CATTI Level 2 study plan

Diagnose baseline by translating one 300-character Chinese editorial and one 250-word English op-ed under 60-minute timed conditions, then annotate every error by type (comprehension, collocation, register, grammar).

Build a personal error taxonomy with at least 6 categories and record the frequency of each category from the baseline test.

Compile a 100-entry bilingual glossary from two policy domains (e.g., economy and environment) using only official Chinese government white papers and their published English versions.

Drill sentence-splitting and clause-combining: rewrite 20 long Chinese sentences into English, keeping subject-verb-object clarity.

Translate two 400-character Chinese passages (one political/economic, one cultural) in 75 minutes each and self-revise against a checklist of accuracy, fluency, and register.

Practice English-to-Chinese compression: condense 15 verbose English sentences without losing propositions.

Memorize and actively use 30 formal connectives and hedging devices appropriate to CATTI register.

Compare your renderings against published official translations and log at least 10 recurring divergence patterns.

Shadow 15 minutes of English news audio daily, then record and compare your rendition for lag time and completeness.

Practice consecutive interpreting of 10 short Chinese-to-English segments (30-40 seconds each) using note-taking symbols you design and standardize.

Build a note-taking symbol set of at least 40 symbols covering logic links, numbers, negation, and proper nouns, and test recall after 24 hours.

Drill number handling: interpret 20 segments containing percentages, ranges, and large figures with zero errors.

Interpret 8 English-to-Chinese segments of 45-60 seconds with note-taking, targeting 90% proposition coverage.

Practice sight translation of two 250-word texts in 5 minutes each, focusing on smooth delivery and no self-correction.

Record and self-assess against a rubric of accuracy, completeness, fluency, and voice control; score each dimension 1-5.

Identify and drill your three weakest delivery habits (fillers, pauses, rising intonation, or rushed numbers).

Complete two full mock translation papers (one C-E, one E-C) under exam time limits and grade them with the official-style rubric.

Complete two full mock interpreting sessions (consecutive, both directions) and transcribe your output to count omissions and errors.

Cross-train vocabulary: convert 30 glossary entries from translation practice into active interpreting recall drills.

Analyze time allocation and identify where you lose points in each mode.

Target the two weakest error categories from week 5 with 10 focused drills each (e.g., passive voice, modifier placement, or number conversion).

Interpret 10 segments on unfamiliar topics (science, technology, health) to build topical flexibility.

Translate one 500-character passage on a topic you have never practiced, then compare against official parallel text.

Practice simultaneous-lite: shadow-and-render 10 minutes of slow speech to build split attention.

Run one full timed mock exam for each mode on separate days, simulating real conditions (no dictionary, no pauses).

Review every error and classify as knowledge gap, skill gap, or attention lapse; assign a fix to each.

Refine your note-taking system by removing symbols you failed to recall and adding high-frequency ones.

Build a final 50-term hot list of terms you repeatedly miss in both modes.

Re-run the week 1 baseline tasks and compare error counts to measure improvement.

Do light review only: rehearse hot-list terms, symbol sheet, and connective list for 30 minutes daily.

Simulate exam-day logistics: timing, breaks, and voice warm-up for interpreting.

Finalize a one-page exam-day checklist covering time allocation and common pitfalls.