Study guide
Test Administration, Local Test Administrators (LTAs), Scheduling, Accommodations & Retakes
Boys Town Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment EIPA
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1 Chapter 1: EIPA Overview & Assessment System
EIPA Assessment System: Written Test vs Performance Test, Purpose & State Standards Performance Scoring Rubric (0.0–5.0 Scale), Levels of Competency, and the 3.5 Benchmark Test Administration, Local Test Administrators (LTAs), Scheduling, Accommodations & Retakes
2 Chapter 2: Professional Role, Ethics & Legal Framework
2.1 EIPA Guidelines for Professional Conduct & NAIE Code of Ethics 2.2 Professional Boundaries: The Interpreter vs Teacher, Aide, Tutor, and Friend 2.3 Confidentiality under FERPA, Student Records, and Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting 2.4 Working Conditions, Interpreter Health, and Professional Guidelines: Job Descriptions, Preparation Time, Breaks, and Repetitive Motion Injury
3 Chapter 3: Special Education Law & The IEP Process
3.1 IDEA 2004 Principles: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) 3.2 The Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team, Accommodations vs Modifications, and Interpreter Input 3.3 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act 3.4 Federal, State, and Local Education Agencies: SEA and LEA Roles, Funding, and State Interpreter Standards 3.5 Educational Assessment and Achievement Testing: Norm-Referenced, Criterion-Referenced, and Intelligence Tests
4 Chapter 4: Classroom Discourse & Educational Dynamics
4.1 Classroom Discourse Structures: Lecture, Teacher-Led Questioning, Group Work, and Peer Interactions 4.2 Educational Settings: Mainstream Classrooms, Resource Rooms, Co-Enrollment, and Residential Schools 4.3 Collaborative Educational Teamwork: Pre-Teaching, Pacing, Lesson Plan Access, and Teacher Communication
5 Chapter 5: Child Cognitive & Psychosocial Development
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development in K-12 Learners (Sensorimotor to Formal Operational) Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), Scaffolding, and Socio-Cultural Learning Theory Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development 5.4 Student Development in Practice: Maturity, Autonomy, Calibrating Support, and Understanding vs. Recitation
6 Chapter 6: First & Second Language Acquisition
6.1 Milestones in First and Second Language Acquisition in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children 6.2 The Critical Period Hypothesis, Language Deprivation Syndrome, and Neurological Impacts 6.3 ASL-English Bilingual Development, Visual Language Foundations, and Theory of Mind
7 Chapter 7: Sign Language Linguistics & Structure
7.1 ASL Phonology: The Five Parameters (Handshape, Movement, Location, Orientation, Non-Manuals) 7.2 ASL Morphology, Derivational & Inflectional Processes, and Classifier Systems (PDC, SDC, LCC, ICL, BCL) 7.3 ASL Syntax: Topic-Comment Structure, Spatial Referencing, Indexing, and Non-Manual Signals
8 Chapter 8: Signed Systems & Visual Communication Modes
8.1 ASL vs Manually Coded English: History, Linguistic Status, and Educational Rationale 8.2 Signing Exact English (SEE II): Principles, Affixes, Morpheme Inventions, and Classroom Use 8.3 Contact Sign / PSE / CASE, Cued Speech Mechanics, and the Rochester Method
9 Chapter 9: English Language Competency for Interpreters
9.1 English Syntax and Grammatical Structures Relevant to K-12 Interpreting 9.2 Academic Vocabulary Acquisition in STEM, Social Studies, and English Language Arts 9.3 Idioms, Metaphors, Figurative Language, and Register Levels in Educational Contexts
10 Chapter 10: Literacy Development & Reading Instruction
10.1 Reading Development Models: Phonics vs Whole Language vs Balanced Literacy for Deaf Students 10.2 Visual Phonics, Chaining, Fingerspelling, and Print-to-Sign Mapping Strategies 10.3 Tutoring Guidelines for Educational Interpreters: Scope, Teacher Supervision, and Instructional Integrity
11 Chapter 11: Deaf Culture & Cultural Identity
11.1 Core Values, Traditions, Collectivism, and Key Historical Milestones of the American Deaf Community 11.2 Audism, Linguistic Hegemony, and Deaf Identity Development Models in School-Age Youth 11.3 Diversity in Deaf Education: Deaf Students of Color, DeafBlind Students, and Hearing Family Dynamics
12 Chapter 12: Technology & Medical Aspects of Deafness
