CCHI vs NBCMI: How to Choose a Medical Interpreter Certification

Two organizations issue national medical interpreter certification in the United States: the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, CCHI, and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, NBCMI. Both require the same first step, 40 hours of medical interpreter training. After that, the two paths differ in ways that matter, and the biggest difference is your language.

This article lays out what each body requires, what the exams look like, what they cost, and how to decide between them. The figures come from the two bodies’ current published documents and were checked on September 16, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on their sites before you pay anything.

The short answer

If your working language is Arabic, CCHI is the only body with an oral exam for you. If it is Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, or Cantonese, NBCMI is the only one. Spanish and Mandarin interpreters can choose either. For every other language, both bodies offer a credential based on an exam in English, and the choice comes down to exam format and what your employers ask for. Whichever you pick, you cannot apply without a 40-hour training certificate, so that is where to start.

What the two bodies have in common

Both require candidates to be at least 18, to hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, to show proficiency in English and in the other working language, and to complete at least 40 hours of medical interpreter training. CCHI’s eligibility page defines training as learning in an instructor-led environment, including online self-paced modules, and lists self-study among activities that do not count. NBCMI’s documents set the 40-hour minimum and do not restrict the format. NBCMI requires a certificate of completion from a medical interpreter training course of at least 40 hours, or three college credit hours in medical interpreting, and states that no NBCMI staff is involved in approving training courses. Neither body runs courses of its own. We cover the training requirement in detail in our explainer on the 40-hour requirement.

Both certifications are national, and some state programs now route through them. Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services, for example, has accepted passing results from CCHI or NBCMI for its own medical interpreter credential since February 2025.

CCHI: three credentials, and a change coming in 2027

CCHI currently offers three credentials.

• CoreCHI is a knowledge exam in English, open to all languages: 100 multiple-choice questions, 15 of them unscored, in two hours, at a test center or online with a live proctor.
• CHI is the full certification with an oral performance exam. It exists for Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin. The exam is 60 minutes with eight items, weighted about three quarters to consecutive interpreting, with the rest split among simultaneous interpreting, sight translation, and a short document translation task. It is taken at a physical test center in the United States or Canada.
• CoreCHI-Performance, written CoreCHI-P, is for every other language. Candidates pass an English-to-English performance exam called ETOE, which tests listening, memory, restating meaning, and reading comprehension in English rather than in a specific language pair.

The change to plan around: CCHI began phasing out the standalone CoreCHI credential on January 1, 2025, and discontinues it on January 1, 2027. Current CoreCHI holders keep their standing by passing ETOE to earn CoreCHI-P. If you start now and your language has no CHI exam, plan on CoreCHI-P as your destination. CHI candidates must pass the oral exam within 12 months of passing the written one.

CCHI’s fees, from its current fee page: $231 to start, which covers a $40 application fee and the $191 CoreCHI exam; $191 for a CoreCHI retake; $302 for the ETOE exam; and $302 for the CHI oral exam. Credentials are valid for four years, and renewing the first credential costs $300.

NBCMI: one written exam, then an oral exam in six languages

NBCMI’s path has two stages. Everyone takes the same written exam in English: 51 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, on a computer. Passing it earns the Hub-CMI credential, open to interpreters of any language. If your language is one of six, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, or Vietnamese, you then take the oral exam to earn the full Certified Medical Interpreter credential, CMI, with your language attached. The oral exam is scheduled for 45 to 60 minutes; the timed parts are 12 recorded mini-scenarios in 30 minutes and two sight translation passages in 10 minutes.

Two rules shape the timeline. If an oral exam exists for your language, your Hub-CMI expires after two years with no renewal, so the written exam is a doorway rather than a resting place. If no oral exam exists for your language, Hub-CMI is your credential; it renews every four years with 30 hours of continuing education. A full CMI renews every five years, also with 30 hours.

NBCMI’s fees, from its February 2026 candidate handbook: a $40 registration fee valid for one year, $190 for the written exam, $300 for the oral exam, and $300 to renew. The written exam must be scheduled within six months of approval.

