CRI CRI Speed Building & Accuracy Training 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'pyramid drill' in the context of steno speed training?
- A drill that starts at the student's top speed and gradually slows down
- A drill that progressively increases speed in small increments, then decreases back down (Correct answer)
- A drill that stacks multiple theory rules simultaneously
- A drill using pyramid-shaped note-taking grids
Correct answer: A drill that progressively increases speed in small increments, then decreases back down
A pyramid drill gradually raises the dictation speed in small steps until the student's limit is reached, then steps back down, maximizing exposure to challenge speeds.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'push speed' in steno instruction?
- The minimum speed a student can write comfortably
- A speed slightly above the student's current passing speed to force adaptation (Correct answer)
- The speed required by court reporting agencies
- The maximum speed recorded on a student's transcript
Correct answer: A speed slightly above the student's current passing speed to force adaptation
Push speed is intentionally set above the student's current passing threshold to create productive struggle and accelerate adaptation.
Question 3: A student passes 180 wpm consistently but fails 200 wpm. What intermediate step should an instructor introduce?
- Skip to 220 wpm to force faster adaptation
- Introduce 185 wpm and 190 wpm takes before attempting 200 wpm (Correct answer)
- Have the student retake 180 wpm until scores improve further
- Switch the student to a different theory to gain speed
Correct answer: Introduce 185 wpm and 190 wpm takes before attempting 200 wpm
Incremental speed laddering (185, 190 wpm) bridges the gap between passing and target speed, reducing frustration and building confidence.
Question 4: What role does audio quality play in steno speed accuracy training?
- It has no effect since students rely only on their steno machines
- Poor audio can introduce artificial errors unrelated to student skill (Correct answer)
- Higher audio quality artificially inflates student scores
- Audio quality only matters during transcription, not dictation
Correct answer: Poor audio can introduce artificial errors unrelated to student skill
Poor audio quality introduces mishearing errors that mask true skill level and give inaccurate diagnostic data, so instructors must control audio quality carefully.
Question 5: Which type of dictation material is typically most challenging for speed building due to high syllabic density?
- Literary (narrative fiction)
- Jury charge (legal instructions)
- Q&A (question and answer)
- Medical testimony (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Medical testimony
Medical testimony contains highly polysyllabic terminology that significantly increases syllabic intensity, making it one of the hardest categories for speed building.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'chunking' in steno speed building instruction?
- Breaking dictation into segments that match natural phrase boundaries to reduce cognitive load (Correct answer)
- Grouping students by speed level for separate classes
- Recording dictation in audio chunks for playback control
- Dividing theory rules into manageable review blocks
Correct answer: Breaking dictation into segments that match natural phrase boundaries to reduce cognitive load
Chunking leverages natural language phrase boundaries so students can anticipate and pre-stroke familiar patterns, reducing the cognitive demand at higher speeds.
CRI CRI Speed Building & Accuracy Training 2
What is a 'pyramid drill' in the context of steno speed training?