12.1 Anatomy of the Auditory Mechanism, Etiologies, and Types of Hearing Loss 12.2 Reading and Interpreting Audiograms, Decibels, Hertz, Speech Banana, and Classroom Acoustics 12.3 Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants, Bone-Anchored Systems, FM/DM Systems, and Captioning / CART 12.4 Deaf Community Access Technology: Relay Services, TTY, VRS, VCO, Text Devices, Alerting Systems, and Captioned Media
13 Chapter 13: Interpreting Process & Discourse Mapping
13.1 Cognitive Models of Interpreting (Cokely, Colonomos, Seleskovitch) and Décalage / Processing Time 13.2 Message Equivalence, Omission, Addition, Substitution, and Anomaly Analysis in K-12 Interpreting 13.3 Sight Translation of Educational Materials, Test Interpreting Protocols, and Educational Transliteration 13.4 Role Models of Interpreting: Helper, Conduit, Bilingual-Bicultural, Ally, and the Educational Team Member
14 Chapter 14: EIPA Performance Test Mastery & Diagnostic Skills
14.1 Voice-to-Sign Mastery: Message Cohesion, Spatial Mapping, Role Shift, and Conceptual Accuracy 14.2 Sign-to-Voice Strategies: Receptive Analysis of Immature, Idiosyncratic, and Diverse Student Signing 14.3 Diagnostic Feedback Analysis, Professional Growth Plans, EIPA Mentorship, and Achieving a 3.5+ Rating
Test Administration, Local Test Administrators (LTAs), Scheduling, Accommodations & Retakes
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Both EIPA tests run in four quarterly testing sessions; registration opens December 15, March 15, June 15, and September 15 and closes five full days before the test date and time.
Cancellations completed at least five full days (120 hours) before the test date are refunded minus a $40 processing fee; no refunds are issued for no-shows or late cancellations.
Since April 29, 2024, candidates retaking the EIPA Performance Test must wait one calendar year (365 days) from their most recent test date; there is no waiting period for the Written Test.
Test accommodation requests must go to the EIPA Diagnostic Center in writing on official letterhead before registering; local test administrators have no authority to approve accommodations.
Written Test sites require a PC or Mac (no Chromebooks or tablets), a private password-protected network, a secure player, and a mock test 3-5 days before the test date.
Last updated: September 2026
Test Administration, Local Test Administrators (LTAs), Scheduling, Accommodations & Retakes
Quick Answer: Both EIPA tests are administered by EIPA-approved local test administrators (LTAs) at approved sites, in four quarterly testing sessions each year. Registration opens roughly two weeks before each session ( December 15, March 15, June 15, September 15 ) and closes five full days before the test date and time — which is also the deadline to withdraw. Cancellations made by that deadline are refunded minus a $40 processing fee ; no-shows and late cancellations forfeit the fee. Since April 29, 2024 , a candidate retaking the Performance Test must wait one calendar year (365 days) from their most recent test date; there is no waiting period for the Written Test . Accommodation requests go to the EIPA Diagnostic Center before registering — LTAs may not approve them.
1. The Role and Mandate of Local Test Administrators (LTAs)
The standardized consistency of both EIPA tests depends on local test administrators , also referred to as proctors for the Written Test. LTAs are pre-approved by the EIPA Diagnostic Center and operate test sites at school districts, state education agencies, universities, and regional service centers.
An important structural fact that candidates misread constantly: LTAs are pre-approved by the EIPA Diagnostic Center but are not employed by, and receive no compensation from, EIPA or Boys Town National Research Hospital. That is precisely why they are permitted to charge their own proctor or administrator fee on top of the test fee, and why fee practices vary from site to site.
LTA Core Responsibilities
Manual compliance: LTAs must administer the test exactly as described in the Proctor Manual (Written) or LTA Manual (Performance). Boys Town's stated rationale is that valid, fair, reliable results require identical, consistent, standard administration at every site.
Security of materials: LTAs maintain the security of test content, login credentials, and passwords, and protect candidate privacy. For the Performance Test, the test kit must be kept in locked storage when not in use, with access limited to approved LTAs.