Side by side

	CCHI	NBCMI
Written exam	CoreCHI: 100 questions, 2 hours, in English	51 questions, 75 minutes, in English
Oral exam languages	Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin (CHI)	Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese (CMI)
Other languages	CoreCHI-P, through the English-to-English ETOE performance exam	Hub-CMI, written exam only
Oral exam delivery	Physical test centers in the US and Canada	Computer-based, responses recorded
Cost to full certification, Spanish	$533 ($231 plus $302)	$530 ($40 plus $190 plus $300)
Cost for a language without an oral exam	$231 for the application and written exam, plus $302 for the ETOE exam (see note)	$230 for Hub-CMI ($40 plus $190)
Credential validity	4 years	CMI 5 years; Hub-CMI 4 years, or 2 years if an oral exam exists for your language
Renewal fee	$300	$300

Note on the CCHI figure for languages without an oral exam: those are the two fees CCHI lists today. Confirm the exam sequence for new CoreCHI-P candidates with CCHI, since the CoreCHI transition runs through January 1, 2027.

How to decide

Three questions settle it.

Does your language have an oral exam, and with whom? Use the table. For Arabic, that means CCHI. For Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Cantonese, NBCMI. If you interpret in a language with no oral exam anywhere, weigh CCHI’s CoreCHI-P, which includes a performance exam, against NBCMI’s Hub-CMI, which is written only, cheaper, and faster to complete.

What do the employers you want ask for? Job postings vary: some list either body, some name one. Ask before you register, and if the answer is “either,” pick on language and format.

How do you test best? CCHI’s oral exam is taken in person at a test center; NBCMI’s is recorded on a computer. CCHI’s written exam is roughly twice as long. Choose the format you can prepare for, not the one you have heard is softer.

You can hold both. They are independent credentials, and some interpreters carry both.

Choose the format you can prepare for, not the one you have heard is softer.

What certification does not do

Certification does not replace proof of language proficiency; both bodies require that separately, through degrees, transcripts, or recognized tests. It does not waive the 40 hours of training, which NBCMI says cannot be waived for anyone regardless of experience. And the certificate you receive from a training course is not certification; it is the document that gets you into the exam. We explain that distinction in Medical Interpreter Certificate vs Certification. A few states add their own rules on top: Oregon requires a training program approved by the Oregon Health Authority, and the length it references is 60 hours, so a 40-hour course alone does not meet Oregon’s state requirement. Check your state before you choose a program. State requirements checked September 14, 2026.

The first step is the same either way

Every path above starts with the 40-hour training certificate. MLT Academy’s 40-Hour Medical Interpreter Training is built to meet that requirement for both CCHI and NBCMI: 8 sections, 125 video lessons, 650 practice questions, and a 100-question final exam with an 85% passing threshold and one free retake after a 14-day wait. Instruction is in English, and you apply it to your own language pair, whether that is Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, or another. It is $289 for one full year of access, billed once, with no auto-renewal, and the certificate of completion documents your 40 training hours for either application.

See the curriculum and enroll in MLT Academy’s 40-Hour Medical Interpreter Training

Frequently asked questions

Can I hold both CCHI and NBCMI certification?

Yes. They are independent credentials from separate organizations. Each has its own exams, fees, and renewal cycle, so holding both means maintaining both.

Does the 40-hour training have to be specific to CCHI or NBCMI?

No. Both bodies accept a 40-hour medical interpreter training course as the training prerequisite. Neither body approves or accredits beginner courses; CCHI says so on its eligibility pages, and NBCMI’s prerequisites document says no NBCMI staff is involved in approving training courses. One certificate serves either application.

What happens to CoreCHI after January 1, 2027?

CCHI discontinues the standalone CoreCHI credential on that date. Current holders pass the ETOE performance exam to move to CoreCHI-P. New candidates in languages without a CHI oral exam should plan on CoreCHI-P from the start.

Can I take the exams online?

CCHI’s CoreCHI written exam can be taken online with a live proctor or at a test center; the CHI oral exam is only at physical test centers in the United States and Canada. NBCMI’s written and oral exams are computer-based; check NBCMI’s current testing options for at-home delivery.

Which certification do employers prefer?

Job postings vary: some list either body, some name one. Ask the employers you want to work for before you register.