DPSI Health: the exam unit by unit
The DPSI Health is the CIOL qualification for Interpreters working in hospitals, GP surgeries, mental health services and community care. It's a Degree-level recognised qualification (Level 6), and the exam runs once a year, in June.
How is the exam structured?
The CIOL DPSI Health exam has 5 units, and each one is marked separately. That means you can pass some units and resit others, rather than repeating the whole exam.
Unit 01: Consecutive and Simultaneous interpreting
This is the spoken unit, built around healthcare role plays. It tests whether you can interpret accurately and professionally between a healthcare professional and a patient, in the moment.
Units 02 and 03: Sight translation
You read a written healthcare text and interpret it aloud. Sight translation is the skill many Interpreters underestimate, because it combines reading speed, terminology and spoken delivery all at once.
Units 04 and 05: Written translation
You translate written healthcare texts. Accuracy, terminology and register all count.
What do you need to know for it?
Healthcare interpreting covers a wide range of settings and specialisms. You'll need to know the NHS and how its services fit together, clinical procedures, and specialist vocabulary across areas such as cardiology, paediatrics, mental health, gynaecology and palliative care. Just as important is the Interpreter's role itself: the code of conduct, professional ethics, and where your role starts and stops.
How do you prepare?
The CIOLQ advises approximately 80 Guided Learning Hours, plus self-study. Our students spend an average of 3 to 5 months on the DPSI Health course.
Our DPSI Health course has 37 modules and 94 exercises, with past exam papers for Unit 01, Units 02 and 03, and a Translation Practice for Units 04 and 05. For extra practice before the exam, we offer Mock Exams for Units 02 to 05, Sight Translation Papers and Translation Practices, all marked against the CIOL's assessment criteria, with full feedback.
When should you start?
The DPSI Health exam runs in June only. Count back from the June exam you're aiming for: our students spend an average of 3 to 5 months on the course, and you have 12 months' access from enrolment, so starting at least 6 months ahead gives you time to work through it properly.
We provide the course and the exam preparation; CIOL sets and awards the qualification. Check the current exam languages and registration dates with CIOL before you register.
