October marked the first time NCRA members and nonmembers had the opportunity to take the Written Knowledge Tests for the RPR, RDR, CLVS, and CRC certifications online through Pearson VUE; and the feedback so far has been positive. The online tests are available four times a year (January, April, July, and October).

The move to offer the WKTs online were the direct result of member feedback requesting the option for convenience, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions hindering in-person opportunities for testing. The decision to move online was made by NCRA’s Certification and Testing team. Feedback from several of the first-time online WKT candidates has ranged from having a smooth and positive experience to excited to receive their test results so quickly as well as receiving pre-test information and instructions that helped ensure they were ready to test and succeed.

“I thought the whole process was great,” said Lauren Richardson, an official court reporter with the Orange County Superior Court in California, who tested online in October. “This was my first time taking the WKT ever, so I have never taken it in-person. I can’t compare to how the in-person process was compared to the new online one, but if I had to choose to take it online versus in-person, I would definitely take it online,” she added.

“The best thing about being able to take the WKT online was I was able to stay in my pajamas. It was so convenient being in the comfort of my own home,” Richardson added.

Allie Hall, RMR, CRR, a full-time official court reporter and court reporting instructor from Tulsa, Okla., agrees that a major benefit to being able to take the WKT online was being able to do so in the comfort of her own home and the comfort of fuzzy socks and pajama pants.

As is common with most first-time endeavors, glitches still happen. Both Hall and Richardson reported that they did experience some issues initially connecting to Pearson VUE’s OnVUE when getting ready to take their tests. According to Hall, she was asked to reschedule her test via the automated chat while she was waiting to log on. However, since she was early, she instead logged off and logged back on as if she were just accessing her test, and she said it worked.

Richardson meanwhile said that she was trying to answer a question and was unable to click any of the options. “All of a sudden, the screen went completely white. There was an option on that white screen to ask a proctor for help. I asked for help immediately, and the proctor resolved the issue right away,” she said.

Richardson and Hall both said they felt very prepared to take their online WKT and offered those taking them online in the future several tips to help them to prepare before they test.

According to Richardson, it is important to make sure the candidate has a strong WiFi connection that is tested beforehand.

“Pearson VUE allows you to do a practice run to make sure you understand the process and to ensure all your equipment is working. Do it. Don’t let anything be a surprise. Also, just stay calm. If a technical error does happen, like it did for me, just relax. Use the proctor option immediately, and they will help you the best they can,” she said

Hall advises candidates to read the materials that are sent to them to familiarize themselves with procedures and be prepared. Also, she reminded candidates to log in 30 minutes early so that they have time to work out any problems with connecting to the proctor.

According to NCRA Senior Director of Education and Certification Cynthia Bruce Andrews, the Certification and Testing team have been welcoming feedback from first-time WKT online test takers and have continued to work with Pearson VUE to resolve any issues candidates have reported. Andrews encourages all future WKT online test takers to share their experience and feedback with her via email at candrews@ncra.org. NCRA’s Certification and Testing team are committed to ensuring that all online test takers have the best possible experience when testing.

To sign up for the WKT online tests, candidates will continue to register with NCRA and will receive a con­firmation email within three business days of registering that will include scheduling instructions for the test.

Candidates will schedule their test through www.pearsonvue.com/ncra and log on at their scheduled date and time within our testing window to take their test. Candidates will take their multiple-choice exam online while monitored by Pearson VUE proctors.

Technology requirements and full directions for the new online testing are available at NCRA.org/WKT. NCRA will continue to send all official results within four weeks of the close of our testing window via the email address on file with NCRA.

The next registration period is Dec. 1–31 for the Jan. 7–21, 2021, testing period. For more information or to register, visit NCRA.org/WKT.

By Margary Rogers

I started the free “It Pays to Phrase: CRR Practice, Prep & Motivation” practice group, which included four hour-long practice sessions held on Friday nights from 8 to 9 p.m.

So why did I start it? Because I know many of us are eagerly striving to pass the CRR test and because I know that realtime is the heartbeat of our profession. Stenographers desire to write the best that we can and acquire one of the greatest stenographic accomplishments, becoming a Certified Realtime Reporter.

Also, during this pandemic, it is great camaraderie to practice together. During our practices, we have fun. We share briefs and phrases and receive great advice and motivation from some of the best reporters in our profession.

We had 75 court reporters and students sign up for the “CRR Practice, Prep & Motivation” practice sessions. The participants were very professional, showed up on time, and were always on mute when they needed to be. They were eager to practice, eager to learn, and they were always in great spirits.

