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Language Requirements

An accreditation candidate should be able to accurately transcribe and translate documents from their chosen region from a variety of time-periods and with a variety of script styles.

If the candidate is accrediting in a region in which the primary language is not English, he/she will be expected to accurately translate documents of genealogical significance from the primary language into English. For regions that have documents in multiple languages, candidates will be required to abstract information of genealogical value (names, dates, places, events) in the languages other than the primary language of the region.

You will be required to identify all documents by type and language, if other than English. You will only transcribe and abstract English-language documents.

The Language Requirement Chart below is the current listing of the languages tested for each region.

Testing RegionTranscribe & TranslateAbstract
***Continental Europe***  
AustriaGerman, LatinGerman, Latin
BelgiumFrench, Dutch, LatinFrench, Dutch, German, Latin
CzechiaCzech, GermanCzech, German, Latin
FranceFrenchFrench, German, Latin
Germany NorthwestGerman, LatinGerman, Danish, Latin, French
Germany SouthGerman, French, LatinGerman, French, Latin
Germany EastGerman, LatinGerman, Polish, Latin
ItalyItalian, LatinItalian, Latin
LuxembourgFrench, German, LatinFrench, German, Latin
The NetherlandsDutch, LatinDutch, French, Latin
PolandPolish, German, LatinPolish, German, Russian, Latin
PortugalPortuguesePortuguese
RussiaRussianRussian
SpainSpanishSpanish, Catalan
***Latin America***  
MexicoSpanishSpanish
BrazilPortuguesePortuguese
Other approved Latin American examsSpanishSpanish
***Scandinavia***  
DenmarkDanishDanish, German
FinlandFinnish, SwedishFinnish, Swedish
NorwayNorwegianNorwegian
SwedenSwedishSwedish
***British Isles***  
EnglandEnglish, LatinEnglish, Latin
IrelandEnglishEnglish, Latin
ScotlandEnglishEnglish, Latin
WalesEnglishEnglish, Welsh
***Canada***  
OntarioEnglishEnglish
QuebecEnglish, FrenchEnglish, French, Latin
Western ProvincesEnglishEnglish
***United States***  
African-American EnglishEnglish
Great LakesEnglishEnglish, German
Mid-AtlanticEnglishEnglish, German
New EnglandEnglishEnglish
North CentralEnglishEnglish, German, Swedish
NorthwestEnglishEnglish
South CentralEnglishEnglish, French, German, Spanish
SoutheastEnglishEnglish
SouthwestEnglishEnglish, Spanish
Upper SouthEnglishEnglish