Transcription Basic Transcription 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a speaker says 'gonna' in casual speech, what should a verbatim transcriptionist type?
- going to
- gonna (Correct answer)
- gon'na
- gna
Correct answer: gonna
Verbatim transcription captures speech exactly as spoken, including informal contractions like 'gonna'.
Question 2: Which file format is most commonly delivered to clients for a finished transcript?
- .mp3
- .docx (Correct answer)
- .wav
- .xlsx
Correct answer: .docx
Microsoft Word (.docx) is the industry-standard delivery format for transcripts due to its universal readability and easy editing.
Question 3: A speaker uses a technical medical term you cannot identify after multiple listens. What is the best practice?
- Leave a blank space
- Write your best phonetic guess in brackets (Correct answer)
- Skip the entire sentence
- Insert [inaudible]
Correct answer: Write your best phonetic guess in brackets
Bracketing a phonetic approximation (e.g., [sounds like: carboplatin]) flags uncertainty while preserving context for the client to verify.
Question 4: What does 'turnaround time' (TAT) refer to in transcription?
- The time it takes to upload the audio file
- The deadline by which the finished transcript must be delivered (Correct answer)
- The duration of the audio recording
- The time spent proofreading
Correct answer: The deadline by which the finished transcript must be delivered
Turnaround time is the agreed deadline from when the job is assigned to when the completed transcript must be returned to the client.
Question 5: Which practice best helps a transcriptionist maintain accuracy over a long recording session?
- Increasing playback speed to finish faster
- Taking short breaks every 45–60 minutes (Correct answer)
- Transcribing without headphones
- Relying on auto-generated captions as a starting draft
Correct answer: Taking short breaks every 45–60 minutes
Regular short breaks reduce listening fatigue, which is a major cause of transcription errors during extended sessions.
Question 6: When should a transcriptionist use the notation [crosstalk]?
- When background music is playing
- When two or more speakers talk simultaneously and cannot be distinguished (Correct answer)
- When a speaker changes topic abruptly
- When audio quality drops below a usable level
Correct answer: When two or more speakers talk simultaneously and cannot be distinguished
[Crosstalk] indicates overlapping speech from multiple speakers that is too intertwined to transcribe individually.
Question 7: In a transcript, how are numbers below 10 typically written in standard style?
- As numerals (1, 2, 3...)
- Spelled out (one, two, three...) (Correct answer)
- As Roman numerals (I, II, III...)
- As percentages
Correct answer: Spelled out (one, two, three...)
Most style guides, including AP and Chicago, spell out whole numbers one through nine and use numerals for 10 and above.
Transcription Basic Transcription 2
When a speaker says 'gonna' in casual speech, what should a verbatim transcriptionist type?