Stenography Skill (Dictation and Transcription)
What the skill test demands
The stenography test is a dictation of 10 minutes at 80 words per minute, followed by transcription - conventionally 50 minutes for English and 65 minutes for Hindi - and is qualifying in nature. Your shorthand system (Pitman in most Indian offices) and your ability to read back your own outlines decide the result, not theoretical knowledge about shorthand.
Pitman essentials to drill
- Stroke thickness distinguishes paired consonants (p/b, t/d, k/g); position (first, second, third place) carries the vowel.
- Vowel signs, diphthongs, hooks (r, l, n), circles (s, z) and loops (st, str) must be written without conscious thought.
- Phrasing: common word groups (to be, in the, that the) are written as one outline; this is where speed beyond 60 wpm comes from.
- Build a personal list of administrative and ESIC vocabulary: contribution, dependant, disbursement, maternity benefit, corporation, regulation.
Worked example
800 words are dictated in 10 minutes. Transcribing at 20 words per minute takes 40 minutes, leaving 10 minutes to proofread - acceptable. To finish in 35 minutes and keep 15 for review, you need about 23 words per minute while reading shorthand. Set your practice target from this arithmetic rather than from a vague hope of typing fast.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing outlines you cannot read back under pressure - legibility beats speed.
- Leaving blanks; a contextually guessed word usually scores better than a gap.
- Ignoring punctuation and paragraphing during dictation.
- Practising only at 80 wpm; train at 90–100 wpm so the exam pace feels slow.
Record your own dictation and transcribe it daily to test real read-back speed.