MTPE training guide

When you receive a machine translation post-editing (MTPE) job, the first thing to remember is that unless the project manager explicitly says otherwise, you are expected to perform Full MTPE. Light post-editing exists, but it is the exception rather than the rule.

After reading this guide, please remember to submit the MTPE Training Survey to confirm you have completed the training and you understand the requirements of MTPE projects. We need to have the confirmation through a tracked method to comply with ISO standards, otherwise we cannot assign you MTPE projects.

Full vs. Light MTPE

Full MTPE is a comprehensive process. Every segment needs to be checked for accuracy, completeness, and readability. If the source text contains subtle tone or specific terminology, this must carry over into the translation. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax cannot be left “good enough”. The translation should be refined until it is accurate, clear, stylistically consistent, and aligned with client instructions. Sentences should flow naturally, and formatting should be preserved as closely as possible.

Full post-editing (Full MTPE) is defined very carefully in the ISO 18587:2017 standard. Post-editors must ensure that:

• No information is added or omitted
• Inappropriate or incorrect content is edited
• Sentences are restructured to ensure proper meaning
• Grammar is corrected and syntactically accurate
• Terminology is correct and used consistently
• Spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation errors are corrected
• Client style guidelines, if received, are followed
• Required formatting is maintained

Light MTPE, instead, only focuses on making the text understandable. This involves correcting major errors or omissions but leaving stylistic issues aside. Light post-editing has a more limited scope, and the focus is on:

• Correcting added or omitted information
• Addressing inappropriate content
• Clarifying incorrect or unclear information

Unless a job is explicitly labeled as Light MTPE, your default approach should always be Full MTPE. That means delivering a translation that reads smoothly, meets client standards, and is polished enough to stand in place of a fully human translation and that can be delivered to the client without any further editing.

How to Work in Bureau Works

Post-editing is done in Bureau Works. The MT you see there is Context-Sensitive: it is adjusted with the client’s translation memory and project resources. This means the system gives you suggestions that are already closer to the required terminology and tone. Every time you confirm a segment, your edits update the translation memory in real time, so later segments can reflect those choices immediately. This helps maintain consistency and reduces repeated corrections.

We highly recommend checking out our Bureau Works Quick Start Guide and watching the following webinars to learn our workflow and tips for working with BWX:

Bureau Works Workflow for Argo Translation - Part 1

• Dashboard Overview, POs and Starting Tasks
• Exploring the Editor Menu Tabs and Preferences
• Instructions, Reference Files, Shortcuts
• TM and Glossary Searches, Filters, Search and Replace​
• Q&A Session

Bureau Works Workflow for Argo Translation - Part 2

• New Search functions (Symbols and RegEx)
• Translation Memory and Glossary suggestions
• Recognize which context matches need to be checked
• QA check, filters and profiles
• Q&A Session

To take full advantage of real-time Translation Memory (TM) updates, you should confirm each segment as you work. This ensures that your translations are immediately written into the TM and can appear as fuzzy matches in the Suggestions tab during the rest of your task.

If you decide to confirm all segments at the end of the document, your translations won’t be available in the TM while you’re working. As a result, you won’t see your own fuzzy matches in the Suggestions tab, but only entries from the previous workflow step, which may be outdated.

While this workflow is not recommended, if you do choose to confirm all segments at once, make sure to check the box labeled: “Also save in Translation Memory the segments confirmed through this operation”. Otherwise, your translations will not be saved to the TM at all.

You can read our guide on how the translation memory updates and tips for editors here.

Bureau Works also provides a QA Check tool. It highlights issues such as inconsistencies, unedited source text, and spelling errors. Running QA regularly while you work makes it easier to spot problems before final delivery. You can use the filters to personalize it according to your needs.

Common Issues to Watch Out For

There are a few areas that require special attention during Full MTPE:

• Inconsistencies: Terminology must be used consistently. Check that repeated terms are translated the same way across the project, especially when the project already had an established TM or glossary.
• Formatting: The target text should reflect the source formatting as closely as possible. Pay attention to punctuation, spacing (including non-breaking spaces), capitalization, and numbering.
• Numbers and Units of Measure: Double-check decimal separators, thousands separators, and units of measure, since the AI can make errors converting them or fail to localize them at all.
• Tags and placeholders: Tags must remain intact, since they often control formatting or functionality in the final file. It’s especially important to deliver tasks without any tag errors. BWX has an AI tool to fix tags automatically on each segment, but the results may vary. If during the QA you see tag errors that you can’t seem to fix, please inform your PM so they are aware of the issue.

MTPE Training Survey

If you are interested in taking MTPE jobs, to comply with ISO standards we need you to confirm you have read this guide through a tracked method. Please submit the MTPE Training Survey to certify that you have completed the training and you understand the requirements of MTPE projects.