Segment 1 — Rate Each Criterion
Total: 90 marks across 5 criteria
Comprehension
0 – 27 marks (30%)
14
Did you accurately understand and convey the complete meaning of every utterance? Missing secondary information, misinterpreting medical/legal terminology or adding meaning that wasn't spoken all reduce this score.
💡 Most common error: omitting numbers, dosages, dates or legal terms. Always note these first.
091827
Production
0 – 27 marks (30%)
14
Was your spoken output in the target language fluent, grammatically accurate and naturally phrased? A hesitant, grammatically incorrect or unnaturally literal interpretation loses production marks even when the meaning was correct.
💡 Don't translate word-for-word. Convey the meaning naturally in the target language — register and tone must match the original speaker.
091827
Strategies
0 – 18 marks (20%)
9
Did you use effective interpreter strategies — particularly note-taking? Candidates who take systematic notes during the 2-minute dialogue retain significantly more information and score higher on Comprehension and Production too.
💡 Develop a personal shorthand for numbers, names, dates, medication doses and legal terms. Practise this system until it's automatic.
061218
Terminology
0 – 9 marks (10%)
5
Did you use correct, precise professional terminology in both languages — especially in healthcare, legal and government contexts? Using a general term where a specific professional term is expected costs marks here.
💡 Build a bilingual vocabulary bank by theme (healthcare, legal, education, government). Healthcare appears in ~40% of exams — start there.
0369
Ethics & Role
0 – 9 marks (10%)
5
Did you behave as a professional interpreter — staying neutral, not adding your own opinions, not softening distressing news, not explaining what a term means and not simplifying content you thought was too complex?
💡 The golden rule: interpreters are invisible. Never add, omit or modify for any reason — even if you think it would help the patient or client.
0369
Segment 1 Score
47
/90
Pass mark: 63/90
— calculating —
Score breakdown
Comprehension /27
14
Production /27
14
Strategies /18
9
Terminology /9
5
Ethics & Role /9
5
Overall Result — Both Segments
47
Segment 1 /90
—
47
Segment 2 /90
—
🏆
+5 Australian PR Points
Pass both segments to earn these points
Visa & PR Outcomes
📊 Key scoring rules to remember
✓ Both segments must independently meet 63/90. A strong Segment 1 cannot save a weak Segment 2.
✓ Comprehension + Production are 60% of your total. These are the highest-leverage areas to improve.
✓ Note-taking (Strategies) indirectly improves Comprehension and Production by reducing omissions.
✓ Ethics & Role is easy to score well on — simply stay neutral and don't add or omit anything.