Transcription Transcription MCQ 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When transcribing a legal deposition, a speaker says 'um' and 'uh' repeatedly. What is the standard practice for these filler words?
- Always transcribe every filler word verbatim
- Omit fillers unless the client specifies verbatim style (Correct answer)
- Replace all fillers with ellipses
- Flag fillers with [FILLER] notation
Correct answer: Omit fillers unless the client specifies verbatim style
Standard legal transcription omits filler words unless the client explicitly requests verbatim style that captures every utterance.
Question 2: A medical transcriptionist encounters the abbreviation 'SOB' in a dictated note. In a clinical context, what does this most commonly stand for?
- Shortness of breath (Correct answer)
- Signs of bleeding
- Systolic over baseline
- Secondary organ burden
Correct answer: Shortness of breath
SOB is the standard clinical abbreviation for shortness of breath, one of the most common symptoms documented in medical transcription.
Question 3: Which timestamp format is most commonly required in court reporter transcripts in the United States?
- HH:MM:SS:FF (hours:minutes:seconds:frames) (Correct answer)
- MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM
- Relative elapsed time only
- Sequential line numbers only
Correct answer: HH:MM:SS:FF (hours:minutes:seconds:frames)
Court reporters and legal video transcripts use SMPTE timecode format HH:MM:SS:FF to sync the transcript with the recording.
Question 4: A transcriptionist hears a word that sounds like 'ileum' but the medical context suggests intestinal surgery. What should they do?
- Transcribe 'ileum' as heard
- Transcribe 'ilium' since it sounds similar
- Use [inaudible] as a placeholder
- Flag the word with a note for physician review (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Flag the word with a note for physician review
When a homophone creates ambiguity in a medical context, the correct practice is to flag it for physician review rather than guessing.
Question 5: In general transcription, what does the style guide term 'clean verbatim' typically mean?
- Word-for-word including all fillers and false starts
- Speech cleaned of fillers, false starts, and stutters but retaining meaning (Correct answer)
- Only complete sentences with proper grammar
- Paraphrased summary of spoken content
Correct answer: Speech cleaned of fillers, false starts, and stutters but retaining meaning
Clean verbatim removes filler words and false starts while preserving the speaker's actual words and meaning.
Question 6: A focus group transcript needs speaker identification. The moderator's voice is clear, but two participants sound very similar. What is the best approach?
- Label both as 'Unknown Speaker'
- Assign Speaker A and Speaker B labels and note the ambiguity (Correct answer)
- Merge their lines under one label
- Omit lines where speaker identity is unclear
Correct answer: Assign Speaker A and Speaker B labels and note the ambiguity
Using distinct labels (Speaker A, Speaker B) and noting the ambiguity preserves accuracy while flagging the limitation for the client.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the role of a 'style guide' in professional transcription work?
- It dictates the transcriptionist's typing speed requirements
- It defines formatting, punctuation, and terminology conventions for a specific client or industry (Correct answer)
- It lists prohibited words that cannot appear in transcripts
- It sets the file format in which transcripts must be delivered
Correct answer: It defines formatting, punctuation, and terminology conventions for a specific client or industry
A style guide establishes consistent rules for formatting, punctuation, capitalization, and terminology so transcripts meet client or industry standards.
Transcription Transcription MCQ 2
When transcribing a legal deposition, a speaker says 'um' and 'uh' repeatedly.
What is the standard practice for these filler words?