CSR Assessment & Evaluation Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the standard minimum dictation speed required to pass the CSR literary portion in most U.S. states?
- 160 words per minute
- 180 words per minute
- 200 words per minute (Correct answer)
- 225 words per minute
Correct answer: 200 words per minute
Most state CSR examinations require candidates to write literary material at a minimum of 200 words per minute with 95% accuracy.
Question 2: In a CSR speed examination, 'jury charge' dictation is typically administered at which speed?
- 180 wpm
- 200 wpm (Correct answer)
- 225 wpm
- 240 wpm
Correct answer: 200 wpm
Jury charge material is generally dictated at 200 wpm because it contains complex legal language that tests the reporter's legal vocabulary.
Question 3: How is a 'word' defined for purposes of calculating dictation speed in shorthand reporting speed tests?
- Any sequence of letters separated by spaces
- 1.4 syllables on average per word
- A standard syllable count of 1.4 per word or 28 syllables per minute per 20 wpm (Correct answer)
- Exactly five keystrokes on a steno machine
Correct answer: A standard syllable count of 1.4 per word or 28 syllables per minute per 20 wpm
Speed is calculated using a syllabic intensity standard where one 'word' equals approximately 1.4 syllables, so 200 wpm equals roughly 280 syllables per minute.
Question 4: What is the typical transcription time allowed after dictation ends in a CSR speed examination?
- 30 minutes regardless of test length
- Equal time to the dictation length
- A fixed ratio such as one hour per five-minute take (Correct answer)
- Unlimited time up to end of exam day
Correct answer: A fixed ratio such as one hour per five-minute take
Most CSR exams allow transcription time at a ratio, commonly one hour of transcription for each five-minute dictation segment.
Question 5: A CSR candidate transcribes 1,800 words from a 10-minute dictation segment and makes 18 errors. What is their accuracy rate?
- 98%
- 99% (Correct answer)
- 97%
- 96%
Correct answer: 99%
Accuracy rate = (total words − errors) / total words × 100 = (1,800 − 18) / 1,800 × 100 = 99%.
Question 6: Which of the following is generally NOT counted as a reportable error on a CSR transcription test?
- Omitting a word from the transcript
- Misspelling a proper noun that was not pre-listed (Correct answer)
- Adding a word not present in the dictation
- Transposing two adjacent words
Correct answer: Misspelling a proper noun that was not pre-listed
Most CSR grading rubrics exclude misspelling of proper nouns that were not provided on a word list, since reporters cannot be expected to know all spellings in advance.
Question 7: What does a 'conflict' mean in the context of machine shorthand evaluation?
- A stroke that causes the steno machine to jam
- Two different English words that produce the same steno outline (Correct answer)
- A discrepancy between the audio recording and the transcript
- An untranslatable symbol in CAT software
Correct answer: Two different English words that produce the same steno outline
A conflict occurs when two different English words share the same steno stroke outline, requiring the reporter to resolve ambiguity through context or a briefing stroke.
CSR Assessment & Evaluation Methods 2
What is the standard minimum dictation speed required to pass the CSR literary portion in most U.S. states?