RPR study guide
RPR · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) is one of the certifications listed by NCRA, the National Court Reporters Association, in its certification catalog alongside the RSR, RMR, RDR, CRR, CRC, CRI, and CLVS credentials. It is the core professional credential for stenographic court reporters - the professionals who make the verbatim record of depositions, hearings, arbitrations, and trials and then produce certified transcripts. Candidates are usually court reporting students finishing a training program or working reporters seeking their first national certification. Testing is administered through NCRA's Certification Test Center, which maintains separate information centers for online skills testing and for the written knowledge test, plus testing forms, FAQs, and exam retention policies. The RPR study guide has 4 sections and about 1,103 words.
01Professional Standards and Ethics
A reporter's authority rests on trust in the accuracy and neutrality of the record. Know the core duties: confidentiality of proceedings and transcripts; impartiality toward all parties; competence and continuing education; avoidance of conflicts of interest; and honest, timely production.
280 words, about 1 min02Legal and Medical Terminology
Build a map of procedure rather than memorizing isolated words. Civil cases move through pleadings, discovery, pretrial motions, trial, judgment, and appeal; criminal cases add arrest, arraignment, bail, plea, sentencing, and post-conviction review.
252 words, about 1 min03English Language Skills: Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage
Most usage questions reward finding the sentence's core: subject, verb, and any object. Check subject-verb agreement when phrases intervene ('The list of exhibits was,' not 'were'), and make pronouns refer clearly to one antecedent.
282 words, about 1 min04Reporting Procedures and Technology
A reliable reporter controls the mechanics without controlling the substance. Administer the oath or affirmation, identify speakers, mark and describe exhibits, preserve objections and rulings, and make a clear record of interruptions, off-record requests, and read-backs.
289 words, about 1 min