NOTE: Lack of knowledge of the rules is not an allowable exception for not following them.
UPCOMING EXAM DATES:
Envelopes must be postmarked before midnight on the deadline date. As dates are subject to change we recommend that examinees contact TCRA for confirmation of exam dates and locations. The deadline to register with TCRA for the exam is 30 days before the exam date.
EXAM DATES FOR 2011:
- 06/08/11 | Corpus Christi, TX
- 09/17/11 | The Woodlands, TX
- 01/14/12 | Austin, TX
- 04/14/12 | Austin, TX
- 06/20/12 | Ft. Worth, TX
- 09/15/12 | Austin, TX
ELIGIBILITY DEADLINE DATES FOR 2011:
Envelopes must be postmarked before midnight on the deadline date. If forms are incomplete, missing documentation, or are not sent by the deadline, the applicant will be considered ineligible to take the current CSR exam and must reapply for the next exam. Once eligibility registration closes no further exam items will be accepted.
The deadline to apply for exam eligibility with the Board office is 45 days prior to the exam date. Examinees will not be registered to take the CSR exam until deemed exam eligible by the Board office.
- 04/24/11 | Corpus Christi, TX
- 08/03/11 | The Woodlands, TX
- 11/30/11 | Austin, TX
- 02/29/12 | Austin, TX
- 05/06/12 | Ft. Worth, TX
- 08/01/12 | Austin, TX
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: (New)
To qualify for certification, a person must pay all required fees, comply
with the application procedures, and comply with the following requirements:
- Pass the CSR Examination
- Have a High School Diploma or GED equivalent (effective 09/01/11)
- Provide their state and national criminal histories
once
they’ve successfully completed the exam.
For more information on the fingerprinting process, including how to submit
inquiries on problems encountered during the fingerprinting process, please refer to the section
on Criminal Histories on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of our website.
* Applicants without criminal histories may be certified after the Board has
received the results of their reports.
* Applicants with criminal histories will be notified of the results of their
reports and will be required to submit documentation regarding the offenses for
review, consideration, and possible action by the Board. Applicants will then
be notified once a determination on their eligibility status has been made and
given any additional instructions that may be appropriate.
(Refer to section
(V) Certification in Standards & Rules for Certification
to obtain additional
details).
ORAL EXAM: (Part A)
(2) Part A Component.
(A) Part A will be composed of five (5) minutes of two-voice dictation of questions and answers given at 225 words per minute, five (5) minutes of dictation of jury charge given at 200 words per minute, and five (5) minutes of dictation of selected literary material given at 180 words per minute.
(B) Each applicant shall personally take down the test and shall reduce the takedown to writing on a manual or electric typewriter or computer.
(C) The minimum passing grade on each section of Part A is ninety-five percent (95%) accuracy.
(D) Applicants may use a dictionary during Part A.
(E) Applicants will be allowed three (3) hours to complete the transcription of Part A of the test. If time permits, an applicant may review his or her transcript but may use only the original takedown from which the transcript was prepared to review the transcript.
Options for qualifying to take the oral portion of the examination:
- If you're an RPR/RMR (NCRA) or CVR/CM (NVRA), you may submit a letter
from NCRA/NVRA, as an attachment to your application. The letter must be an
original, it must be notarized, and it must be on their letterhead. It must
attest to the fact that you have passed the RPR/RMR exam or CVR/CM exam and are
currently certified and in good standing. It must also indicate the date your
national certification expires. Said letter must be valid on the
exam date applied for in order to be a substitute for the Statement of
Proficiency (SOP). The letter is valid until the next expiration date of
the your national certification.
- If you're not an RPR/RMR or CVR/CM, or are either by way of grandfathering, you must file a Statement of Proficiency (SOP) form with the Board. The SOP shall be on the official form provided by the Board office. It must be certified by an instructor of a court reporting school and countersigned by the appropriate administrative officer of the court reporting school if the applicant attended the school. The person so certifying that the applicant has satisfactorily passed at the rate of 95% accuracy at least two tests on new material, dictated and graded by the person so certifying and taken by the method of shorthand reporting for which the applicant has applied for examination. The proficiency tests shall consist of new material and shall be administered all at one time (i.e., each test must consist of 180 wpm literary, 200 wpm jury charge, and 225 wpm Q&A.) Proficiency tests cannot be administered/passed in legs. The proficiency is only valid for one year and must be valid on the exam date for which you are applying.
Failure by the applicant to submit the SOP, or NCRA/NVRA letter, shall preclude the applicant from assignment to the oral examination.
Grading of the oral certification exam:
|
The minimum passing grade on each section of Part A is ninety-five percent (95%) accuracy. An error shall be charged for: (i) Each wrong word; (ii) Each omitted word; (iii) Each added word not dictated; (iv) Each contraction where read as two (2) words; (v) Two (2) words where read as a contraction; (vi) Each misplaced word; (vii) Each misplaced period that materially alters the sense of a group of words or a sentence; (viii) Each misspelled word; (ix) Each plural or singular if the opposite was dictated; and (x) Each wrong number. |
WRITTEN EXAM: (Part B)
(3) Part B Component.