Truthfully, I was nervous when I saw all these people signing up for the practice. It was 30 people, 40 people, 50 people, 60 people, 70 people. I said to Ronda Thomas, RPR, CRR, a freelancer in Catonsville, Md., my right-hand partner in serving on the Maryland Court Reporters Association Board, “What did I get myself into?” We laughed, and she said, “You are going to do fine. I will help you.” So Ronda helped with preparation and management of some of the practice sessions.

Eventually, I calmed down when I remembered why I was led to create this practice group. It’s for the betterment of my peers, my profession — and of our paychecks.

I am so thankful to the NCRA testing and certification team: Cynthia Andrews, Senior Director of Education and Certification; Amy Davidson, Director of Certification and Testing, and their entire team. They took time out of their busy schedules to create a special CRR Prep PowerPoint video with audio specifically for the “CRR Practice, Prep & Motivation” practice group. It can’t get any better than that, hearing directly from the NCRA testing team.

I am so thankful to the four awesome motivational speakers who said yes when I asked them to be speakers at my practice sessions. Three of the speakers are CRRs, well-known and sought-after speakers in our profession, and they have a history of providing great advice and motivation to students and reporters. The CRR speakers were Anissa Nierenberger, RPR, CRR, CRC, CRI, a captioner in Boise, Idaho; Kim Xavier, RDR, CRR, CRC, CMRS, CRI, an official in Arlington, Texas; and Ronda Thomas, president of Maryland Court Reporters Association. And then we had the queen of Realtime Coach, Marybeth Everhart, who always brings laughter and calm to us every time she speaks.

For the first 10 to 15 minutes of the four practice sessions, one of the four speakers provided helpful CRR tips, motivation, software tips, and some real talk regarding passing the CRR examination. There were so many great nuggets we learned. One thing that we learned that some participants did not realize is that we can take the CRR test in ALL CAPS! Wow! This information is also listed in the “CRR What is an Error?” documentation. We learned so much invaluable information from those four speakers.

After each motivational speaker finished their talk, we began to practice. We practiced CRR practice dictation using Realtime Coach and Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR) Practice Sessions CDs. I also created some “It Pays to Phrase” handouts that included lots of frequently used phrases in testimony dictation. I also created a “It Pays to Phrase” job titles handout. We practiced on our machines for at least 45 minutes per session.

I am so thankful to Marybeth Everhart and Kelli Mulcahy, president of the United States Court Reporters Association (USCRA) for allowing me to use their practice material from Realtime Coach and the FCRR Practice Series during the practice sessions.

Realtime Coach is such a great tool for students and reporters for evaluating writing skills and progress. In Realtime Coach, we were able to adjust the speeds of the 200 wpm CRR practice dictation up to 220 wpm. I tried not to take the speeds more than 20 wpm past the speed we were trying to obtain for the CRR.

FCRR Practice Series CDs are also great tools to practice to. They contain some great court-related material, which include lots of job titles and drug names such as sergeant, lieutenant, special agent, corporal, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine.

I am thankful for my creativity and my love for event planning. I am a person who loves to squeeze in a party or a fun event at any given moment. So I thought let’s add some music to our practice at the end, and that is what we did. I wanted the practice sessions to be educational, motivational and, most of all, fun. At the end of our 45 minutes of steno practice, we had some well-deserved fun. We wrote and danced to some music. I thought it was a good idea to end our night on a great note. On our first day of practice, which was the day before Halloween, we wrote and danced to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson.

Since our practices were on Fridays, we also wrote and danced to Just Got Paid by Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, and Sigala, as well as Just Got Paid by Johnny Kemp. On our last Friday of practice, since the holidays are approaching, we wrote to The Twelve Days of Christmas which was fun and hilarious to write to (if you know how many times the song repeats itself).

I am thankful for the editors of the CRR Practice, Prep & Motivation flyer: Susan Watts, RPR, and Diane Salters, RPR.

I am thankful to all participants who wrote in the Zoom chats that they were thankful that I created the practice. They were thankful to have the opportunity to attend and learn. They were thankful for the speakers. They were thankful for the time and the order of the practice sessions. They were thankful to Marybeth and Realtime Coach. They were thankful to Kelli Mulcahy, RDR, CRR, an official in Des Moines, Iowa, for the FCRR Practice Series dictation. They were so thankful and appreciative that many of them asked that the practice continue.

So guess what our Friday night practice sessions will continue, starting on Friday, Jan. 22, same time, same place, 8 to 9 p.m. We also plan to add “Sunday Inspirational Practice” starting Jan. 24, which will include inspirational speeches, sermons, and songs. Email Sluwcerts@gmail.com to join us.

Don’t forget to sign up for our Court Reporter (KROERP) Karaoke on Fridays, Dec. 4 and 11, via Zoom, same time, same place, 8 to 9 p.m. Sign up by emailing sluwcerts@gmail.com.

Margary Rogers, RPR, CRI, is an official court reporter in Washington, D.C. Her email is mfrogers1@gmail.com.

