Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) The examination
for certification as a certified shorthand reporter shall be administered by
the Division or its designated testing service.
1) Written Knowledge Examination. The written
examination is given to determine the applicant's competency and ability:
A) To understand the English language,
including reading, spelling and the applicant's knowledge of day to day
vocabulary, as well as medical, legal and technical vocabulary, without the use
of a dictionary;
B) To accurately
report any of the matters comprising the practice of shorthand reporting as
defined in the Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporters Act of 1984 [225 ILCS 415
] (the Act), by the use of any system of manual or mechanical shorthand or
shorthand writing;
C) To clearly
understand the obligations between a shorthand reporter and the parties to any
proceedings reported; and
D) To
understand the provisions of the Act.
2) Dictation Examination
A) This portion of the examination shall
consist of the following parts:
i) 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).
ii) Testimony, 2 voice, 225 words per minute
for 5 minutes with an allowance of 57 errors.
B) Transcription. Upon completion of both
parts of the Dictation Examination, the applicant shall transcribe both parts
in double-spaced form.
C) The
applicant shall be allowed an aggregate of three hours to complete all
transcription. Those retake applicants required to transcribe only one part of
the Dictation Examination shall be allowed one and one-half hours.
b) Grading of the
Examination
1) The passing score on the
Written Knowledge Examination set forth in subsection (a)(1) of this Section is
75% or better.
2) An applicant
shall pass the Dictation Examination set forth in subsection (a)(2) of this
Section if he/she successfully transcribes within the given time periods set
forth in subsections (b)(2)(A) and (B):
A) 200
words per minute for 5 minutes with 50 errors or fewer on the general dictation
part; and
B) 225 words per minute
for 5 minutes with 57 errors or fewer on the 2 voice testimony.
3) In scoring the Dictation
Examination, "Q" representing question and "A" representing answer shall not be
counted as words in the testimony portion; however, such signs must appear in
proper order in the transcript.
4)
Applicants who fail a portion of an examination will be required to retake
within a period of three years only the portion or dictation part of the
examination they did not pass.
c) Required Supplies for the Examination
1) Each applicant must supply his/her own
bound dictionary, pens, pencils, stenographic machine, erasers, stenograph
paper, and notebooks or note paper. The use of only one dictionary per person
is permitted. Computers shall be supplied at the location of the
examination.
2) Applicants shall
not be permitted to use tape recorders or other electronic recording devices
during the examination sessions.
3)
Typing paper will be provided.
d) The provisions of this Section shall apply
to applicants upon adoption without regard to where the applicant is in the
application process.
e) An
applicant for licensure who possesses an active Registered Professional
Reporter certificate by examination or a Registered Merit Reporter certificate
issued by the National Court Reporters Association shall not be required to sit
for the examination. The Division, upon recommendation of the Board, has
determined that the Registered Professional Reporter and Registered Merit
Reporter examinations are equivalent to the examination administered by the
Division.
