How to Get DipTrans Past Papers for the Diploma in Translation Exam

Last updated Jan 24, 2024
By Gwenydd Jones

DipTrans past papers for the CIOL Diploma in Translation exam offered by the Chartered Institute of Linguists can be tough to get. This article will tell you where you can get DipTrans past papers. If want to know more about the exam itself, you can read all about the DipTrans here.

DipTrans candidate searching on her laptop for DipTrans past papers.

Can you get official DipTrans past papers for free?

That’s one of the first questions trainees on our DipTrans preparation course ask. The answer is, a few.

You can get some sample DipTrans exam papers in English for free in the online platform demo tests on the CIOL website. Go to their page about taking the DipTrans and scroll down to the section “Demo test” to find three examples.

DipTrans exam papers are protected by copyright. That’s why it’s difficult to get hold of them for free on the Internet.

How can you find out what the DipTrans source texts were?

You can find a list of source texts for the exam papers on the CIOL website. They cover the last five years of exams.

There are two lists, the first contains the English source texts for translators working out of English. The second contains the source texts in the languages other than English that you can translate out of in the exam: Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian.

Scroll down to where it says “Source texts from past exams” and click on the link to “Examples in other languages”. In that same section, you’ll also find a list of English source texts.

Going way back, you may like to see this article by Greg Hunt, which lists the Spanish 2010 exam papers.

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Free mock Spanish-to-English DipTrans past paper with sample translation

You can find a mock Spanish-to-English DipTrans general paper on our website. It includes a sample translation, which is essential. This is because, if you’re working alone, it’s the only thing you have to compare against your work. That’s why we always provide sample translations on our courses.

Buying DipTrans exam papers and examiner reports through the CIOL website

The Chartered Institute of Linguists will let you buy a few DipTrans past papers.

Towards the end of the DipTrans preparation page on the CIOL website, you’ll find order forms for DipTrans past papers. They let you order DipTrans examiner reports from a few years and some past papers. The cost is around £15 per set.

The problem is that the examiner reports offered aren’t from the same years as the past papers, which means they’re of very limited use if you’re preparing to sit the DipTrans.

This is a good reason to join a DipTrans preparation course like ours, which has a good stock of past papers and examiner reports.

“Another way to get your hands on DipTrans past papers is to sign up for a DipTrans preparation course, to help you get ready for the exam.”

Getting Diploma in Translation past papers through a DipTrans preparation course

Another way to get your hands on DipTrans past papers is to sign up for a DipTrans preparation course, to help you get ready for the exam. Most courses are run by universities or private academies. The usual format is that the teacher gives you a past paper, you translate it, and then you send it back to them. They mark it and give you feedback.

Our DipTrans preparation course is much more comprehensive than that. It includes heaps of content on translation theory and practice in addition to an entire section dedicated to exam strategy.

Your feedback will be highly personalised and extremely detailed. Our feedback is much more than just a proofread, which is what other course providers offer. You also get one-to-one tutorials, bonus videos and an invite to our private Facebook group where you’ll become part of a network of freelance translators.

On top of that, you get a sample translation of each text, so you have something to compare your work against. There are even extra texts, with sample translations, so you can get plenty of practice.

Get your free translation level test!

Wondering whether you have the level to do the DipTrans exam of whether you’d be better off starting with the CertTrans? Wonder no more, get your free level test and find out!

Written by Gwenydd Jones

Gwenydd Jones is a Spanish- and French-to-English translator, an SEO blogger and a course creator. She is the founder of The Translator's Studio and the lead teacher on its courses. Connect with Gwenydd on LinkedIn or contact her through this website.

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