| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Test sample Thread poster: Haifa Abu Khdair
|
|---|
I received an unpaid test containing 5 pages to translate from English to Arabic
What is the minimum number of words for an unpaid test?
| | | | | 5 pages? NO! | Sep 15, 2023 |
Usually, a test is no longer than 300/350 words. If I’m really interested in a job, I could do a little more (circa 500 words), providing we have already agreed on price and payment 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.
| | | |
A test should never exceed 1 page (300/400 words), unless you get paid for it.
| | | | Hayley Wakenshaw 
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:43
Member (2018)
Dutch to English
| How many pages?! | Sep 15, 2023 |
Is it in 20 point font? And double spaced? With really wide margins? And lots of Images?? Even if it is, five pages is probably still excessive.
I don't think I've ever done more than 450 words for a test, and that was for a book that I really wanted to translate. 200 to 400 words is the norm.
Is this client legitimate? Do they have a domain name email address or are they using GMail? Do they have an entry on the Blue Board?
| | |
|
|
|
...with 50 words each is OK.
| | | |
It's a literary text in PDF format. The text consists of nearly 2000 words. The deadline is 48 hours from receiving the file."
I found the job post on Facebook. I didn't find enough information about the company except for the location, which is in Saudi Arabia.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 21:43
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Haifa Abu Khdair wrote:
I received an unpaid test containing 5 pages to translate from English to Arabic.
I agree with the others here. It is unusual to accept a free test translation of more than 250-400 words. Some people use the guideline "30 minutes of translation" or "1 hour of translation". I.e. a free test should take you no more than 1 hour to complete.
| | | |
I'm really appreciative of all the help you've given me.
| | |
|
|
|
| Say NO! to all test samples | Sep 16, 2023 |
Two reasons:
1) You don't walk into a shop (anykind) and ask them if they could offer you a free sample of their product, unless they are voluntarily giving them out for free.
2) From my over 30 years of experience, there is a jinx in the industry that you will never hear again from clients and agencies who ask for free samples after submitting them and who ask you to fill out bunch of forms.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 21:43
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
1) You don't walk into a shop (anykind) and ask them if they could offer you a free sample of their product, unless they are voluntarily giving them out for free.
The reason you don't do this is regulation. The products in the store has to comply with certain regulations, otherwise the store owner gets into trouble. No such regulation exists for translators.
2) From my over 30 years of experience, there is a jinx in the industry that you will never hear again from clients and agencies who ask for free samples after submitting them and who ask you to fill out bunch of forms.
Yup... I'd say I experience this in 70% of cases as well. So, if they ask for a free test, it means that they're more likely not to send you any work... but there's still a 30% change that they will, so if you have time to do a free test and fill in forms, and you have nothing better to do with your time, do it.
| | | | | On free test samples | Sep 16, 2023 |
Clients, like translators, are all different:
1. Some ask for free samples, others don’t
2. Some ask for diplomas, others don’t
3. Some ask for references, others don’t
4. Some ask you fill endless forms, others don’t
5. Some ask you to sign a NDA, others don’t
6. Some have translation systems, others don’t
7. Some ask for a particular CAT tool, others don’t
8. Some ask for all of the above and the kitchen sink…
9. (…... See more Clients, like translators, are all different:
1. Some ask for free samples, others don’t
2. Some ask for diplomas, others don’t
3. Some ask for references, others don’t
4. Some ask you fill endless forms, others don’t
5. Some ask you to sign a NDA, others don’t
6. Some have translation systems, others don’t
7. Some ask for a particular CAT tool, others don’t
8. Some ask for all of the above and the kitchen sink…
9. (…)
One has to sieve through and find out what is worthwhile and what isn’t. Generalizing doesn't help!
Of course, when I’m asked for a test sample, I prefer a paid one, but over the years I have also done a lot of free ones and some turned into work. I see test samples (paid or not) as an investment...
[Edited at 2023-09-16 10:05 GMT]
[Edited at 2023-09-16 10:53 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Samuel Murray wrote: Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
1) You don't walk into a shop (anykind) and ask them if they could offer you a free sample of their product, unless they are voluntarily giving them out for free. The reason you don't do this is regulation. The products in the store has to comply with certain regulations, otherwise the store owner gets into trouble. No such regulation exists for translators. Thanks for the explanation. But what if the products are made within that store, like a cup of coffee at a cafe, or hamburgers from a burger shop? I believe the store owner, if s/he is not an employee but the actual owner, has the discretion to give/not give out free samples like we do. 2) From my over 30 years of experience, there is a jinx in the industry that you will never hear again from clients and agencies who ask for free samples after submitting them and who ask you to fill out bunch of forms. Yup... I'd say I experience this in 70% of cases as well. So, if they ask for a free test, it means that they're more likely not to send you any work... but there's still a 30% change that they will, so if you have time to do a free test and fill in forms, and you have nothing better to do with your time, do it.
You must be lucky that you are in the 70% range. In my case, I can't remember how long ago it was when I got a response from a client/agency that I have passed/failed the test when I used to offer free samples. Maybe 2 out of 100 who got back to me to tell me the results. Most common excuse when I inquired about the results were "the client hasn't said anything". If you see it as an investment, I wouldn't argue with that. It's just that for me, it was a waste of time, and rephrasing it in your words, maybe I'm not good at making investments.
| | |
|
|
|
Hayley Wakenshaw wrote:
Is it in 20 point font? And double spaced? With really wide margins? And lots of Images?? Even if it is, five pages is probably still excessive.
I don't think I've ever done more than 450 words for a test, and that was for a book that I really wanted to translate. 200 to 400 words is the norm.
Is this client legitimate? Do they have a domain name email address or are they using GMail? Do they have an entry on the Blue Board?
It's a literary text in PDF format. The text consists of nearly 2000 words. The deadline is 48 hours from receiving the file."
I found the job post on Facebook. I didn't find enough information about the company except for the location, which is in Saudi Arabia.
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 20:43
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Haifa Abu Khdair wrote:
It's a literary text in PDF format. The text consists of nearly 2000 words. The deadline is 48 hours from receiving the file."
I found the job post on Facebook. I didn't find enough information about the company except for the location, which is in Saudi Arabia.
I wouldn't accept any translation tasks coming from Facebook, WA, or any other media. Work and translation tests only via email.
| | | |
Like Sandra (ExpressisVerbis) I wouldn’t accept a translation task coming from FB, but a friend of mine who is a literary translator has just told me that text samples for a book are usually longer than we non-literary translators are used to. Once he was asked to translate a whole chapter and got the job...
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Test sample | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
