Transcription Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Transcription facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which feature in transcription platforms allows multiple transcriptionists to work on different sections of the same long audio file? → File splitting or chunking
2. What is the purpose of 'speaker diarization' in audio transcription? → Automatically identifying and labeling different speakers in an audio file
3. Which file format is most commonly used to deliver transcription timestamps for video captioning? → SRT
4. What is a 'transcript index' in legal transcription? → An alphabetical list of key words, names, and page references in a transcript
5. A dictating physician says 'the patient is a 45-year-old female.' In standard medical transcription, how should this be formatted? → the patient is a 45-year-old female
6. What is the industry-standard accuracy rate expected for professional transcription deliverables? → 98–99% or higher
7. What is 'macro recording' functionality in transcription software? → Automating a repetitive sequence of keystrokes or actions into a single command
8. For academic research qualitative interviews, which transcription style is most commonly specified? → Verbatim transcription (strict or intelligent)
9. What should you do if an audio file contains a strong regional accent that slows your comprehension? → Slow the playback speed and listen multiple times before guessing
10. When a speaker's accent makes a word unclear, what is the recommended first step? → Research the context and replay the audio multiple times before flagging as [inaudible]
11. What is the primary purpose of a 'turnaround time' (TAT) agreement in a transcription service contract? → To define the maximum time allowed between audio receipt and transcript delivery
12. Which practice best helps a transcriptionist maintain accuracy over a long recording session? → Taking short breaks every 45–60 minutes
13. What is a 'focus group transcript' primarily used for in a business context? → To document consumer discussions for market research analysis
14. A client instructs you to follow AP Style. How should you transcribe the time '3:00 PM'? → 3 p.m.
15. Which of the following best describes a 'two-pass' transcription workflow? → First drafting the transcript, then reviewing it against the audio a second time
16. In business transcription, what does 'action items' notation help meeting participants do? → Quickly identify tasks and responsibilities assigned during the meeting
17. In medical transcription, what is a 'verbatim' transcript? → A word-for-word record including all spoken words and fillers
18. In strict verbatim transcription, how should audible laughter be represented? → It is noted with a bracketed descriptor such as [laughter]
19. What is Automatic Transcription Software? → A software that transcribes spoken words into text
20. Which metric is most commonly used to measure a transcriptionist's efficiency? → Audio hours transcribed per work hour (often targeting 1:3 or 1:4 ratio)
21. When should a transcriptionist use '[PH]' notation in a transcript? → When a proper noun's spelling is uncertain and has been transcribed phonetically
22. For which project type is strict verbatim transcription most appropriate? → A research interview where the speaker's exact hesitations and emotions matter
23. What is a 'verbatim' transcript primarily used for in market research? → To capture exact participant language for authentic consumer insight analysis
24. In a radiology report, what section typically contains the transcriptionist's most critical output for clinical decision-making? → Impression
25. In strict verbatim transcription, how are repeated words handled? → Each repetition is transcribed exactly as many times as spoken
26. What is a 'style sheet' provided to a transcriptionist before a project? → Client-specific formatting rules, terminology preferences, and output requirements
27. Which timestamp format is most commonly required in court reporter transcripts in the United States? → HH:MM:SS:FF (hours:minutes:seconds:frames)
28. What is 'speaker diarization' in the context of automated transcription tools? → Automatically identifying and labeling different speakers in an audio file
29. A transcriptionist hears a word that sounds like 'affect' but context suggests an economic topic. What should they write? → effect
30. What does speaker diarization mean in the context of transcription? → Identifying and labeling who is speaking at each point in the audio