Dictation and Transcription Accuracy (Skills)
What the domain covers
This domain tests live dictation and transcription accuracy: speed, active listening, proper names, numbers, overlapping speech, unclear audio, and proofreading. Accuracy is measured against the record, not against how polished the sentence sounds.
Core rules
- Write verbatim; do not summarize, omit, or “clean up” grammar.
- Verify proper names, addresses, dates, and numbers from pleadings, exhibit lists, or the record; ask for spelling on the record when necessary.
- Mark unintelligible words as “(inaudible)” or “inaudible” consistently; do not guess.
- For overlapping speech, use a bracket such as “(Simultaneous discussion)” or identify the speakers if clear.
- Proofread against audio and documents; spell-check will not catch “fifteen” versus “fifty” or a wrong name.
- Build a job dictionary for recurring names, acronyms, and technical terms.
Worked example
The witness says, “The check was for fifteen thousand dollars.” The transcript reads: A. The check was for $15,000. Reasoning: the amount is transcribed in numerals for clarity, and the words “fifteen thousand” are not reproduced as “15 thousand.” If the audio were unclear between “fifteen” and “fifty,” the reporter would review the exhibit or mark the uncertainty rather than guess.
Traps
Guessing at a name; missing “not”; transcribing “would of” as “would have”; dropping an interrupted answer; failing to mark inaudible speech; relying on autocorrect for legal terms.
Key points
- Verbatim means exact words, not a cleaned-up paraphrase.
- Confirm names, numbers, and addresses from documents or on-record spelling.
- Mark unclear audio instead of guessing.
- Handle overlapping speech with a consistent bracket.
- Proofread against audio and exhibits; spell-check is not enough.