Mock testing (Written): Proctors must conduct a mock test 3 to 5 days before the test date on every computer that will be used. If the test site is not in the proctor's town, site IT staff may perform the mock test.
Time management: On test day the LTA arrives early to set up and allot enough time. The maximum time allowed for the Written Test is 4 hours, although most candidates finish in about 2.5 hours; the Performance Test averages about 2.5 hours from the candidate's arrival.
Strict boundaries: LTAs do not evaluate candidate performance, provide linguistic feedback, clarify signs, or coach candidates.
Note
You are not required to test in your home state. Boys Town states the test is standardized and can be taken at any test site; if no tests are available in your state, you may register at the nearest location. Some listings are marked RESTRICTED TEST , meaning the site is reserved for a specific group, and others are marked ADDITIONAL PROCTOR FEES .
2. Annual Administration Cycles: Four Quarterly Testing Sessions
Both the Written and Performance tests are offered in four quarterly testing sessions per year. Registration opens approximately two weeks before each session begins:
- Test Quarter Months Registration Opens
- 1st Quarter session January, February, March December 15
- 2nd Quarter session April, May, June March 15
- 3rd Quarter session July, August, September June 15
- 4th Quarter session October, November, December September 15
Two hard cutoffs govern every registration:
Registration closes five full days before the test date and time (to the hour).
That same moment is the deadline to withdraw from a reserved test slot.
Immediately after registering, a confirmation email is sent; the test administrator also emails additional site-specific information before the test date. Read both — site instructions vary.
3. How Results Are Actually Released
This is where candidate expectations and reality diverge most sharply, so be precise:
Written Test: Candidates are informed whether they passed or failed at the test site , on test day. The result is pass/fail only; a score of 75% or above is required to pass.
Performance Test: Recordings are sent to the EIPA Diagnostic Center for evaluation, and turnaround has been a documented, long-running pain point. Boys Town responded in July 2024 by publishing the receipt date of the tests currently being evaluated at the top of its announcements page, updated weekly on Mondays, so candidates can see their position in the queue. It has since hired additional raters, added an EIPA Scientist to oversee test development, and announced electronic results in August 2026.
Do not build an employment timeline on a promised number of days for Performance results. Check the posted current test processing date against your own test date, and plan for a multi-month gap.
4. Site and Equipment Requirements
Boys Town publishes distinct requirements for the two tests, and confusing them is a common error.
Written Test site requirements
A quiet, interruption-free room .
PC or Mac computers only. Chromebooks, iPads, and tablets are incompatible with the testing software and are not allowed. The number of test seats offered equals the number of usable computers, so some sites offer a single seat.
Test computers must be on a secured, private, password-protected network — no exceptions. Most sites have both a public and a private Wi-Fi network; only the private one may be used, because a secure network reduces the chance of unauthorized users viewing the test computer's desktop.
A secure player must be installed on every test computer. It disables printing, copying exam material, accessing stored files, and viewing internet content during testing.
A mock test 3 to 5 days before the test on each computer to be used.
Performance Test site requirements
The testing room must be private, uncluttered, and distraction free , with bright lighting for recording quality.
The wall used as the background must be uncluttered and a solid color . A large solid-colored cloth may be hung behind the candidate if needed.
A camcorder or video camera is required to record the candidate. Phones may not be used to record the test.
A computer with a USB port and an HDMI port (VGA is acceptable if HDMI is unavailable), Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for the electronic paperwork, and a large monitor to display the test videos.
The test kit must be kept in locked storage when not in use.
What this means for you as a candidate
Your job on test day is to verify the environment before recording starts, because an unusable recording is your problem, not the evaluator's. Confirm that the background wall is solid and uncluttered, that lighting is bright and in front of you rather than behind you, that the camera frames your full signing space without cropping your hands, and that room noise will not drown out your voicing during the receptive sample.
5. Candidate Accommodations
Boys Town's accommodation process is procedural and unforgiving about timing:
Submit before registering. Interpreters requesting test accommodations must submit required documentation to the EIPA Diagnostic Center before registering for a test .
Only the Diagnostic Center may approve. Test administrators may not approve accommodation requests.
