RPR exam — what's the realistic pass rate and how long does preparation actually take?
I've been a court reporter for 3 years and I'm targeting the RPR this fall. My realtime speeds are in the low 200s on good days but my accuracy on the voice-writing portion fluctuates more than I'd like under pressure. I write on a Stentura 400 SRT and I'm using Eclipse for CAT.
The official stats say pass rates are around 60-65% but I've heard from working reporters that the number feels low given how experienced most candidates are. I'm trying to calibrate whether I'm ready or if I need another 6 months.
What does a realistic prep timeline look like for someone at my experience level?
The RPR practice materials helped me benchmark where I actually stood versus where I thought I stood. My accuracy was better on literary and Q&A than on jury charge, which is common — most people underinvest in the legal materials component.
Speed consistency under pressure is the key variable. If you're fluctuating on accuracy, you're not ready yet. The RPR literary portion runs at 225 wpm — you want to be hitting that reliably in practice before you book your test date.
3 months of targeted prep is realistic if you're already close on speed. The biggest gains usually come from drilling your untranslates — run transcript analysis, find your top 100 untranslated briefs, and add them to your theory.
Don't underestimate the written knowledge test. Shorthand theory, punctuation rules, proofreading — it's not hard but people blow it off and lose easy points. Run through it a couple of times in the last month.