Five of the fan favorite sessions from NCRA Connect Virtual 2020 conference are available as e-sessions for purchase, offering a great opportunity to earn CEUs to anyone who needs to maintain certifications or just upgrade the skills they need to continue working in this new era.

If you are interested in gadgets, don’t miss Reporters and Gadgets and Apps — Oh, My! presented by Lynette Mueller, RDR, CRR, a freelancer in Memphis, Tenn.

“Want to fill your need to embrace gadgets and apps and ease them into your workflow?” Mueller said. “My Connect Virtual webinar may be just what you’re looking for! I’m so honored that this session is a fan favorite and being offered to court reporters who couldn’t attend the convention this year!”

Mueller said she is careful about which apps and gadgets make her list.

“The criteria must be that they are unique and must do something that cannot be done with a different app or gadget or it does it better and more efficiently and, also, it must help with my court reporting workflow,” she said. “This learning session covers so many awesome recommendations — from remote depositions to microphones to headphones and many more!”

Watch Mueller’s Instagram account, @omegareporting, for details about a new contest she is running related to her presentation. It ends Nov. 14.

Another session features Rene White Moarefi, RPR, CRR, a freelancer in Houston, Texas, who presented about marking exhibits. She said, “You will learn how to confidently mark exhibits electronically with ease!”

The cost for each session is $55 for members and $79 for nonmembers. Each of the sessions are worth 0.1 CEU.

Five e-sessions from the NCRA Connect Virtual 2020 conference are being offered:

Reporters and Gadgets and Apps — Oh, My!

Presented by Lynette Mueller, RDR, CRR

Learn to be self-sufficient, productive, efficient, and courageous in your everyday professional life! Lynette Mueller will share the gadgets, apps, and other resources that assist her to meet the many challenges that may arise in the deposition or courtroom setting. She will also talk about the workflow she uses after the job — work smarter, not harder!

Ethics Jeopardy

Presented by Andrea Kreutz , CLVS; Mindy Sindiong, CLVS; LaJuana Pruitt, CLVS; and Tim Janes, CLVS

This session is presented as an educational game show where contestants answered everyday videographer scenarios. Categories include Remote Depositions, The Secret World, and It’s Not That Kind of Video.

Just Okay is NOT Okay; Is YOUR Realtime Good Enough?

Presented by Anissa Nierenberger, RPR, CRR, CRC, CRI

While realtime does not mean perfection, how do you know if your realtime measures up as a sellable product? Let’s look beyond the gray and examine concrete, real-world examples of what is great, good, and just okay. Just because you can read through it doesn’t mean that your clients can. Anissa Nierenberger will debunk untranslate rate myths and other misperceptions about quality realtime. She’ll also provide solutions to common stacking and easy brief ideas, as well as explain why you should be editing in a way that school never taught you! If you’ve felt “in the dark” regarding realtime standards, you won’t want to miss this presentation!

Social Media Bootcamp

Presented by Cathy O’Neal

What social media should I use? When should I post? How often? What should I say? Do I have to answer every stupid comment? Can’t someone else just do it for me? Social media can be just one more chore, or it can help you gain visibility, reputation, and clients. Learn the who, what, when, where, and why of social media from a seasoned communications pro who has a 3.2 million Facebook reach! Weed out the stuff you don’t need, focus on the stuff you do need, and walk away from the session with action items you can use right away to start building the social media presence you want.

Marking Exhibits Electronically for Remote Proceedings

Presented by Rene White Moarefi, RPR, CRR

This session will cover the steps for marking exhibits electronically during remote proceedings, including download and setup of electronic exhibit stamps.

For more information or to purchase any of these sessions, click here.

In May 2018, NCRA announced to members that a new Exam Retention Policy was recommended by the Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters (CAPR) and would be implemented in October 2018.

Under this policy, any person with an existing history of passed educational components or passed tests will have three years to complete the remaining components and earn their certifications. Translation: All pre-existing passed test histories (any earned prior to Oct. 1, 2018) will have an expiration date of Nov. 1, 2021. Beginning with the start of the Exam Retention Policy, any person passing a required education component or a Skills or Written Knowledge Test has an expiration of three years from the date of the official pass.

Despite the 2021 deadline being more than a year away, time passes quickly, and NCRA wants to make sure its members are aware of and understand the policy’s requirements.

NCRA places a high value on the standards it sets for the professional certifications it offers. The three-year time requirement on completing the components needed to earn a certification reflects this commitment and also aligns the Association’s policies with certification best practices.

A look back: Why the change?