Form of the request: written, on official letterhead , and it must include:
formal documentation from a qualified or licensed professional who has conducted testing or provided treatment for the disability or diagnosis;
- a statement of the specific disability or diagnosis;
- a description of the disability and why accommodations are needed;
- the tests or protocols used to confirm the diagnosis;
- a description of the test accommodations prescribed for the disability;
the professional's signature, title, and contact information.
6. Cancellation, Withdrawal, and Refunds
The five-day / 120-hour rule: Payment is refundable minus a $40.00 processing fee , provided the cancellation is completed five full days (120 hours) from the test date and time .
How to cancel: All cancellations must be completed by logging into your account on the Boys Town Learning Center. Notifying your test administrator is appreciated but does not count as a cancellation .
No refunds are issued for no-shows or for cancellations received after test registration has closed — and registration closes five days before the test date and time.
7. Retake Policy
The retake rule changed materially in 2024 and is one of the most commonly mis-stated EIPA facts in circulation.
Performance Test: As of April 29, 2024 , a candidate retaking the EIPA Performance Test must wait one calendar year (365 days) from the date of their most recent exam . When registering, the new date must be at least 365 days after the most recent test date. A registration made less than 365 days after a previous test date will be cancelled , and the cancellation policy and associated fees apply.
Written Test: There is no waiting period.
Documented exception: Interpreters who are currently employed and working on a provisional license that will expire within the next six months may apply to test six months after the date of their last test, by contacting the EIPA team directly.
Boys Town's stated rationale is empirical rather than administrative: its intra-test/retest data indicates that measurable score improvement occurs when a 12-month wait is combined with an investment in mentorship. Treat the year as the development window it is designed to be.
Turning the Score Report Into a Plan
The diagnostic report exists to be used. Because the composite is an average of 38 sub-skill ratings across four assessment areas, you can identify exactly which items dragged the average down — fingerspelling production, decalage, comparison/contrast structures, spoken English word selection — and build a professional development plan against those named items rather than against a vague instruction to "practice more."
- 8. Realistic Scenarios
- Scenario A: The Registration That Gets Cancelled
An interpreter tests on the Performance assessment on March 4 and scores 3.2. Her district tells her to "test again in the fall." She registers for an October session — seven months later.
Policy reality: The registration is less than 365 days after her previous test date, so it will be cancelled , and the cancellation policy and fees apply. Unless she is on a provisional license expiring within six months and has contacted the EIPA team for an exception, her earliest eligible test date is the following March. The productive response is to spend the mandated year in mentorship targeting her lowest-rated items.
Scenario B: The Environment Problem Caught in Time
A candidate arrives to find the chair positioned in front of a bulletin board covered with student artwork, beneath a loud air-conditioning unit, with morning sun streaming through an unshaded window behind the chair.
Protocol action: The candidate raises it with the LTA before recording. The background must be uncluttered and a solid color — a solid-colored cloth may be hung if needed — the room must be brightly lit for recording quality, and backlighting will silhouette facial expression and handshapes. Fixing the setup before recording is the only remedy; there is no post-hoc appeal for an unusable recording.
Scenario C: The Accommodation Requested Too Late
A candidate with a documented disability registers for a test and then emails the LTA the week before, asking for an accommodation.
Policy reality: The request is doubly out of order. Documentation must be submitted to the EIPA Diagnostic Center before registering , and the LTA has no authority to approve accommodations under any circumstances.
9. Exam Traps and Administrative Vulnerabilities
Trap 1: Requesting accommodations from the LTA, or after registering. Both fail. The request goes to the EIPA Diagnostic Center, in writing on official letterhead, before registration.
Trap 2: Assuming a 24- or 48-hour cancellation window. EIPA requires five full days (120 hours) and keeps a $40 processing fee even when you cancel on time.
Trap 3: Assuming the retake rule is a recommendation. The 365-day Performance Test wait is enforced at registration — a non-compliant registration is cancelled, with fees applied. Only the Written Test has no waiting period.
Trap 4: Assuming you must test in your home state, or must take both tests in a set order. Neither is true. The test is standardized across sites, there is no required sequence between Written and Performance, and an interpreter is not required to take both.
Trap 5: Letting the camera crop your signing space. If your hands leave the frame, the evaluators cannot rate what they cannot see.