Grading Guidelines For The California Certificate in Realtime Reporting Exam

The CCRR exam consists of 6 minutes of two-voice dictation at 200 words per minute, with the first minute being an ungraded lead-in. Passing grade is 96% accuracy (40 errors). The test will cover general subject matter encountered by deposition reporters. Proper names or terms, if any, will be given during the instructions just prior to the exam. Examinees may use all upper case.
NOTE: Those who use upper/lower case will be graded on capitalization.

Automatic Fails:

    • Two drops of 10 or more words.
    • Single-spaced transcripts.
    • Transportable media that do not contain the test file.

 

What is an error?


1. Each plural read as singular and vice versa.
Dictated: Let me check the dates.
Translated: Let me check the date. 1 Error


2. Each present-tense verb read as past tense and vice versa.
Dictated: In other words, you acted as a clerk.
Translated: In other words, you act as a clerk. 1 Error


3. Each misspelled word.
Translated: hotpital (for hospital)
Translated: bakeed (for baked) 1 Error

Dictated: That doctor is not my doctor.
Translated: That docter is not my docter. 2 Errors


NOTE: The same misspelled word is an error each time it occurs.

 

4. Each wrong name.
Dictated: Mr. Smith followed me home.
Translated: Mr. Jones followed me home. 1 Error


5. Each omitted period and/or comma that is required by the rules of punctuation and/or grammar.
Dictated: I couldn't. I was asleep.
Translated: I couldn't I was asleep. 1 Error
(one for the missing period)

Dictated: I couldn't. He was asleep.
Translated: I couldn't he was asleep. 2 Errors
(one for the missing period and one for the missing capitalization)

Dictated: I couldn't. He was asleep.
Translated: I couldn't {FPL} he was asleep. 2 Errors
(One for the missing period and one for the missing capitalization)

Dictated: September 20, 1993 will be the first day of classes.
Translated: September 20 1993 will be the first day of classes. 1 Error
(one for the missing comma. A comma after 1993 is acceptable but not required)

Dictated: Vienna, Virginia
Translated: Vienna Virginia 1 Error
(one for the missing comma. A comma after Virginia is acceptable but not required)

Dictated: If he doesn't call before noon, we will leave without him.
Translated: If he doesn't call before noon we will leave without him. 1 Error
(one for the missing comma after an introductory adverb clause)

 

6. Each obvious question mark omitted from an interrogative sentence or added to a non-interrogative sentence.
Dictated: Q. What is your name?
Translated: Q. What is your name. 1 Error


7a. Each incorrect number or money figure.
Dictated: May one, nineteen fifty one.
Translated: May 1, 1815 2 Errors
(two wrong words – 18 takes the place of 19 and 15 takes the place of fifty one)

Dictated: One hundred forty three dollars, sixty cents.
Translated: 143.60 1 Error (omitted $ sign or word "dollars")
Translated: $142.40 2 Errors


7b. Numbers between 1-10 are acceptable written in numbers or written out; over ten, numbers should be written in numbers:
Dictated: one hundred fifty
Translated: one hundred 50 1 Error (for style)
Translated: one hundred fifty 1 Error (for style)
Translated: 150 0 Errors

Dictated: one twenty-nine Main Street
Translated: one hundred twenty-nine Main Street 1 Error
Translated: 129 Main Street 0 Errors

 

8. Misspelled or non-capitalized names.
Dictated: Bill Clinton
Translated: bill Klinton 2 Errors


9. Each contraction written as two words and vice versa.
Dictated: I don't know.
Translated: I do not know. 1 Error

Dictated: they're
Translated: they are 1 Error

Dictated: they are
Translated: they're 1 Error


10. Each wrong word or mistranslated stroke:
Dictated: I didn't see the car until we hit.
Translated: I didn't notice any vehicle until we hit. 3 Errors

Dictated: I went down the street.
Translated: I went do you know the street. 3 Errors

Dictated: humanity
Translated: hugh man it tee 4 Errors

Dictated: Peterson
Translated: Peter son 1 Error
(one for the extra space only, since both parts of the name are spelled correctly)
Translated: Peter sop 2 Errors


