The Texas BEI trilingual certification verifies proficiency in spoken English, spoken Spanish, and ASL, and it is a specialty layered on top of a qualifying interpreter certificate. To earn it you must hold an eligible BEI, RID, or NAD-RID certificate, pass the Test of Spanish Proficiency, and pass the Trilingual Advanced or Trilingual Master performance test. The performance test consists of five tasks: a three-person interactive interpretation across spoken English, ASL, and spoken Spanish; expressive interpreting from spoken Spanish into ASL; receptive interpreting from ASL into spoken Spanish; sight translation from written Spanish into spoken English; and a written-English-to-spoken-Spanish task. Prepare by drilling each task type separately, using the handbook for logistics and the HHSC DHHS office for official samples.
What this credential tests, and which version applies
The BEI trilingual certification tests verify proficiency in spoken English, spoken Spanish, and American Sign Language, under the Texas HHSC DHHS Board for Evaluation of Interpreters.
The credential is a specialty added to an interpreter certificate you already hold, not an entry-level license. The current rules live in Chapter 6 of the BEI handbook, updated by Revision Notice 25-1, which took effect on February 4, 2025. That is the version this guide describes.
Because it certifies work across three languages, eligibility and testing are broader than a standard BEI level: you must satisfy the general BEI certificate qualifications, hold a recognized prerequisite certificate, and pass both a Spanish proficiency screen and a performance test. Those steps are covered below.
Who is eligible, and which level you can take
You must already hold a qualifying certificate; applicants with no certification are not eligible. Your existing certificate determines whether you may take the Trilingual Advanced test, the Trilingual Master test, or both.
Chapter 6 sets out two prerequisites before either performance test. You must meet the general qualifications for a BEI certificate, and you must hold one of the recognized prerequisite certificates: a BEI Level I through V, Basic, Advanced, or Master certificate, a RID Comprehensive Skills Certificate, Certificate of Interpretation, or Certificate of Transliteration, or an NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification at the standard, Advanced, or Master level.
You must also pass the Test of Spanish Proficiency (TSP), the Spanish proficiency test, before attempting the trilingual performance test. If you hold RID, NAD-RID, or another state's certification, Chapter 6 requires you to submit a copy of your valid certificate for verification when you apply for the Advanced or Master performance tests.
The level table below condenses Chapter 6's eligibility rules. Find your current certificate in the left column to see which performance tests are open to you.
| Your current certification | Trilingual Advanced | Trilingual Master |
|---|---|---|
| Not certified | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| BEI Level I or Level II | Eligible | Not eligible |
| BEI Basic | Eligible | Not eligible |
| BEI Level III, IV, or V | Eligible | Eligible |
| BEI Advanced or Master | Eligible | Eligible |
| RID CI or CT (single certificate) | Eligible | Not eligible |
| RID CSC or CI/CT | Eligible | Eligible |
| NAD-RID NIC (standard) | Eligible | Not eligible |
| NAD-RID NIC Advanced or NIC Master | Eligible | Eligible |
| Trilingual Advanced | Already holds this level | Eligible |
The five tasks on the performance test
The trilingual performance tests consist of five tasks: a three-person interactive interpretation across spoken English, ASL, and spoken Spanish; expressive interpreting from spoken Spanish into ASL; receptive interpreting from ASL into spoken Spanish; sight translation from written Spanish into spoken English; and a written-English-to-spoken-Spanish task.
The Texas-authored BEI study guide lists these five components for the trilingual certificates. Prepare for every listed direction, including both written-to-spoken tasks.
Here, expressive interpreting takes spoken Spanish into ASL and receptive interpreting takes ASL into spoken Spanish. The two sight tasks begin with a written text and require spoken output in the other language. Follow the actual test instructions for preparation time.
The study guide also describes complexity factors for the separate Basic, Advanced, and Master general interpreter tests, such as language complexity and speaker speed. Those factors describe the general certificate exams, not the trilingual tests, so do not build your trilingual plan around them. For trilingual test expectations, formats, and samples, Chapter 6 directs you to the HHSC DHHS office.
| Task | Direction of transfer |
|---|---|
| Three-person interactive | An interactive exchange involving spoken English, ASL and spoken Spanish |
| Expressive interpreting | Spoken Spanish into ASL |
| Receptive interpreting | ASL into spoken Spanish |
| Sight translation | Written Spanish into spoken English |
| Sight translation | Written English into spoken Spanish |
Official sources: Texas HHSC BEI Study Guide, revised February 2022 — Chapter 6: Overview of the Performance Tests, sections 6.4–6.5; Chapter 6, Trilingual Certification | Forms and Handbooks (HHSC DHHS Board for Evaluation of Interpreters) — Sections 6.1–6.6, Revision Notice 25-1, effective Feb. 4, 2025
Applying, scheduling, and test-day rules
Apply for the TSP with Form 3918 and for the performance test with Form 3919, mailing each with a photo ID copy, the fee, and a copy of your certificate card. The performance test application must be mailed to HHSC DHHS at least 45 calendar days before your scheduled test date.
Both applications go by mail to HHSC DHHS with the same attachments: a copy of a valid photo ID or driver's license, payment by check, money order, or cashier's check payable to HHSC DHHS, and a copy of your valid BEI, RID, or NAD-RID certificate card to confirm eligibility.
Testing happens at sites determined by HHSC DHHS, and a calendar of scheduled dates and sites is available from the HHSC DHHS office. Once your form and fees arrive for the performance test, staff send a letter acknowledging receipt with scheduling information.
