Interpreter Programs

VQAS Registration

VQAS: About Registration | About Eligibility | About the VQAS Schedule | About Confirmation of Test Date | About Cancellations | About Scheduling or Re-Scheduling an Assessment Date | About Expiration Dates | About Processing Times for Results | About Diagnostics | About VQAS Policies

About Registration for VQAS

General

• Do make sure you are eligible for the assessment before you register.
• Do not register for both the Written and the Performance Assessment at the same time.
• Your Performance Assessment registration will not be processed until after you have passed the Written Assessment.
• You do not gain an advantage by registering for both at one time. When you pass the Written Assessment, you will be expected to contact VQAS staff to schedule an assessment date.
• Do let us know if you previously tested under a different name.

Online

• Do Register online if you want to pay by credit card.
• Do include a current and valid email address which you check regularly when you register. You will get more information faster.
• Do know that when you register online, you will receive an email message from the system confirming that your registration has been received.
• Do not think that just because you got the message confirming your registration that you have been confirmed for that date.
• The online system has no way of knowing what dates are still open. We try to clear dates from the online registration page as they fill up but that is not always possible.

Mail-In

• Do send a certified check or money order along with your registration.
• Do provide a current and valid email address which you check regularly when you register. You will get more information faster.

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About Eligibility

• Do confirm your eligibility for the Performance Assessment before you register.
• If you have never taken and passed the Written Assessment, you are not eligible for the Performance Assessment.
• If you passed the Written Assessment more than 3 years ago and have never been awarded a Screening Level on the Performance Assessment, you are not eligible for the Performance Assessment.
• If you were awarded a Screening Level more than three years ago and that level has expired, you are not eligible for the Performance Assessment.
• If you were awarded a Screening Level within the past three years but that level is set to expire in less than 120 days, you may not be eligible for the Performance Assessment.

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About the VQAS Schedule

• Do remember that, generally, the VQAS Written Assessment is offered in Richmond on the third Friday of each month.
• Do remember that, generally, the VQAS Performance Assessment is offered in Richmond on the first Friday of each month.
• Do remember that, generally, the VQAS Performance Assessment is offered in Richmond on the first and third Saturday of each month.
• Do notice that, starting in September 2008, the schedule is posted on a quarterly basis, as follows:
• The schedule for January, February and March of 2009 will be posted in September 2008.
• The schedule for March, April, and May of 2009, including new Spring Break Slots will be posted by January 1, 2009.
• The schedule for June, July and August of 2009, including Summer Slots, will be posted by March 1, 2009.

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About Confirmation of Test Date

• Do look for an e-mail or regular mail (if you did not provide a current e-mail address, confirming your test date, time and details.
• Do not assume that you were able to be scheduled for the date you requested. We will try to get you in on your requested date but that is not always possible.
• Do contact us if you have not received a confirmation e-mail/letter within 2 weeks of submitting your registration.

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About Cancellations

• Do give us five working days notice if you need to cancel a scheduled assessment. That means if you are scheduled for a Saturday Performance Assessment, you need to cancel by 8:15 a.m. on Monday.
• Do remember that if you do not give 5 working days notice if you need to cancel, you may forfeit your registration fee and be required to register again. There may be some exceptions but they are rare and require documentation (i.e. a doctor’s note).
• Do commit to an appointment date and time and honor that commitment. There is a high demand for VQAS Assessment slots and, if you schedule a slot and then cancel it, you may be keeping someone else from testing in a timely manner.

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About Scheduling or Re-Scheduling an Assessment Date

• Do know that VDDHH will confirm your first choice of an assessment date if there is a slot available on that date.
• Do know that, if your first choice date is full OR if you did not select a preferred assessment date, VDDHH will offer you the first available assessment date.
• Do let us know as soon as possible if you accept or decline the offered assessment date.
• Do know that it is up to you to contact us to reschedule a cancelled assessment. If you have cancelled your assessment for any reason or if you have registered for an assessment but you have not confirmed a date, you must contact us to schedule a date.
• Do not expect VQAS staff to contact you to schedule if you have declined an offered assessment date. It is up to you to contact us to try to schedule if the offered date does not work for you.

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About Expiration Dates

• Do remember that all VQAS levels are good for three years from the date of award.
• Do not expect VDDHH to alert you when your Screening Level is going to expire.
• Expiration dates for Screening Levels are clearly noted on the “blue card” you receive with your results package.
• Do remember that your VQAS Written Assessment is valid for 3 years or as long as you maintain a Screening Level on the Performance Assessment.
• If your Screening Level expires, you will need to retake the Written Assessment before you can take the Performance Assessment again.

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About Processing Times for Results

• Do remember that results from a Performance Assessment take up to 90 working days to be processed.
• Do check the paper you were given on your assessment day to see what your 90 working day date is before you call VDDHH to check on the status of your results. If that date is still more than a week away, please do not call. We know you are eager to receive your results and we are working hard to ensure that you get them well before the 90 working day date.

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About Diagnostics

• Do remember that the Diagnostics are an important part of the VQAS Process and will help you prepare for future tests.
• Do know that, as of September 15, 2008, Diagnostics are backlogged approximately 9 months.
• Do know that VQAS staff and the contracted Diagnosticians are working hard to eliminate that backlog. We hope to have Diagnostics available within a few weeks of results by early 2009.
• Do let us know if you took your VQAS Performance Assessment prior to December 2007 and have not received a Diagnostic Analysis Report.

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About VQAS Policies

• Do read all of the VQAS Policy Statements posted on this website and provided with your results letter. These are the policies that guide the program. These policies have been developed to ensure that VQAS is a valid and reliable program.
• Do ask questions about the policies if you do not understand them.
• Do know that the policies are strictly enforced. Exceptions are possible but not common.
• Do check the VQAS Policy Statements for changes and updates periodically.

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