CA Court Reporter case studies
CA Court Reporter · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The California Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) credential is the state's license to work as a court reporter, and it is administered through the Court Reporters Board of California rather than by an independent testing company. Candidates typically pursue it to work in superior court proceedings, depositions, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and captioning-adjacent settings. The exam blends written knowledge testing with performance sections, so it rewards both editorial precision and machine speed. Written content covers English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; vocabulary and terminology; transcript formatting and reporting procedures; legal and judicial concepts; medical and technical terms; ethics and professional responsibility; machine operation; and reading comprehension and proofreading. The CA Court Reporter case studies are 5 cases and about 2,510 words.
1The Overlapping-Speaker Deposition
You are the certified shorthand reporter at a civil deposition in a personal injury case. The witness is a 71-year-old plaintiff who speaks quickly and occasionally overlaps with opposing counsel.
591 words, about 3 min2The Medical Record Abbreviation
You are transcribing a telephonic deposition of an orthopedic surgeon in a workers' compensation matter. The surgeon testifies about the plaintiff's lumbar spine.
503 words, about 3 min3The Deadline and the Missing Page
You are a freelance certified shorthand reporter who covered a two-day civil trial. The transcript is due under a court order in 10 days.
501 words, about 3 min4The Homophone Trap in Testimony
You are transcribing a criminal trial. A witness testifies: "I was standing by the curb when I heard the defendant say he was going to bury the money." Later, the witness says: "The police told me they found the money in a berry patch near the road." The audio is clear.
452 words, about 2 min5The Ethical Request to Alter a Transcript
You are a certified shorthand reporter who covered a family law hearing. Can you change 'I threatened to leave' to 'I considered leaving'?
463 words, about 2 min