The National Board Of Certification For Medical Interpreters

What The National Board Of Certification For Medical Interpreters does

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) is a U.S. non-profit certification body, founded in March 2009 as an independent division of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA, founded 1986). NBCMI issues two credentials: the Hub-CMI, a non-language-based written assessment available to all interpreters regardless of target language (valid 4 years), and the full CMI (Certified Medical Interpreter) credential, requiring both written and oral examinations and currently offered in six languages — Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean (valid 5 years). The written exam covers 61% medical knowledge, 15% code of ethics, and 24% roles/cultural awareness/legislation; the oral exam covers 35% medical terminology, 30% linguistic knowledge, 25% consecutive interpreting and sight translation, and 10% cultural awareness.

Underlying technology centers on psychometrically validated exams delivered through PSI/Prometric testing centers and ProProctor online remote proctoring, with MemberClicks powering website membership and registration; GoToWebinar supports monthly free informational webinars; and a public online registry enables employers to search and verify credentialed interpreters. Revenue derives primarily from per-candidate fees — $40 registration, $190 written, $300 oral — plus $300 renewal fees every 4-5 years and $35 official badges. The organization is governed by a 10-12 member Board of Directors and operates with a small staff including an Operations Manager and Registrar, serving individual medical interpreters and, indirectly, healthcare providers (CHI Health, Arkansas Children's, Dignity Health, Phoenix Children's, Cambridge Health Alliance, Honor Health Trauma Center) seeking to meet Joint Commission and ACA Section 1557 qualified-interpreter requirements.

Name

The National Board Of Certification For Medical Interpreters

Legal name

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters

Website

https://certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NBCMI is a U.S. non-profit certification body that issues the Hub-CMI and CMI credentials to medical interpreters, with full CMI certification offered in six languages and delivered via PSI/Prometric and ProProctor testing channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compliance, Certification & Continuing Education LMS (EDAFAAAD), Transcript, Verification & Credential Services (EDALAAAK)

Keywords

• Medical interpreter certification
• Language proficiency testing
• Healthcare credentialing services
• Professional interpreter assessment
• Psychometric exam validation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: One-time fees for initial certification including registration ($40), written exam ($190), and oral exam ($300). These fees fund the certification process and platform maintenance.
2. Credential Renewal Fees: Recurring revenue from renewal fees: Hub-CMI renewal $300 per 4 years, CMI renewal $300 per 5 years. Includes review of continuing education units.
3. Badge Sales: Sale of official standardized badges for Hub-CMI and CMI credentials at $35 each including shipping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NBCMI administers national credentialing examinations for medical interpreters, offering the Hub-CMI written credential (non-language-based, valid 4 years) and the full CMI certification (written plus oral exam, valid 5 years, available in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean). Candidates register, complete prerequisite verification, and sit exams through Prometric centers or ProProctor online proctoring, after which they are listed in a public registry and must renew with continuing education.

Product overview

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) offers a two-tier certification ecosystem consisting of the Hub-CMI credential and CMI certification. The Hub-CMI is an entry-level, non-language-based credential available to all medical interpreters upon passing a written exam covering medical knowledge, ethics, and cultural awareness. The CMI certification is a full-language-specific credential requiring both written and oral examinations, currently offered in six languages: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean. The certification program also includes practice tests, monthly informational webinars, an official badge system, scholarship programs for training courses, and a public registry for employer verification. All credentials require continuing education renewal every 4-5 years through approved CEU programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hub-CMI: A non-language-based credential available to all interpreters who successfully pass the written exam, demonstrating mastery of medical terminology, cultural competencies, and ethical judgment
• CMI (Certified Medical Interpreter)

