how to create a proofreading error report in excel
Thread poster: Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
Oct 17, 2015

Hi everybody,
I am going to attend a test for an agency and they asked me to proofread a text and then prepare an error report file in Excel.
I don't know exactly what am I suppose to make it.
Could someone give me any ideas?
I asked for some explanation but they didn't answer.
Thank you


 
Rolf Kern
Rolf Kern  Identity Verified
Switzerland
Local time: 22:53
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Nonsense Oct 17, 2015

Excel is a calculation programm and an error report has nothing to do with any calculation. The best method of presenting a table is with Word.

 
Stepan Konev
Stepan Konev  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 00:53
English to Russian
xBench or Trados Oct 17, 2015

Most probably they want you to create a report in xBench or equivalent QA tool that creates such reports. SDL Trados Studio also creates QA reports in excel. Some clients use Trados by default and do not believe in the existence of any other tools. Maybe this is why they don't reply to you (too obvious to ask).

[Edited at 2015-10-17 15:46 GMT]


 
Cilian O'Tuama
Cilian O'Tuama  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:53
German to English
+ ...
Ask for their empty Excel template Oct 18, 2015

In a proofreading context I doubt there is such a thing as a standard "error report file", in Excel or any other format.

Ask the agency for an sample/empty "error report file". Then you'll see their column headings and have a better idea of what they expect.

It probably does not involve any calculations. Some people just find it easier to create or read tables in Excel than in e.g. Word.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 21:53
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
They didn't reply? Oct 18, 2015

Then why are you bothering to do their test? If they can't be bothered to reply, will they be bothered to give feedback? Will they be bothered to reply when you have critical issues with real jobs? Will they be bothered to pay on time?

It's possible that they wanted experienced editors who already know the answer. In which case they've maybe already finished with you.

Or they may just be the type of time-wasting agency who hands out a list of instructions a mile long to
... See more
Then why are you bothering to do their test? If they can't be bothered to reply, will they be bothered to give feedback? Will they be bothered to reply when you have critical issues with real jobs? Will they be bothered to pay on time?

It's possible that they wanted experienced editors who already know the answer. In which case they've maybe already finished with you.

Or they may just be the type of time-wasting agency who hands out a list of instructions a mile long to be complied with in addition to the job. All this additional work will be unpaid, the original job will be underpaid and the deadline will be so ridiculously short that you won't be able to do your job correctly and deliver on time.

Or maybe I'm just getting too cynical. Maybe it's a lovely agency with a special need who are having email problems.

Anyway, in 15+ years of editing, I've never been asked for an Excel error report. However, I rarely work on bilingual files within a CAT tool, which I imagine is what this is referring to: copying source and target segments into columns 1 and 2 and the error in column 3.
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Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
they did reply Oct 18, 2015

They did reply but without answering my question.

It seems exactly the kind of agency which you described Sheila. A lot of instruction, a lot of requests and this test is to be done in four consecutive hours and I don't know if I have to make it online or if I could download the file and work on it with Trados.

Tomorrow I will see how it is and then I will let you know if you are "too cynical" or instead
... See more
They did reply but without answering my question.

It seems exactly the kind of agency which you described Sheila. A lot of instruction, a lot of requests and this test is to be done in four consecutive hours and I don't know if I have to make it online or if I could download the file and work on it with Trados.

Tomorrow I will see how it is and then I will let you know if you are "too cynical" or instead you are right (most probable)
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Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
they provided an Excel file Oct 22, 2015

With the file to translate they provided me with an Excel file with a table into which I had to report every mistake I found in a pdf file.

However, I did the test and I can get the results in... about three weeks!!

If I don't receive any answer from them, "please send us an email and we'll get to you asap".

So, that's it.


 
NuhaNuhaha
NuhaNuhaha
Montenegro
Proficiency test Dec 16, 2015

Hey Lorena, would you mind sharing with us how did you do on the test? I applied for a similar thing and I'm interested to see how you did.

 
Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
:( Dec 17, 2015

Unfortunately I didn't pass the test. I don't have much experience in subtitling but I wanted to try and see how it was.

How did you do NuhaNuhaha? (it's a bit difficult to spell your nickname..)

[Modificato alle 2015-12-17 08:51 GMT]


 
nguyen hue
nguyen hue
Vietnam
Local time: 04:53
English to Vietnamese
+ ...
:( Dec 20, 2015

I also took the test like that. They gave me the similar request. I will handle it in tomorrow and I also dunno the way to create a proofreading error in Exel. Can you share some experiences when doing the test like that?

 
Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
sorry Dec 22, 2015

for answering you so late

They sent me an Excel file with a table to fill in. I had to report the line number where I found the mistake, report the mistake, choose from a list the kind of mistake and suggest a correction.

I couldn't act directly on the file to correct. I had to report what I found in that table.

The rest of the test was a translation of a dialogue and of some film credits.... See more
for answering you so late

They sent me an Excel file with a table to fill in. I had to report the line number where I found the mistake, report the mistake, choose from a list the kind of mistake and suggest a correction.

I couldn't act directly on the file to correct. I had to report what I found in that table.

The rest of the test was a translation of a dialogue and of some film credits.

I hope you did best than me
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Matteo Ferrante
Matteo Ferrante
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:53
English to Italian
+ ...
I'm going to take that test today May 9, 2016

Hi Lorena,

Luckly I looked for info on this forum. I am going to take the test in a while. What concerns me more is the low rate of pay. But since the Agency is in India, that speaks for itself. I don't know what to expect, but if I won't pass it it won't be an issue since you I cannot get a life at these rates.



Lorena Croci wrote:

for answering you so late

They sent me an Excel file with a table to fill in. I had to report the line number where I found the mistake, report the mistake, choose from a list the kind of mistake and suggest a correction.

I couldn't act directly on the file to correct. I had to report what I found in that table.

The rest of the test was a translation of a dialogue and of some film credits.

I hope you did best than me


 
Lorena Croci
Lorena Croci  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:53
Member (2014)
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
Good luck! May 11, 2016

The rates are very low, but I think that if they assure you a constant and big amount of job, it could be worth doing.

Let me know if you pass the test.

Good luck



MatteoF wrote:

Hi Lorena,

Luckly I looked for info on this forum. I am going to take the test in a while. What concerns me more is the low rate of pay. But since the Agency is in India, that speaks for itself. I don't know what to expect, but if I won't pass it it won't be an issue since you I cannot get a life at these rates.



Lorena Croci wrote:

for answering you so late

They sent me an Excel file with a table to fill in. I had to report the line number where I found the mistake, report the mistake, choose from a list the kind of mistake and suggest a correction.

I couldn't act directly on the file to correct. I had to report what I found in that table.

The rest of the test was a translation of a dialogue and of some film credits.

I hope you did best than me


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 21:53
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Faulty logic, IMHO May 11, 2016

Lorena Croci wrote:
The rates are very low, but I think that if they assure you a constant and big amount of job, it could be worth doing.

I'm far more likely to take on a small, one-off, low-paying job (provided that it's interesting) than I am to take on a high-volume, regular, low-paying job.

Sandwiching in a low-paying job between two high-paying ones can be a good idea if it makes for a more interesting day. That's how we can make time for some pro bono work if we're so inclined. But spending all day, every day working for a low rate is a recipe for disaster, IMHO. You won't even have time to look for clients who pay better!


 
MarlonPierre
MarlonPierre  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:53
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Company Nov 5, 2016

I also did the test and unfortunately I wasn't approved. I don't have that much expertise in subtitiling. The name of the company is Deluxe Media, from India.

 


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how to create a proofreading error report in excel







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