Certified vs Certificated – What’s the Difference?

Any document translated for the court proceedings or official government use has to be certified. In our context, the line between certified vs certificated is too narrow. After successfully accomplishing your translation course, you’re certificated and officially pronounced as a certificated translator.

Certificated being a noun, can we term certified translation as certificated, since a Certificate of Accuracy has to be issued? An individual is certificated as proof of attainment of a certain skill, knowledge, or specialization based on set standards by the institutions.

Are certified document translations said to be certificated, since a Certificate of Accuracy is issued?

In this article, we’ll demystify the differences and similarities between certified and certificated, and show you step-by-step how to get a certified translation.

What is Certified?

“Certified” is a past tense verb and an adjective.

As a past tense verb, it means that something is officially obtained proof to be true or correct.

For example, a baby was born and got his or her birth certificate, which means this little baby was officially conformed ie certified as a legal citizen.

As an adjective, it means someone is officially qualified to perform a specific type of work because they have met certain requirements.

For example, being a professional translator, he or she better has been certified before they met the translation requirements to deliver great work.

What is Certificated?

Literally, certificated is derived from the noun certificate and means being provided with an official document attesting something had been done to completion. It also means being awarded a certificate as proof of attainment of a certain skill, knowledge, or standard.

certified document

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Certified vs Certificated – What’s the Difference?

Even though certified vs certificated seem almost the same, they give different connotations literally. While certified is a verb, certificated is a noun.

So, what are the differences between certified and certificated?

Difference Between Certified and Certificated

Certified and certificated are two different English terms. While the latter means being awarded with a certificate as a symbol or proof of completion or attainment, the former is the act of recognition of having been proven to by issuance of a certificate.

Similarities Between Certified and Certificated

The only similarity in certified and certificated is there has to be presence of certificate.

What is Certified Translation?

Certified translations are intended for official use and a document – Certificate of Accuracy – has to be issued confirming the document has been translated accurately; it’s true, correct, and complete. It also confirms the document was translated to the best of the translator’s ability.
In certified translation, the Certificate of Accuracy has to be signed and stamped before handing it to them with the translated document to the receiver.

What is a Certified Translator?

A certified translator is an individual either trained in linguistics or has special knowledge in a certain field needed to translate a document or spoken word from one language to another and is recognized by an institution or a government agency.

Certified translators are different from interpreters in that the latter is responsible for translating spoken words, while the former deals with documents. Wordspath has industry-specific interpreters always on standby to ensure no language barrier between you and the other parties.

Among the benefits of using a certified translator are credibility, accuracy, and expertise in relevant fields that require specialties like medicine and law. Certified translators are responsible for their work, and they’ve to undergo qualification checks before being assigned any translation task.

Where to Get a Certified Translation?

You neither need to visit a document translation company or agency physically nor use messaging services to get a certified translation. With some documents requiring quick turnaround translation, agencies and companies have devised faster means of sending and receiving documents for translation.

Anybody can do document translation in the language he or she understands better. But in how many institutions will the translated documents be accepted?

A document translation company with 30,000+ professional and expert translators capable of translating a technical manual or a certificate to 230+ languages like Wordspath, a streamlined workflow has to be followed to ensure every word and document is translated accurately.
Among the documents that require certified translation include academic transcripts, foreign diplomas, Chinese work permits, marriage certificates, bank statements, passports, and any document to be used in courts.

According to the American Translators Association, the Certificate of Accuracy should include:

  • A statement indicating the translator’s qualifications
  • A statement confirming the accuracy and completeness of the translation
  • Name and signature of the translator
  • Identification of the translated document

As opposed to notary translation, a certified translation has to be proven to be accurate before the Certificate of Accuracy is issued.

To get a certified translation, start by searching for a translation company with qualified translators in the industry you’re in online, through referrals, or directories. Then reach out to the personnel responsible for receiving orders.

As for Wordspath, go to the homepage and simply click on REQUEST A QUOTE. Lastly, fill in your requirements and click on Get Quote Now.

Your order will be set in the Wordspath streamlined workflow and after the document has been proofread and edited, you get the certified translation together with the Certificate of Accuracy.

Whether a Certified Translation Is Required or Not?

There are instances when certified translation is a must and in others, certification is not required. When translating personal website content, even though it may cause financial loss, the consequences aren’t as severe as when court trial transcripts are mistranslated.
A certified translation is required in business contracts, affidavits, applying for visas, legal proceedings both civil and criminal, birth, marriage, or divorce documents, and bank records.

You’ll not require certified translation when translating unofficial documents like marketing materials, restaurant menus, advertising copies, safety manuals, and HR handbooks.

Conclusion

Certified vs certificated are two different terms. You need a certified translation for the translator to be held accountable for any consequences arising from his wrong translation.

With hundreds of document translation companies and agencies ready to translate official and non-official documents, it’s important to consider their reputation, the industries they specialize in, translator qualifications, and operation standards.

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