Welcome to the TECUnit

The Testing, Evaluation, and Certification Unit establishes and maintains national standards for the profession of cued language transliteration. These standards afford consumers equal access opportunity, prevent linguistic marginalization, and support both integration and autonomy. They are unique in the field of communication facilitation services involving deaf/hard-of-hearing people.

The TECUnit is responsible for the certification of cued language transliterators (CLTs) at a national level via the Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE).

Cued language transliteration is an equal access communication facilitation service used by deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers and their hearing peers.
Properly functioning cued language transliterators provide deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers comprehensive non-judgmental access to all audible components of a given environment.
Such access impacts linguistic, intellectual, social, and emotional development and informs consumer decisions and opportunities. The CLT Code of Conduct defines the proper role and function of a cued language transliterator.
The Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE) ensures that a CLT has demonstrated the adequate knowledge, fluency, and skill to facilitate communication in a variety of settings and among diverse consumers. These professionals have been awarded a Transliterator Skills Certificate, are provided a valid CLT ID card annually, and carry the initials TSC after their name.
Additionally, many transliterators demonstrate qualification through the CLT State Level Assessment, which has been adopted under alternate names like the Virginia Quality Assurance Screening.
Additional tests measure basic expressive cueing, basic cue reading skills, and skills related to other professions (e.g. for Cued Speech instructors). These are inadequate measures of CLT skills and knowledge.
The TECUnit does not provide CLT services.
To locate a qualified professional in your area, you should contact local state agencies or a cued language transliterator agency. Some agencies that specialize in signed language interpreter services also provide CLT services.
To check the current certification status of a CLT, contact our office by email (info@tecunit.org) or by phone (703) 239-3433 (V/Txt)

Announcements

2024-2025 Revised CMP Manual [June 26, 2024]

Following substantive changes to the Certification Maintenance Program, a revised CMP Policies & Procedures Manual will be released. Revisions are summarized in the front of the manual and changes in content are highlighted in yellow for ease of tracking.

This revision takes effect July 1, 2024 and may be downloaded as a .pdf. Any questions about current policies and procedure should be directed to the TECUnit infor@tecunit.org. [Download .pdf]

Register for the CLTNCE [April 10, 2024]

The Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE) will be offered July 27-28, 2024 at Gallaudet University in Washington DC. The registration deadline is July 5, 2024. Valid* prerequisites scores for the CAECS-E, CAECS-R, and CAECS-F must have been awarded between July 5, 2022 and July 5, 2024. If registering for prerequisites, please allow at least six weeks to receive results when planning. [CLTNCE REGISTRATION FORM]

*Validity was increased to two years for all prerequisites.

Announcing a New Fluency Assessment [April 10, 2024]

The Cued American English Competency Screening-Fluency (CAECS-F) was created to assess a cuer’s expressive accuracy across various rates of delivery. Candidates cue a continuous lesson presented as audio-only that begins at a rate of 1.5 syllables per second (sps) and increases in half syllable increments until delivered at 5.0 syllables per second. Candidates must maintain expressive accuracy >70% to pass a section. The fastest passing rate is reported as the candidate’s estimated rate of fluency. Candidates are not required to match the speaker’s pronunciation and transliterator skills like identifying speaker characteristics are not evaluated. Feedback is provided on observed error patterns as well as form/clarity.

The CAECS-F will serve as a new third prerequisite to the Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE). An estimated rate of fluency of 3.5sps is required to register for the CAECS-F. Information about test structure and sample recordings have been provided to help conceptualize each rate of delivery.

Standard rating was designed to efficiently identify the candidate’s fastest accurate rate by acoring three or four sections. However, Comprehensive Rating is available at an additional cost for candidates to receive scores and feedback across all rates of delivery.

Link to Attestation [November 24, 2023]

An updated link to the CMP Policies and Procedures Manual attestation can be found HERE. In addition to the typical end-of-cycle requirements for each group in the CMP Program, all TSC holders must attest that they have read and will abide by the policies and procedures defined within the CMP Manual. The manual also provides detailed information for organizations who sponsor CEH events and for CEH Providers. All questions about the policies of the CMP Program should be directed to the TECUnit office by email info@tecunit.org or phone/text (703) 239-3433.

CMP Policies and Procedures Manual [July 9, 2023]

Over the past four years, the TECUnit has made a concerted effort to provide alternate ways to fulfill CMP requirements. Additionally, we have increased the number and scope of accepted CEH activities for the professional development of nationally certified CLTs. Among these initiatives, we pre-approved courses in related disciplines and lifted the cap on the number of hours that can be earned through college credit. It is our goal to support the profession and its practitioners while we continue our mission of maintaining standards.

To support you in navigating these new systems, we have created a CMP Policies and Procedures Manual outlining requirements and answering frequently asked questions. It can be downloaded here.

CMP Requirements are Due June 30th [June 28, 2023]

Each year, nationally certified cued language transliterators must fulfill several requirements in order to maintain their TSC status. These include the annual fee and acceptable verification of five hours of cued language transliteration work, which are due for all nationally certified CLTs. Please review accepted forms of verification. For those CLTs in Group D, you must send a completed CEH Reporting Form that summarizes your approved CEH activities throughout your four-year cycle. It is the CLT’s responsibility to ensure that all paperwork is complete, accurate, and meets the criteria of the CMP.

Please be sure to refer regularly to this website and the pages linked above. Check our Frequently Asked Question sections and reach out to our office when you need clarification.

The TECUnit continues to strive to simplify systems, expand opportunities to complete requirements, and to maintain open communication.

CLTNCE Registration is Open [May 14, 2023]

The CLTNCE will be held July 15-16 at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. The total cost of the test is $375 ($150 due at registration and $225 due prior to testing). Registrants must pay the deposit and submit the CLTNCE Registration Form to the TECUnit by July 1.

Questions? Contact info@tecunit.org or call the office at the number below.

Plan Ahead [May 10, 2023]

Prerequisite tests for the CLTNCE are valid for two years. Passing scores for the CAECS-E and CAECS-R must be achieved prior to registering for the CLTNCE, which is offered each July in Washington, DC.

Changes to Policy Regarding CAECS Validity [January 31, 2023]

The Board of Directors voted to change the validity period of tests within the CAECS battery. Scores awarded after January 11, 2023 will now be considered valid for a period of 24 months.

Happy New Year | Upcoming CMP Year-End [January 7, 2023]

Everyone at the TECUnit would like to wish you a happy and healthy 2023. The Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) end of year is June 30th. For nationally certified transliterators in Group D, be sure to assess your current total of continuing education hours (CEHs) and plan accordingly. For those in Groups A, B, and C, we encourage you to continue to acquire continuing CEHs as part of your four-year cycle.

CLTNCE Administration Dates Set [July 14, 2022]

Information on registration will be posted soon. Send questions to info@tecunit.org.

Validity of Prerequisite Tests for the Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Exam (CLTNCE) [April 17, 2022]

The current board of the TECUnit took over daily operations in February, 2020. The two prerequisite tests for the Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Exam, the CAECS-E and the CAECS-R, were subsequently converted to online administration to improve test security and to significantly decrease the turnaround time from registration to score reporting. The CAECS-R originally created in 2002 was revised and refilmed.
The CLTNCE is administered in person. Given restrictions on in-person gatherings due to the pandemic, we were unable to offer the test in 2020 and 2021. During this time we worked on updating relevant written test content toward ensuring the ongoing validity and reliability of the CLTNCE battery. Included in these updates are topics such as, but not limited to, the evolution of research, changes in federal laws as they pertain to accessibility and education for DHH individuals, relevant organizations, and assistive listening device technology advancements. Minor updates had also been made periodically since the CLTNCE’s initial administration in 1989.
The TECUnit Board has also prioritized specific subtests for revision and updating to ensure accuracy, validity, and accessibility for candidates. Attention is being given to minimizing interruption of test delivery so CLTNCE administration can resume.
When will the CLTNCE next be offered?
We are happy to report that venues are re-opening their doors to outside organizations and mask mandates are being lifted around the country. We are currently in talks to a site and have prioritized locations near large cueing populations.
In the meantime, the TECUnit Board continues to respond to a variety of inquiries including whether the expiration date for valid CAECS-E and CAECS-R results would be extended for those seeking to take the CLTNCE. Of course, the TECUnit will work with those few individuals who will be impacted by this particular scenario. Additional information will be announced as soon as the date of the CLTNCE is announced. For those CLTs who have not been able to sit for the CLTNCE during this period, the TECUnit has offered to send letters on their behalf to employers. The TECUnit continues to work on behalf of our community to certify qualified cued language transliterators. Questions should be directed by email to info@tecunit.org or by phone (703) 239-3433 (v/txt). We respond promptly to every inquiry. Thank you.

Tips for Acquiring CEHs [February 26,2022]

Recent inquiries about CEH opportunities prompted us to create this quick reference sheet for CLTs participating in the Certification maintenance Program (CMP). While all this information (and more) is available on the website, it can be useful to have a page that is easily referenced and sent to others.

Website Update [January 14, 2022]

The TECUnit website has been updated and reorganized. We’ve dedicated individual pages to important topics and provided sections with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) based on actual inquiries. The TECUnit continues to prioritize access to information and open communication. We welcome your feedback.

Revised Policy for Pre-Approved College-Level Coursework [July 21, 2021]

On July 21, 2021, the TECUnit Board of Directors voted to remove COMM | Communication from the list of disciplines that are pre-approved for Continuing Education Hours (CEHs). This doesn’t mean that you cannot still earn CEHs for completion of colleges courses in this discipline. You will simply need to submit the course for review as an Unsponsored Event. If you were enrolled in a college-level COMM Communications course prior to July 21, 2021, you may apply it (without prior approval) toward the appropriate four-year cycle upon successful completion.