The 90-Point CCL Scoring System
The CCL exam is scored out of 90 points. You need 63 points (70%) to pass. The exam consists of two dialogues, each worth 45 points. Understanding exactly how those 45 points are allocated for each dialogue is the most direct path to improving your score.
The Three Scoring Dimensions
NAATI examiners evaluate each dialogue interpretation across three dimensions. These are not weighted equally in practice — accuracy carries the most risk because a single significant omission can result in a large point deduction.
1. Accuracy
Accuracy measures whether you conveyed all the information from the source segment without omissions, additions, or distortions. This is the hardest dimension to master because it requires complete recall of every key piece of information in each segment.
What costs accuracy points:
- Omitting a fact, number, name, or condition
- Adding information not in the original
- Changing the meaning of what was said
- Misinterpreting a term or concept
2. Language Quality
Language quality measures the fluency, grammar, and naturalness of your interpretation in both languages. Your output language must sound like it was spoken by a native or near-native speaker, not like a literal translation.
What costs language quality points:
- Grammatical errors or awkward phrasing
- Register mismatch (too formal or too casual for the context)
- Unnatural sentence structures that follow source language word order
- Excessive fillers, hesitations, or false starts
3. Interpreting Technique
Interpreting technique measures how professionally you managed the interpreting task — your segment handling, consistency, and delivery. This dimension rewards candidates who have practised consecutive interpreting as a skill, not just translation.
What costs technique points:
- Inconsistent rendering of proper names or specialised terms
- Visible difficulty managing segment length
- Poor pacing or unnatural pauses
- Failing to maintain the speaker's tone and intent
What NAATI Expects in Each Dimension
According to the NAATI CCL Candidate Information, examiners assess your performance against defined criteria in each dimension. NAATI does not publish a specific point-by-point deduction table — the assessment is holistic within each dimension based on the examiner's professional judgement.
What NAATI describes as assessed in each area:
- Accuracy: The degree to which all information from the source is conveyed — including facts, numbers, names, conditions, and intent — without omissions, additions, or distortions.
- Language Quality: The fluency, grammatical correctness, and naturalness of the interpretation in both languages, appropriate to the context and register of the dialogue.
- Interpreting Technique: The professional management of the consecutive interpreting task — including segment handling, consistency of terminology, and overall delivery.
The safest approach is to treat every piece of information in a segment as scoreable. Anything left out or changed is at risk of affecting your accuracy mark.
How to Improve Your Score
Knowing the scoring criteria is only half the battle. Read our guide on 12 proven tips to pass the CCL exam for a practical preparation strategy that targets each dimension.
What a Passing Score Looks Like
A score of 63/90 (70%) is achievable with consistent accuracy across both dialogues and no major technique failures. Most candidates who fail do so by losing too many accuracy points on one dialogue — a single difficult segment with three or four accuracy deductions can drop a score below the pass mark.
How BuMate Scores Your Practice
BuMate's AI scoring engine evaluates your practice interpretations across all three NAATI dimensions and gives you a dimension-by-dimension breakdown after each attempt. You can see exactly which dimension is costing you and focus your next session accordingly.