RDR Registered Diplomate Reporter study guide
RDR Registered Diplomate Reporter · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR) is one of the professional certifications administered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), listed by NCRA alongside its Registered Skilled Reporter (RSR), Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC), Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI), and Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS) credentials. It is designed for working reporters who want independent, third-party validation of advanced skill and knowledge beyond entry-level certification, and who intend to use that standing with courts, agencies, and clients. The RDR Registered Diplomate Reporter study guide has 4 sections and about 1,152 words.
01Reporting and Transcription Technology
Candidates must show command of the digital pipeline that turns stenographic keystrokes or audio into a deliverable transcript. Know the components: the writer (stenotype or voice), the CAT software, the personal dictionary, the translator, and the output formats (ASCII, RTF, PDF, e-transcript bundles).
299 words, about 1 min02English Grammar, Punctuation, and Vocabulary
Questions target the grammar a transcript must survive: subject-verb agreement across interrupting phrases, pronoun case (who/whom, I/me), restrictive versus nonrestrictive clauses, misplaced and dangling modifiers, parallel structure, and tense consistency in reported speech. Punctuation carries equal weight: commas that set off nonessential elements, semicolons joining independent clauses, colons introducing lists, em dashes for interruption, hyphens in compound modifiers, and quotation marks placed around exact testimony.
283 words, about 1 min03Legal and Medical Terminology
Expect procedural vocabulary: deposition, interrogatory, request for production, arraignment, voir dire, allocution, sidebar, proffer, hearsay, foundation, and Latin phrases such as habeas corpus, prima facie, sua sponte, and res judicata. Know the difference between a plaintiff and a defendant, a complaint and an answer, and an indictment and an information.
257 words, about 1 min04Professional Ethics and Business Practices
A reporter is an officer of the record, not an advocate. Core obligations include impartiality, confidentiality, accuracy, and avoidance of conflicts of interest.
313 words, about 2 min