Maharashtra HSC Stenography (Occupational) study plan

Maharashtra HSC Stenography (Occupational) · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Shorthand Theory and Outlines (English Pitman system)

Master the Pitman consonant alphabet: write all 24 consonants from dictation of isolated sounds with 95% accuracy
Apply the six vowel places (first, second, third position) correctly while writing 60 one-syllable words
Practise the four vowel signs (dot, dash, heavy dot, heavy dash) and distinguish short from long vowels in 40 words
Drill stroke thickness control: produce light and heavy strokes distinctly on ruled paper for 20 minutes daily

A dated practice notebook containing 200 correctly vocalised outlines with self-marked errors under 10%

Week 2

Write and read back all 60+ common consonant outlines (grammalogues) from memory without hesitation
Apply the rules for upward and downward r, l, and h correctly in 50 words
Transcribe a 30-word-per-minute passage of simple prose into longhand with 90% accuracy
Use phraseography for the 15 most frequent legal/office phrases (e.g., 'in reply to', 'as soon as possible')

One clean 150-word transcription from shorthand notes with fewer than 8 errors, timed and dated

Week 3

Apply halving, doubling, and the -ing/-ings principles in 60 words
Use prefixes and suffixes (con-, com-, -tion, -ment, -self) as single strokes in 40 words
Dictate-and-write at 40 wpm for two 3-minute passages with 95% outline accuracy
Introduce contractions and special outlines from the official Pitman list, memorising 40 of them

Two 3-minute 40-wpm dictations transcribed with under 10 errors each, error log attached

Week 4

Reach sustained 50 wpm shorthand dictation for 5 minutes with 95% legibility
Transcribe a 5-minute shorthand passage into longhand in under 15 minutes
Type 25 wpm on a QWERTY keyboard with 97% accuracy on a 5-minute passage
Set up and use touch-typing home-row discipline with no look-down for 10 minutes

Timed 50-wpm shorthand dictation and 25-wpm typing test results logged on the same day with screenshots

Week 5

Push shorthand dictation to 60 wpm for 5 minutes with 95% accuracy
Transcribe 60-wpm notes into a mailable letter in 20 minutes
Type 30 wpm with 98% accuracy while using correct capitalisation and punctuation
Identify and describe the duties of a private secretary, including confidentiality and appointment scheduling
Draft a notice, agenda, and minutes for a mock meeting

A complete mock meeting file: notice, agenda, and minutes typed from shorthand notes within 45 minutes

Week 6

Draft a formal business letter in full block and modified block formats with correct salutation and complimentary close
Draft an application, a complaint, and a reply to a complaint using standard Indian business English conventions
Prepare an office filing classification scheme and index 20 mock documents
Explain the procedure for handling inward and outward mail, including dispatch register entries
Prepare a short note on banking, post office, and e-governance procedures used by a secretary

A portfolio of 6 typed business letters (application, enquiry, complaint, reply, order, circular) with correct layout

Week 7

Correct common Indian-English grammar errors: articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, tenses in 40 sentences
Write a 200-word précis and a 150-word paragraph on an office topic with clear structure
Translate 5 office letters from Marathi/Hindi into English and 5 English letters into Marathi/Hindi
Practise 30 Marathi/Hindi administrative terms and their English equivalents

A bilingual translation set: 5 letters each way plus a 30-term glossary, all typed

Week 8

Use word processor features: styles, tables, mail merge, headers and footers, and spell check in a mock office document
Use spreadsheet basics: formulas, sorting, and a simple salary sheet with SUM and AVERAGE
Complete a full mock test: 5-minute 80-wpm shorthand dictation, transcription, and 30-wpm typing in one sitting
Revise all shorthand special outlines, grammalogues, and phraseography from weeks 1–3
Review the error log and confirm no recurring error category remains

A full mock examination result sheet showing shorthand, transcription, and typing scores against pass benchmarks

Week 2: Read back 150 words of your own shorthand with 90% accuracy and recite all grammalogues from memory

Week 4: Sustain 50 wpm shorthand dictation for 5 minutes and type 25 wpm at 97% accuracy

Week 6: Produce a complete, correctly formatted meeting file and business letter portfolio without reference notes

Week 8: Score at or above the pass benchmark on a full timed mock test covering shorthand, transcription, typing, and office software