Test day has strict rules. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment with only your photo ID and confirmation letter; arriving more than 15 minutes late forfeits the testing opportunity and the fee. Electronics, bags, wallets, outerwear, and other personal items are not allowed in the testing room. During the test, the recording cannot be stopped, rewound, or replayed, though brief pauses between sections are possible, and you may sit or stand while working.
Fees are nonrefundable and are forfeited if you do not take the TSP within 90 days of applying, unless you have a valid reason for the delay. If you cancel a confirmed appointment, contact HHSC DHHS staff immediately; with proof of illness, a death in the family, severe weather, or circumstances beyond your control, staff may allow a no-fee reschedule, in which case you must rebook within 30 days and test within six months.
Results, retakes, and keeping the certificate
Performance results are reported within 90 days. Unsuccessful applicants wait six months from the test date before a new application and fee. After certification, keep renewal and recertification dates in your records.
Successful applicants are added to the database of certified interpreters and receive a certificate, a wallet-sized card, and information on the laws, rules, and policies that apply to trilingual and other BEI certificate holders.
If you are unsuccessful, you must wait six months from the test date, then submit a new application and fee and meet all eligibility requirements again. The notification letter includes feedback about your results and information on getting training before you retake the test, so read it closely before planning your next attempt.
Maintain the prerequisite certificate and follow the annual renewal and five-year recertification rules for your particular combination of credentials. Check Chapter 6 when planning continuing education.
Preparing for each task type
Practise each of the five tasks, review whether the source meaning and register survive, and get qualified feedback on both signed and spoken output.
Map your practice to the real tasks rather than to a generic trilingual skill. A workable rotation looks like this: pick short source materials in each language and mode, produce your rendition, record it, and review it against a written checklist covering meaning fidelity, completeness, and register match.
For interactive practice, use an original or rights-cleared scenario with clearly identified English-speaking, Spanish-speaking and ASL-using participants. Work with practice partners or suitable recordings and track who said each message as you interpret. This is a preparation suggestion, not a claim about a fixed relay order in the exam.
Practise Spanish-to-ASL and ASL-to-Spanish with a qualified mentor who can review both languages. For each sight task, read an original or rights-cleared source and produce a spoken rendition in the specified target language, then compare for missing conditions, time markers and meaning. Set practice timing separately; the source list alone does not establish the test's preparation time.
Use sources from varied registers and match each source's tone rather than deliberately making it more formal or casual. Treat your review notes as learning feedback, not an estimate of your official score.
- Request the official information on test expectations, formats, and samples from the HHSC DHHS office before finalizing your plan
- Rotate one recorded rendition per session across the five task directions
- Review signed renditions with a fluent ASL user rather than self-assessing alone
- Confirm your prerequisite certificate remains valid and current, since you must maintain it to keep the trilingual certificate
Official sources: Texas HHSC BEI Study Guide, revised February 2022 — Chapter 6: Overview of the Performance Tests, sections 6.4–6.5; Chapter 6, Trilingual Certification | Forms and Handbooks (HHSC DHHS Board for Evaluation of Interpreters) — Sections 6.1–6.6, Revision Notice 25-1, effective Feb. 4, 2025
Worked example: Spanish-to-English sight translation
Given the Spanish sentence below, a faithful spoken English rendition preserves the negated condition, the deadline, the consequence, the concessive contrast, and the written-form requirement.
This exercise practices the same transfer direction as the test's sight translation task, using an original text about a service notice. It assesses Spanish-to-English transfer only; the exam's signed tasks require live practice that no written example can measure.
Practice example
Sight-translate this sentence aloud into spoken English without stopping to look anything up: "Si no recibimos su pago antes del 15 de marzo, la compañía suspenderá el servicio; sin embargo, usted puede solicitar por escrito una prórroga de treinta días."
Show answer
"If we do not receive your payment before March 15, the company will suspend service; however, you may request a thirty-day extension in writing." Another rendition could begin "Unless we receive your payment before March 15..." while preserving the rest of the meaning.
Keep the negative condition, payment-receipt deadline, company's stated consequence, contrasting option, written request and thirty-day extension length. "Antes del 15 de marzo" means before March 15; replacing it with "by March 15" can change whether March 15 itself is included. The text permits requesting an extension, not assuming one has been granted. Preserve the neutral, professional tone. This checks Spanish-to-English meaning transfer only; signed-language tasks need separate practice and feedback.
Official sources: Texas HHSC BEI Study Guide, revised February 2022 — Chapter 6: Overview of the Performance Tests, sections 6.4–6.5
Your next steps
Confirm your prerequisite certificate, get the official TSP and performance test information from HHSC DHHS, submit the right form with the required attachments well ahead of your target date, and structure practice around the five actual tasks.
Start by checking the eligibility table against your current certificate, then contact the HHSC DHHS office for the test calendar and official material on expectations and formats. If Spanish proficiency is your weaker area, begin with the TSP, since it is a prerequisite for the performance tests.
For the full administrative text, read Chapter 6 of the BEI handbook directly, and use the site's free practice page to start drilling the five task types.
- Verify your certificate qualifies for the performance test level you want
- Request the test calendar and sample information from the HHSC DHHS office
- Mail Form 3918 for the TSP or Form 3919 for the performance test with ID, fee, and certificate card
- Note the 45-calendar-day mailing deadline for performance test applications and the 90-day TSP window
Official sources
Fact-checked against official documents: