Poll: Are you willing to take free tests when asked by translation agencies? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Are you willing to take free tests when asked by translation agencies?".
This poll was originally submitted by Vladimir Dubisskiy. View the poll results »
| | | | Lieven Malaise 
België
Local time: 08:22
Member (2020)
uit Frans in Nederlands
+ ...
If they are not more than a couple of hundred words: sure.
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If I’m really interested in that job or in that translation agency (I have never been asked for an unpaid test by a direct client) I'll be willing to do a short free test (up to 300 words), providing we have already agreed on price and payment terms and there is no deadline set for the test, so I can do it at my own pace. I would rather do a translation test for free than sending diplomas, references and the like and having to fill endless forms. I see these tests as a good investment and they... See more If I’m really interested in that job or in that translation agency (I have never been asked for an unpaid test by a direct client) I'll be willing to do a short free test (up to 300 words), providing we have already agreed on price and payment terms and there is no deadline set for the test, so I can do it at my own pace. I would rather do a translation test for free than sending diplomas, references and the like and having to fill endless forms. I see these tests as a good investment and they go both ways: the way it is handled is usually a good indicator of how organized the potential client is…. ▲ Collapse
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I don't have any reason to refuse taking free translation tests, unless they are more than 500 words. More happy with paid translation tests, of course.
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Alex Lichanow
Duitsland
Local time: 08:22
uit Engels in Duits
+ ...
I do take on free tests if they are no longer than 500 words and it doesn't become clear that the test is simply being used to obtain a free actual translation. I also only take them from new potential customers. For existing customers, I am willing to accept a certain cut when testing for a new potential end-client but will not take on anything unpaid.
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If these tests are for a specific project and if I'm genuinely interested, then yes, I can do a free test. However, I don't do tests simply 'for a database' or for low-budget projects. In fact, I occasionally fail tests because I don't take them seriously and prefer not to waste time.
Ultimately, test results always depend on the reviewer. Even the best translators can easily fail a test reviewed automatically. If a human reviews it, everything depends on that person. For example, ... See more If these tests are for a specific project and if I'm genuinely interested, then yes, I can do a free test. However, I don't do tests simply 'for a database' or for low-budget projects. In fact, I occasionally fail tests because I don't take them seriously and prefer not to waste time.
Ultimately, test results always depend on the reviewer. Even the best translators can easily fail a test reviewed automatically. If a human reviews it, everything depends on that person. For example, I might ignore typos if I like the style, yet I might reject grammatically perfect texts that I find poorly written. Conversely, other reviewers might reject excellent translations for a single typo or missing comma. It's always a gamble. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
België
Local time: 08:22
Member (2020)
uit Frans in Nederlands
+ ...
Ivan Novoselov wrote:
In fact, I occasionally fail tests because I don't take them seriously and prefer not to waste time.
How is failing tests because you don't take them seriously not a waste of time (and reputation)?
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Lieven Malaise wrote:
Ivan Novoselov wrote:
In fact, I occasionally fail tests because I don't take them seriously and prefer not to waste time.
How is failing tests because you don't take them seriously not a waste of time (and reputation)?
You can't pass every test, that heavily depends on evaluator approach, and you can't really influence that. Under wasting time I mean something like thorough Xbench QA or third-party review, that's not something I'd like to do. I'd better fail a test unless I badly want this specific project or this specific customer.
As for reputation, you get it from actual projects, not tests.
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Daryo
Local time: 07:22
uit Serwies in Engels
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| I did pass a number of translation/interpeting tests | May 31, 2025 |
with very clear purposes and where the results definitely did matter. But not for agencies.
It would take a LOT of convincing for me to do any 'free test' for an agency.
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 09:22
Member (2003)
uit Fins in Duits
+ ...
| Definitely no | May 31, 2025 |
If "free test" means I'm not payed for it I don't bother. Serious clients invest in new projects and don't ask for charity. They have chosen only translators they are pretty sure they will deliver a decent test.
Alas, these days most jobs on offer are post-editing and MTPE. I refuse to do these.
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