Quality of translation tests
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What's your impression of the translation tests? And are they relevant for showcasing your language skills to potential clients? I just finished the
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Yes. Some solutions just do not match and you can only guess what they are looking for. Some skill test are poor translations as well using expression that in theory are correct but not used by any native speaker.

I tried to used the comment function during the exam to point out the problems but then the times keeps running and you might get an even worse result.

I just do not worry too much about them. You can retake the exam as well later on. You can also decide not to display it in your profile.

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one...

I just worry that without actual proof that I'm a skilled translator, my proposals will be ignored, since I've had zero jobs so far and have yet to prove myself. Don't know how many clients will actually look at my portfolio, since that's the only 'proof' I have right now.

Yeah, the translation tests are a little wonky. Clients, unfortunately, have no option but to assume that test scores are an accurate representation of your ability. Since you have other qualifications (a degree in Danish), I wouldn't even bother with the test. Hide it from your profile and let your degree do the talking instead.

It was not even likely that the English to Chinese translation test was designed by someone who can read both English and Chinese.

For example, in the question it says April 7th, and all the options read July 4th.

On the other hand the results don't really seem to matter. I personally just took the tests to make my profile 100% completed.

I've recently edited an English to French translation and had a shock: the person who had done the translation didn't even know how to use masculine and feminine (fairly complicated in French, I must admit).

I didn't get the feeling that the translation had been done by a machine. It had probably been done by an English native speaker with a good knowledge of French who didn't mind calling himself/herself an English to French translator.

Anyway, it was terribly weird. Wonder if that person had taken the Upwork tests and what the results were.

If you don't know how to use masculine and feminine the right way, you probably shouldn't do translations to French. That's why I don't offer to translate to and from German or French, even though I have a pretty good graps of both languages, just not good enough to do a proper translation. But that's what clients will get if they chooses people with the lowest rates.

@agnethe P wrote:

If you don't know how to use masculine and feminine the right way, you probably shouldn't do translations to French. That's why I don't offer to translate to and from German or French, even though I have a pretty good graps of both languages, just not good enough to do a proper translation. But that's what clients will get if they chooses people with the lowest rates.

I quite agree with you, but some Upwork clients are naive enough to request English native speakers to translate from English to French! This is asking for trouble, as all true translators know...

@agnethe P wrote:

1) If you don't know how to use masculine and feminine the right way, you probably shouldn't do translations to French.

2) That's why I don't offer to translate to and from German or French, even though I have a pretty good graps of both languages, just not good enough to do a proper translation.

3) But that's what clients will get if they chooses people with the lowest rates.

1) "Probably" LOL?

2) Yup. I live in Italy and speak Italian (sort of... but I can read is pretty well now) I wouldn't dream to offer my services to tranlate from Italion, let alone into it (shudder)

3) The sad thing is that it's not just the cheap clients. They simply don't know, so when someone tells them they can translate from x to Y they have little to go on. My newest client got me an editor (paid by her of course) so I can concentrate on translating without obsessing over small details or wasting time doing several rounds of proofreading. I've never been so productive in my (translation) life!

Some people genuinely think that a translator is someone who speaks one or many foreign languages and hence can translate from or into these languages.

And also, some people genuinely believe that they can write or translate into their foreign language. See how many Engrish writers we have here who won't agree that their work read totally unnatural to native speakers.

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light" —William Ashbless

@Rene K wrote:

Some people genuinely think that a translator is someone who speaks one or many foreign languages and hence can translate from or into these languages.

And also, some people genuinely believe that they can write or translate into their foreign language. See how many Engrish writers we have here who won't agree that their work read totally unnatural to native speakers.

And some people think that just because they can spell in their native language that makes them a writer.

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@Eve L wrote:

There is definitely something wrong with the translation test English -> Danish.

I just took the test for fun, and I got a full score (5 points - 1st Place). And I'm not even Danish. LOL!

I'm trying to find possible explanations to this miracle:

Let's say that you were the only person to take that test, that would explain why you're number one. Or let's say that all the people that have taken that test are like you, they don't really speak Danish, just doing the test for fun. I might give it a go!