Texas Judicial

Branch

Court Reporters Certification

Written Exam 

The written exam shall consist of objective questions touching on elementary aspects of court reporting, spelling, and grammar and Texas rules and procedure.

Applicants may not use a dictionary during the written exam.

The minimum passing grade on the written exam is seventy-five percent (75%).

The Commission does not provide study guides for the exam.

List of TCRA Recommended Study Materials 

Materials recommended for study in preparation for the written portion of the examination include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • National Court Reporters Association Publications:
    1. Systematic Guide to Medical Terminology
    2. Grammar for Shorthand Reporters
    3. Punctuation for Shorthand Reporters.
  • The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure applying to the duties and responsibilities of court reporters.
  • The Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.
  • All Texas Statutes relating to the duties and responsibilities of court reporters, especially the following:
    1. Chapter 52 of the Government Code, V.T.C.A.
    2. Articles 36.27, 36.28, 52.07 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
  • Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition), and
  • Black's Law Dictionary relating to vocabulary and spelling.