retake a certification exam
Correct answer: The translation passes but requires small corrections before delivery
An 'acceptable with minor revisions' rating means the core quality is sufficient but small corrections are needed before the text is client-ready.
STC Professional Evaluation 3
The ATA Framework for Standard Error Marking distinguishes between 'meaning errors' and 'language errors.' Which of the following is a language error?