Products and services

• Hub-CMI Credential A non-language-based certification credential for medical interpreters who pass the written exam, demonstrating baseline competency in medical terminology, cultural awareness, and ethical judgment; valid for 4 years.
• CMI Certification Full language-specific certification requiring both written and oral exams, available in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean; valid for 5 years and recognized by the Joint Commission and ACA Section 1557.
• Written Exam Computerized 51-question multiple-choice examination (plus 5-10 pretest items) covering medical knowledge (61%), code of ethics (15%), and roles, cultural awareness, and legislation (24%); 75 minutes, 75% passing score.
• Oral Exam Language-specific oral assessment evaluating medical terminology (35%), linguistic knowledge (30%), consecutive interpreting and sight translation (25%), and cultural awareness (10%); offered in six languages with passing scores ranging from 65-80%.
• Practice Tests Online practice tests for both written and oral exams hosted at hosted.owlts.com, allowing candidates to experience test navigation and question formats before sitting the real exams.
• Credential Renewal Service Recurring renewal service for Hub-CMI (every 4 years) and CMI (every 5 years) requiring 3.0 CEUs (30 hours) of continuing education in medical interpreting and medical knowledge; includes review of CEUs and updated credential issuance.
• Official Credential Badge Standardized physical badge for Hub-CMI and CMI credential holders, $35 including shipping, displaying the holder's name for professional recognition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Written exam: 75% passing score; Oral exam: 70-80% depending on language
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, founding and core.

• MiTio (Medical Interpreting and Translation Institute Online)strategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partnership to provide scholarship opportunities for the 60-hour Medical Interpreter Training Course. Awarded 25 scholarships (10 for Hub-CMI, 15 for CMI) valued at $849 each.
• Language Line ServicesfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2009One of the two founding organizations of NBCMI (along with IMIA), represented by CEO Louis F. Provenzano, Jr. LLS convened the first National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum in Boston in 2007 and played key role in developing interpretation skills and certification standards.
• International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2009NBCMI is an independent division of IMIA, founded in 2009. IMIA was founded in 1986 and published the first Code of Ethics for medical interpreters in 1987. The partnership provides governance structure, shared resources, and alignment with industry standards.
• PSI/PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party testing organization that delivers NBCMI exams with psychometric quality, statistical analysis, and professionally sound test form assembly. Prometric provides both testing center locations and the ProProctor online proctoring platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA): IMIA is NBCMI's parent organization and a related industry body that published the first Code of Ethics for medical interpreters in 1987. It provides training, education, and a Code of Ethics that NBCMI certification programs reference, making it a strategically interrelated peer organization.
• Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI): CCHI is the closest direct peer to NBCMI, offering national certification for healthcare interpreters (CoreCHI and CHI credentials) with similar written and oral exam components. Both organizations compete for the same candidate pool of medical interpreters seeking nationally recognized credentials.

Others

• Language Testing International (LTI): LTI is the exclusive provider of ACTFL language proficiency assessments in the U.S., which NBCMI accepts as a prerequisite for oral exam eligibility. It operates as an adjacent credentialing body in the language proficiency assessment space, with partial overlap in target customer segments.
• CyraCom International: CyraCom is a major provider of phone and video interpretation services to healthcare organizations. While not a direct certification competitor, it overlaps with NBCMI's customer base (healthcare providers needing qualified interpreters) and drives demand for certified interpreters through its staffing requirements.
• Prometric: Prometric is NBCMI's primary testing delivery partner, providing global testing center infrastructure and the ProProctor online proctoring platform. It is a critical infrastructure provider for NBCMI's certification program rather than a direct competitor, but its scale and reach enable NBCMI's global candidate access.

Broad incumbents

• Language Line Solutions: Language Line is a co-founder of NBCMI and the largest interpretation services provider in the U.S. It offers both interpretation services and training/certification support, competing indirectly with NBCMI on interpreter workforce development while sharing historical DNA with the certification body's founding.
• American Translators Association (ATA): ATA is the largest professional association for translators and interpreters in the U.S., offering certification across many language pairs and specialties. While broader than NBCMI's medical interpreter focus, both organizations compete for mindshare among language professionals and participate in overlapping industry conferences.

Emerging players

• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID): RID is a national certification body for sign language interpreters with a similar credentialing model (national certification, renewals, CEU requirements). It serves as a structural analog for NBCMI's healthcare interpreter certification, though operating in a different modality (sign language).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CMIcredential
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theIMIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/certifiedmedicalinterpreters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-board-of-certification-for-medical-interpreters
• Instagraminstagram.com/CMICredential

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The National Board Of Certification For Medical Interpreters