(A) Part B of the test shall consist of objective questions touching on elementary aspects of court reporting, spelling, and grammar and Texas rules and procedure.
(B) Applicants may not use a dictionary during Part B.
(C) The minimum passing grade on Part B is seventy-five percent (75%).
Please be advised that the Board office does not provide study guides for the exam.
* List of TCRA's recommended study materials for the written exam.
Materials recommended for study in preparation for the written portion of the examination include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- National Court Reporters Association Publications: (a) Systematic Guide to Medical Terminology (b) Grammar for Shorthand Reporters (c) Punctuation for Shorthand Reporters.
- The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure applying to the duties and responsibilities of court reporters.
- The Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.
- All Texas Statutes relating to the duties and responsibilities of court reporters, especially the following: (a) Chapter 52 of the Government Code, V.T.C.A. (b) Articles 36.27, 36.28, and 52.07 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
- Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) and Black's Law Dictionary relating to vocabulary and spelling.
REINSTATING AN EXPIRED CERTIFICATION
See section (VII)
(g) of the Standards & Rules for Certification for CSRs Reinstating an Expired Certification.
Applicants reinstating an expired certification must meet the same requirements
as new applicants. For example, they must:
a) submit the same exam paperwork (see form requirements in Exam Procedures
section below)
b) submit the same qualifying documents to take the oral exam (statement of
proficiency or RPR letter)
c) submit the same fees (application and\or exam fees)
The exam registration process is two-fold.
First, applicants must apply for exam eligibility with the Court Reporters Certification Board (Board or CRCB).
Second, applicants must register for the certification exam with the Texas Court Reporters Association (TCRA), which is administering the certification exam on behalf of the Board.
Please refer to the Upcoming Exam Dates section for deadline details.
Before the Exam
- Applicants apply for exam eligibility with the CRCB.
Click here for Forms.
- See General Exam Information section for details on qualification requirements.
- Applicants must refer to the List of Exam Eligible Applicants to confirm their eligibility status prior to registering with TCRA.
New applicants will obtain their file numbers from this list as well.
If you are not a new applicant and you have lost your file
number please email our office at
crcbinfo@txcourts.gov to obtain this number.
- Applicants register for the exam, and pay exam fees, to TCRA. (Contact TCRA for registration details
such as forms, fees, etc.)
(Please note that any references to a file number on exam paperwork for TCRA refers to the file number assigned to the applicant by the CRCB.)
After the Exam
- TCRA will post test results on their website after the Supreme Court certifies the names of the successful examinees.
- CRCB will post the names of the successful examinees on its website as well as issue the new certifications.
First-Time Applicant Form
Requirements:
Mail the items below to: CRCB, PO Box 13122, Austin, TX 78711-3122.
1) Application for Certification (w/the $85 app fee),
2) Application for Exam Eligibility, and
3) Statement of Proficiency (SOP) or NCRA/NVRA letter (if taking oral exam).
Non First-Time Applicant Form Requirements (no fees due):
Mail the items below to: CRCB, PO Box 13131, Austin, TX 78711-3131
1) Application for Exam eligibility, and
2) * Statement of Proficiency or NCRA/NVRA letter (if taking oral exam)
(*) Please note that you do not need to re-qualify if your previous
SOP has yet to expire (as it is valid for 1 year), the same applies to your RPR
letter (as it is valid until the certification expires).
Forms are to be obtained from the Exam Forms section on the 'Forms' page of our website.
CERTIFICATION BY ENDORSEMENT:
Effective June 1, 2004 the Board began allowing licensees from other states to become certified in Texas without the requirement of passing the skills portion of the certification examination. Applicants will, however, be required to take and pass the written knowledge portion of the certification exam. The Board does not offer certification by reciprocity. Additionally, the process of certification by endorsement does not extend to RPR's/RMR's (or CVR's/CM's), nor does it extend to those reporters in states where certification by examination is not required. Furthermore, the endorsement process is not applicable to those whose state certification requirements are not substantially equivalent to that of the State of Texas. If you're a certified out-of-state reporter who would like to apply for certification in Texas, please go to the Forms section of our website and download/complete the Application for Certification by Endorsement.
FEES:
There is a one-time application fee.
First time applicants must pay the application fee. Those reinstating their certifications by taking the exam must pay the application fee the first time they retest.
All fees are non-refundable.
EXAMINATION FEES (due to TCRA):
- Both Written & Oral Exams: $190
- Oral Exam Fee: $125
- Written Exam Fee: $75
APPLICATION FEE (due to CRCB): $85
PAYMENTS:
The application fee is due 45-days before the exam date. Fees submitted to
the CRCB must be in the form of a money order, cashier's check, or bank-certified check made payable to the Court Reporters Certification Board or the State of Texas.
Ensure to include your name on your check. The Board cannot accept cash,
credit/debit cards, or personal/business checks.
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Updated: 24-Aug-2011
