CDI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

What "Passing Score" Actually Means for CDI

Candidates researching the CDI Certification almost always ask the same question first: what's the magic number? RID and CASLI don't publish a single universal cut score the way some standardized tests do. Instead, the CDI credential is earned through a structured, criterion-referenced process - you either demonstrate the required competencies on each component, or you don't. There is no partial credit that carries between exams, and there's no blended average across the knowledge and performance exams.

Understanding this structure matters more than chasing a phantom percentage, because your actual job is to clear two separate gates: the CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam (CGKE), and then the CASLI Generalist Performance Exam for CDI. Each has its own pass/fail determination, and each is built around specific tasks Deaf interpreters perform in the field.

How the CASLI Generalist Knowledge Exam Is Scored

The CGKE replaced the legacy CDI-Knowledge Exam on January 1, 2021, and it's delivered as a computer-based test through Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron) at contracted testing sites. It's split into two distinct sections that are graded on their own:

• Fundamentals of Interpreting: 120 multiple-choice questions. Exactly 60 appear in written English with English answer choices, and 60 appear in ASL with ASL answer choices. You cannot choose a language preference - both formats are mandatory parts of the same section.
• Ethical Decision Making and Cultural Responsiveness Exam: 8 multi-step case studies that walk through realistic ethical scenarios, requiring you to apply reasoning across several linked decision points rather than picking a single "correct" answer in isolation.

Because the two sections are scored independently, you need to clear each one on its own merits. Passing Fundamentals with room to spare doesn't offset a weak showing on the case studies, and vice versa. This is also why the retake structure exists the way it does - more on that in the registration section below.

Knowledge exam results are typically available within 10 business days, which is fast compared to the performance exam. If you want a deeper walkthrough of how to prepare for both CGKE sections specifically, the CDI Study Guide 2026 breaks down preparation strategies section by section.

The Performance Exam Pass Standard

The CASLI Generalist Performance Exam for CDI, released November 16, 2020, is evaluated differently than the multiple-choice knowledge exam. Rather than a numeric score derived from correct answers, raters assess your interpreting performance against documented job tasks drawn from CASLI's 2018 Deaf Interpreter Job Task Analysis. This is a meaningful shift from the old CDI-Knowledge Exam, which was rooted in RID's 2000 Role Delineation Study - a difference significant enough that anyone who passed the retired exam must complete a bridge plan (an unscored learning module plus the Case Studies gap test) to align with current standards.

Because the performance exam is scheduled directly with a Local Test Administrator rather than through Meazure Learning, logistics differ too - and results take considerably longer: up to 90 days, versus 10 business days for the knowledge exam. Candidates comparing timelines should check CDI Exam Dates 2026 before locking in a testing window, since performance exam scheduling depends on administrator availability in your area.

Domain-by-Domain: What You're Actually Being Measured On

Whether you're sitting for the knowledge exam or the performance exam, everything traces back to four domains that structure the entire CDI job task analysis. Knowing what each domain covers is the single most useful thing you can do to translate "passing" from an abstract goal into a concrete study plan. For the full breakdown, see the CDI Exam Domains 2026 guide - but here's the essential map:

Notice that both the Fundamentals questions and the Ethics case studies pull scenario material from these same four domains - the multi-step case studies in particular tend to move a candidate through pre-encounter, encounter, and post-encounter decisions within a single scenario. If you're unsure how difficult this makes the exam relative to other interpreting credentials, How Hard Is the CDI Exam? compares it against related certifications in more depth.

Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics

"Exactly what you need to pass" also includes the administrative mechanics - because a missed deadline or a misunderstood fee structure can cost you as much time as a failed section. At CDI-rate pricing effective January 1, 2023:

• CGKE (full, both parts): $280 regular / $225 RID member
• CASLI Generalist Performance Exam for CDI: $395 regular / $310 RID member
• Single Fundamentals or Case Studies retake: $140

These reduced CDI rates require an audiogram documenting hearing loss of 65db or more in one or both ears. The audiogram doesn't need to be recent, but it must clearly name both the applicant and the audiologist or issuing office. A full cost comparison, including what happens if you need multiple retakes, is laid out in CDI Certification Cost 2026.

On eligibility: RID requires a bachelor's degree in any field, or completion of RID's Alternative Pathway (effective May 17, 2021). The old 40-hour training requirement was removed in June 2021 to create equity with hearing interpreter candidates. If you're still confirming whether you qualify to sit for the exam at all, CDI Requirements 2026 walks through eligibility in detail before you spend money on registration.

Timing also matters at the back end. Exams must be taken within one year of purchase or before the testing cycle expires, whichever comes first, and the full testing cycle runs five years from your first PASS notification. Missing these windows means re-purchasing rather than simply rescheduling.

Building a Domain-Focused Study Timeline

Generic study techniques only help if they're mapped to the actual structure of the CGKE and performance exam. Here's a compact way to sequence preparation around the four domains and the two-part knowledge exam format:

For a condensed reference you can review the week before test day, the CDI Cheat Sheet 2026 consolidates the must-know facts from this timeline into one page.

If You Pass One Part but Not the Other

One of the more candidate-friendly design choices in the CGKE structure is that a failed section doesn't send you back to square one. If you pass Fundamentals of Interpreting but fail the Ethics case studies (or vice versa), you only retake the section you failed - at the $140 single-section rate rather than the full CGKE fee. Just remember the three-month waiting period applies before you can sit for that retake.

Because Fundamentals is a prerequisite for performance exam eligibility, failing it specifically will delay your entire timeline more than failing the Ethics section would, since you can't move forward to schedule the performance exam until it's cleared. This is a key reason many candidates prioritize Fundamentals prep in the earlier weeks of their study plan, as outlined above.

CGKE vs. Performance Exam at a Glance

If you want context on how these mechanics translate into real outcomes, CDI Pass Rate 2026 examines what the available data actually shows, without relying on invented figures. And once you're certified, it's worth understanding the employers who value this credential - the CDI Jobs guide covers who hires for CDI-specific roles, from VRS providers to legal and medical interpreting agencies. You can also start practicing scenario-based questions modeled on the real domains right now at CDI Exam Prep.

Frequently Asked Questions