CAPR, which is responsible for the development and administration of continuing education programs and credential examinations, reviewed the current policy, which allowed Skills Tests (SKT) and Written Knowledge Tests (WKT) scores to remain valid indefinitely. Members of the Council made the recommendation to place a three-year requirement on completing the components needed to earn a certification. Benefits of the Exam Retention Policy are that candidates are highly likely to maintain their skills while completing all requirements and that candidates will be more likely to pass all requirements for reporter certifications because their skills (speed and/or accuracy levels) will be at their highest.

How it works

Under the Exam Retention Policy, candidates for certification who have taken any mandatory certification education requirements or passed any SKTs or WKTs prior to Oct. 1, 2018,  have until Nov. 1, 2021, to pass the remainder of requirements for the certification for which those requirements apply.

Passing test scores will expire after three years if a candidate fails to complete the additional requirements to earn that certification. If an education component/test score expires, the candidate will need to repeat the education component or successfully retest before being able to earn the certification.

Have additional questions? View the Exam Retention Policy FAQs.

NCRA is excited to announce candidates will soon be able to take our Written Knowledge Tests from the comfort of the location you choose. Starting with our October 2020 Written Knowledge Tests, all WKTs will be given online through Pearson Vue four times a year (January, April, July, October). That’s right! It’s now possible to take your Written Knowledge Test online through Pearson Vue. Registration is open Sept. 1-30 to sign up to take the online WKT from Oct. 8-22.

Member feedback requesting online options and the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for in-person opportunities for testing solidified NCRA’s Certification and Testing team’s plans to expedite changes to the administration of our Written Knowledge Tests.

Candidates will continue to register with NCRA for their test and receive a con­firmation email within three business days of registering that will include scheduling instructions for the test.

Candidates will schedule their test through www.pearsonvue.com/ncra and log on at their scheduled date and time within our testing window to take their test. Candidates will take their multiple-choice exam online while monitored by Pearson Vue proctors.

“COVID-19 has us expediting several initiatives we had planned for 2021. By switching to online testing, we will be able to offer all WKTs giving candidates more opportunities to test throughout the year,” said Cynthia Bruce Andrews, NCRA Senior Director of Education and Certification. “The online testing instructions are a little different than the Skills Test; therefore, candidates are encouraged to read the instructions thoroughly,” she added.

“I believe NCRA’s decision to move the RDR, RPR, CLVS, and CRC tests fully online will result in more people earning those certifications,” said Brook Nunn, RPR, CRR, CRC, a captioner from Boise, Idaho.

“Simply put, it’s just more convenient. If we can take the Skills Tests online, the Written Tests should be even more straightforward. This is a win for everyone!” she added.

Technology requirements and full directions for the new online testing are available at NCRA.org/wkt. NCRA will continue to send all official results within four weeks of the close of our testing window via the email address on file with NCRA.

NCRA members and nonmembers registering for Online Skills Tests or Written Knowledge Tests this month are urged to read before they register to make sure they are fully prepared to test in July.

Online Skills Tests

Registration for Online Skills Tests for the RSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, and CRC certifications is open now through June 20 with testing dates available July 1 through 20.

Online Skills Test candidates should note that an external webcam is required for online testing. Be aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a huge demand for webcams. Given this information, candidates should not register to test unless they have an external webcam to use and have completely read all of the technical requirements needed to test online.

Once candidates register with NCRA, they will receive a confirmation email from Realtime Coach within three business days. Their confirmation email will contain scheduling information for their test. Candidates are reminded upon receipt of their confirmation to schedule their test. All tests must be scheduled 72 hours in advance. If you do not receive a confirmation email within three business days of registration, please contact testing@ncra.org.

Online Skills Candidates should note:

• Candidates are encouraged to schedule their tests as soon as possible. There are a finite number of appointments available on each day, and they are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Wait times may be longer than normal and during peak times may be up to 30 minutes.
• Candidates are encouraged to test their equipment prior to exam day and should take advantage of doing a proctored practice exam to aid in this process.

NCRA’s Testing Department is collaborating with ProctorU to do everything conceivable to keep wait times as low as possible, but the current COVID-19 situation has created extenuating circumstances. Connection times with proctors may be longer than the less-than-15-minutes normal and could average 30 minutes or more due to the increased demand. For more information contact testing@ncra.org.

Written Knowledge Tests

Registration for the Written Knowledge Tests for the RPR, RDR, CRC, and CLVS certifications is open now through June 30 with testing available July 9-23. Candidates are urged to schedule the WKT with Pearson VUE, NCRA’s testing partner, upon receipt of their confirmation email with scheduling instructions. Please note that although additional testing centers have been added, the capacity at centers has been reduced due to COVID-19 restrictions. Scheduling early gives candidates the best chance at getting a slot at the testing center most convenient to their location. Be sure to visit https://home.pearsonvue.com/ncra for the listing of test center locations.

NCRA’s Certification and Testing Team would like to wish the best of luck to all of our candidates testing in July!