Becoming an official translator of the Spanish state: a critical analysis of the entrance examinations for the Translation and Interpreting Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhilst most translators and interpreters work in the private sector, a career in national institutions as a civil servant can be an appealing professional path for would-be translators and interpreters. However, students are often unaware of career options for translators and interpreters in government institutions. This article starts with a brief outline of the Translation and Interpreting Service of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before going on to analyse the four most recent entrance examinations. The lack of prior research and the limited information and resources available for prospective candidates call for clarification of the selection procedure for these positions. A thorough, critical analysis provides useful insights into the selection process that allows successful candidates to pursue a career as a translator or interpreter in Spanish government institutions. The results show that the examination process is highly demanding, owing to the limited number of advertised positions and the complexity and number of the exams. Furthermore, the analysis reveals some deficiencies regarding the range of skills assessed in these examinations. Ultimately, this study can be understood as a starting point for a more extensive, comparative analysis of the examination process for official translator/interpreter positions in national and supranational institutions worldwide.KEYWORDS: Translation and Interpreting Service, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairslegal and institutional translationentrance examinationstranslators and interpreters in public institutions Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. For a detailed historical overview of the Translation and Interpreting Service of the MAUC, see Cáceres Würsig (Citation2004)2. According to the Official State Gazette, no positions were advertised between 2009 and 2012.3. Italics are used to show the illustrated linguistic aspects in the examples included.4. Information about the selection procedure for positions as translators at European institutions can be found on the European Personnel Selection Office’s webpage: https://epso.europa.eu/en/epso-tests/profiles/translators-ad5. The 2018 English into Spanish exams are not accessible. Despite contacting the Secretary of the Language Interpretation Office, it has not been possible to obtain this exam.6. https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/exams-translators-verbatim-reporters-editors7. https://epso.europa.eu/en/help/faq/selection-tests/translation-tests#:~:text=Only%20book%2Dform%20dictionaries%20are,photocopied%20material%20are%20not%20permitted.8. It has not been possible to access the third exams from 2019 or the English into Spanish exam from the 2018 examination call.9. According to the White Book on Institutional Translation and Interpreting, 70.8% of degree programmes offer study pathways related to institutional translation and interpreting (RITAP Citation2011, 125).10. See the White Book on Institutional Translation and interpreting for a list of master’s degrees at Spanish universities (RITAP Citation2011, 127).11. See, for instance, https://www.institutotraduccion.com,https://nartran.com/.