This information is provided by StenoLife. Please visit their website for more updated information....


Visit the author's web site http://www.stenolife.com



ARIZONA – The exam you must pass is basically a copy of the RPR.In addition to passing the RPR exam, one must also pass an Arizona Written Knowledge Test relating to Arizona codes and rules with a 75% or better score.

CALIFORNIA – The CSR exam is a 200 wpm 4-voice for 10 minutes at 97.5%.

COLORADO – Most agencies will let you work without certification, but you need an RPR to work in the court system.

GEORGIA - There is an A and B certification test. The A and B certification tests consist of three skills test (Testimony, Literary and Jury Charge) and a written test. The speeds for the A test are: 225 Testimony, 200 Jury Charge, 180 Literary. The speeds for the B test are: 200 Testimony, 180 Jury Charge, 160 literary. Passing rate for skills test is 96% accuracy; passing rate for the written exam is 85%.

IOWA - The Iowa CSR tests consists of written knowledge test, technical q & a at 180 (transcribed), non technical q & a at 225 (transcribed); and non technical multi voice at 200, from which one minute is chosen for readback. The written knowledge consists of medical and legal terminology, court procedures, spelling, and Iowa code sections and Iowa rules of court
relating reporters. It has a 70 percent accuracy requirement. The transcription requirement is 95 percent. There is no reciprocity for other states' CSR's. However, if an individual holds the RPR from NCRA, they are only required to take the written knowledge test to become an Iowa CSR.

ILLINOIS - The Illinois CSR consists of General dictation at 200 words per minute for 5 minutes with an allowance of 50 errors. Definition: spoken words presented in court proceedings, depositions, arbitrations, speeches and hearings).
Testimony, 2-voice, 225 words per minute for 5 minutes with an allowance of 57 errors.

KENTUCKY - Currently, there are no certification laws by the State of Kentucky.

LOUISIANA - Louisiana has a required certification exam, same as RPR, but if you pass the RPR, they reciprocate and you receive your CCR state certification.

MARYLAND- Currently, there are no certification laws by the State of Maryland.

MASSACHUSETTES - There is a Massachusetts CSR exam that is given twice per year, the last Saturday in October and April. It consists of 5 minute dictation of literary at 170, jury charge at 190, and two-voice testimony at 210. Applicants must pass with 95 percent accuracy. There is no written portion. There is currently no requirement to pass this exam to work in MA; however, there is currently a licensure bill in Judiciary Committee regarding requiring all court reporters to pass a CSR exam to become licensed to work in MA.

MICHIGAN – The state exam is pretty much a copy of the RPR.

MISSOURI - Missouri's CCR (Certified Court Reporter) Exam consists of - Five minutes of opening statement or closing argument at 180 standard words per minute - Five minutes of two-voice medical dictation at 200 standard words per minute - Five minutes of two-voice dictation at 225 standard words per minute - Applicant will be given a total of three hours to transcribe the dictation, with an accuracy of 95% required to pass - There is also a General Knowledge Test which is given, that consists of 100 questions, and a minimum score of 80% is required to pass. Applicants are given one hour to complete this test.

NEVADA - Nevada requires a state CSR to work in any form of reporting. State courts for the most part are covered by per diem reporters. Your judge loses an election, you're out too. The test is 12 mins live dictation, 2 mins are lead-in, 4 voice at 200 wpm, and a written knowledge test.

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey doesn't have a written part but we must pass 180 medical two-voice, 200 literary, and 225 4-voice.

NORTH CAROLINA- You do NOT have to be certified to work in the freelance field; however, you DO have to have an RPR to work for the Administrative Office of the Courts as an official.

OREGON – The CSR is not mandatory to freelance in our state; although, the CSR and/or NCRA tests are favored by many freelance firms when hiring. Oregon's CSR test is mandatory for working in court. It consists of five minutes of literary at 180, jury charge at 200, and two-voice testimony at 225. Passing score for each segment is 95 percent, and you must pass all three in the same sitting, unless you pass two, and then you are given credit for the two, provided you pass the remaining segment within 12 months.

PENNSYLVANIA - Pennsylvania is one of the few states that has no requirements to be a court reporter. Of course, one must be a notary to swear in witnesses. But as far as court reporting skills, there is no requirement.

RHODE ISLAND – You are required to type from an actual trial in court. You will sit in on a trial with a qualified reported who will be taking down the legal record. You get to take your notes home for 2 or 3 days and transcribe 10 pages. Your transcribed pages are then compared to the official reporter’s notes to see how you did. There is no set percentage you must get, it’s up for interpretation.

TENNESSEE - At this time only has VOLUNTARY licensure by the Tennessee Court Reporters Association. They are pursuing mandatory but as of yet it has not happened. Reporters are eligible for the voluntary licensure by either having a CSR from another state or passing the RPR.

TEXAS - The oral portion of the test, Part A, consists of 5 minutes of 2 voice dictation of questions and answers given at 225 words per minute (wpm), 5 minutes of dictation of jury charge given at 200 wpm, and 5 minutes of dictation of selected literary material given at 180 wpm. Each applicant shall personally take down the test, either in his/her own writing or in his/her own voice, and shall reduce to writing the takedown on either a manual or electric typewriter, or computer. The minimum passing grade on each section of Part A of the test shall be 95% accuracy.

WEST VIRGINIA- West Virginia requires mandatory certification for reporters in state courts and voluntary certification for freelancers. The West Virginia CSR is given at lower speeds than the RPR, so I'm pretty sure that they would accept the RPR rather than the state CSR if someone wanted to work in court.

Washington State, you must be a CCR to report.  The test consists of
two, 7-minutes takes at 200 wam.  You can transcribe either take.
Passing rate is 95%.  Washington does accept the RPR for licensure. 
more info:  [url=http://dol.wa.gov]http://dol.wa.gov[/url]

WISCONSIN - Wisconsin does honor other state's CSR exams as long as they match or are similar to RPR.

Visit the author's web site http://www.stenolife.com