Brittany Manifis recently became a certified Auslan interpreter, and she’s been inundated with work in Perth’s deaf community ever since.

But it nearly didn’t happen.

The first time she tried to get certified, she failed the test – which happens to more than half of all people who attempt it, according to the National Accreditation Authority for Translator and Interpreters (NAATI).

It comes as Australia grapples with a shortage of Auslan interpreters.