11. Each omitted apostrophe that designates possession.
Dictated: The dog ate the cat's food.
Translated: The dog ate the cats food. 1 Error


12. Each conflict and/or any extra words contained in the conflict translation.
Dictated: I can take only one pair of shoes.
Translated: I can take only one pear of shoes. 1 Error

Dictated: Please help us to break this cycle.
Translated: Please help us to {break; brake} this cycle. 1 Error
(one wrong word; a conflict is considered one word, no matter how many words it contains)

Dictated: This drug will alleviate your pain.
Translated: This drug will a {leave; leaf} ate your pain. 3 Errors
(one wrong word and two extra words)


13. Each untranslate.
Dictated: Did you stay at the Marriott?
Translated: Did you stay at the MAR YOT? 2 Errors
(one wrong word and one extra word)


14. Numbers that do not hook together.
Dictated: This fossil is guessed to be from 1541.
Translated: This fossil is guessed to be from 15 41. 1 Error


15. Compound words separated with a space and with a change in meaning.
Dictated: I walked away from the ballpark.
Translated: I walked a way from the ball park. 1 Error

16a. Stacking errors.
Dictated: I went home. The victim was there.
Translated: I went home T victim was there. 2 Errors
(One for the missing period and one wrong word)

Dictated: He asked for you. I said you went out.
Translated: He asked for U I said you went out. 2 Errors
(One wrong word – the U takes the place of “you” – and one for the missing period)
Translated: He asked for. You I said you went out. 2 Errors
(One for the transposition of the period and “You” and one for incorrectly capitalizing “You”)


16b. Stacked Q. and A. symbols.
Dictated:
A. Then I left the house.
Q. And when did you return?
A. The next day.
Translated:
A. Then I left the house STKPWHRAPBD when did you return?
A. The next day. 3 Errors.
(One for the missing period after “house,” one wrong word – the stack takes the place of the Q. symbol -- and one for the missing word “And.”)


17. Missing Q. and A. symbols.
Dictated:
Q. What is your name?
A. Mary Smith.
Translated:
Q. What is your name Mary Smith. 2 Errors
(One for the missing question mark and one for the missing A. symbol)

 

18. Missed speaker IDs.
Dictated: Q. What is your name?
Translated:
BY : What is your name? 1 Error
Translated:
THE DEFENDANT: What is your name? 1 Error
Translated:
BY MR. JONES: What is your name? 1 Error

 

19. Transpositions.
Dictated: Q. Did you ask him to do that?
A. I did not.
Translated:
Q. Did you ask him to do?
A. That I did not.
(IF USING ALL CAPS, 1 ERROR FOR THE TRANSPOSITION.  IF USING UPPER/LOWER CASE, 2 ERRORS)

 

THE FOLLOWING WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS ERRORS:
1. Use of the word "dollars" instead of the $ symbol.
2. Use of the word "percent" instead of the % sign.
3. Omitted quotation marks.
4. A word that does not translate, but forms the correct English word.
Dictated: Hub
Translated: {HUB}
(IF USING ALL CAPS, 0 ERRORS. IF USING UPPER/LOWER CASE, 1 ERROR)
5. Omitted hyphens in compound adjectives.
Dictated: I was in a high-speed chase.
Translated: I was in a high speed chase.
Dictated: I wrote a 6-page letter.
Translated: I wrote a 6 page letter.
***MISSING HYPHENS IN STAND-ALONE ADJECTIVES, VERBS AND NOUNS WILL BE COUNTED AS ERRORS:
Dictated: I am self-employed.
Translated: I am self employed. 1 Error
Dictated: Please describe your self-employment.
Translated: Please describe your self employment. 1 Error
Dictated: Was it performed on-site?
Translated: Was it performed on site? 1 Error
Translated: Was it performed onsite? 1 Error
Translated: Was it performed on sight? 2 Errors
(One for the extra space and one wrong word)
Dictated: Were you blind-copied on that communication?
Translated: Were you blind copied on that communication? 1 Error

 

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