Exams

NYSCRA offers two voluntary certifications:
Realtime Certified Reporter
Association Certified Reporter
Members of our association who earn these credentials demonstrate a commitment to continual competence and improvement in the art of shorthand reporting. NYSCRA credentials may not be used on any correspondence, including but not limited to email signatures and resumes, unless NYSCRA membership is current.

Realtime Certified Reporter (RCR)
Click here to register for the RCR online.

Format:  
Five minutes of deposition testimony and five minutes of court testimony (3-voice at 200 WPM)

Grading:
Passing is 96 percent (maximum 40 errors) per test.  Both tests are submitted.  Test-taker need only pass one to become certified.  Grading is based upon the accuracy of realtime transcription without editing.

Association Certified Reporter (ACR)
Format:
Written Knowledge
Legal Terminology (20 multiple-choice questions covering basic law, legal procedures, and legal terminology); and English Terminology (40 multiple-choice questions covering spelling, word usage, vocabulary and punctuation)

Skills:
200 wpm - 4 voice Testimony - 7 minutes
95% passing grade (maximum 70 errors)
175 wpm - 2-Voice Medical Q&A - 5 minutes
95% passing grade (maximum 43 errors)
Jury Charge - 175 wpm - 4 minutes - 95% (maximum 35 errors)
TO BE READ BACK within 12 minutes  

Reciprocity with NCRA certification holders:

1. Holders of the RPR or CSR may pay $50 to be granted the ACR.

2. Holders of the CRR may pay $50 to be granted the RCR.

3. Holders of the CRI may pay $50 to be granted the NYACT.

   Click here for form to apply for reciprocity
   

Other Exam Information

“JUDICIAL” EMPLOYMENT AND EXAMINATIONS

Employment in the NYS Court System
The New York State Unified Court System hires permanent court reporters based on statewide testing.  (Part-time, even per-diem, hires sometimes occur.)  Successful candidates, ranked by grade, are eligible for appointment to courts throughout the state.  There are separate examinations for the lower and higher courts. 

Examinations, when conducted, fill vacancies in the courts throughout the State of New York.  Promotional hires usually are made to the NYS Supreme and County Court before canvassing from the open-competitive list. 

Employment in Freelance
When seeking employment with a freelance agency, serious reporters arm themselves with objective proof of performance skills and knowledge.  Their attire and demeanor are also commensurate with working in the conservative arena of law and courts. 

Realtime reporting has become an integral tool of the successful freelance reporter.  Thus, achieving realtime certification, using up-to-date technology, and staying current about related technology are vital reporting tools. 

NYSCRA and NCRA offer training seminars, certifications, and other assistive tools.

“NONJUDICIAL” REPORTING AND EXAMINATIONS
Closed Captioning (Subtitling)
Text displayed on a television or large screen is high-tech court reporting technology at work.  During live broadcasts, reporters produce that text – using speech-to-text technology similar to realtime text produced for lawyers during court.  Certification is an extremely important prerequisite for employment in this arena. 

NCRA’s Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC) examination offers objective performance certification for captioners.
Click here for NCRA testing information

CART Reporting
CART providers usually provide communication access to the deaf, but also can display text to viewers onsite (often on oversized monitors), and stream text to the internet.  The function they perform is similar to captioning; that is, they instantly turn speech to text for immediate review.  Certification in this arena is also extremely important for employment.

NCRA’s Certified CART Provider (CCP) examination offers objective performance certification for CART providers.
Click here for NCRA testing information

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
One aim of a professional association is to provide court and related reporters the opportunity to objectively demonstrate their abilities – to prospective employers, for self-improvement, and to prepare for other tests.  To private-sectors employers, certification provides objective evidence of the reporter’s skill level, therefore supports employability.  NYSCRA, NCRA, and USCRA offer certification examinations.  

The Role of NYSCRA
NYSCRA alerts its members to upcoming employment and professional examinations.  It also posts known prep sessions and other known assists. 

When NYSCRA representatives negotiate for pro-reporter legislation, their bargaining position is strengthened when they can show a strong constituency who also objectively demonstrate fine performance skills. 

Another important reason why this association conducts examinations is an understanding that reporters cannot always travel to distant locations where other groups conduct similar exams, and so it brings these tests to the doorstep of our members several times annually.

Demonstrating the high-tech nature of the contemporary court reporting profession, and following the lead of NCRA, NYSCRA is currently in the process of converting to online testing.  Watch for confirmation.  Such will alleviate traveling to test locations and will better accommodate the candidate’s schedule, allowing flexible test scheduling and greater frequency.  

NCRA Certification Exams
Registered Professional Reporter (RPR)
Registered Merit Reporter (RMR)
Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR)
Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC)
Certified CART Provider (CCP)
Click here for NCRA testing information 

USCRA Certification Exams
Federal Realtime Reporter (FCRR)
[Click here for link to USCRA details and schedule]

SCHEDULE of CERTIFICATION/EMPLOYMENT EXAMS
Certification Examinations
NCRA EXAM SCHEDULES
USCRA EXAM SCHEDULE