Does anybody know if most agencies want you to have taken the RPR or if they’re just fine as long as you have the CSR? I think I just want to take the state exam directly to get my license but not sure if I will be at a disadvantage if I don’t take the RPR.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to choose a school for theory to start my steno journey and I’m having a difficult time choosing between careerluv and allie hall. From the encouraging students FB page it seems alot of people switch to allie hall for speeds so I would probably want to take her for speeds, and use careerluv for theory to save money. The issue is that allie hall has a waitlist for speeds if you don’t take theory with her. I don’t want to finish theory and then have to wait 6months to join her speed building. Do you think it would be worth it to spend $1800 on allie halls theory so I’m guaranteed a spot in her speedbuilding? Or Save money with careerluv and hope their speed building works for me and I can stay the whole time or just till a spot opens up in allies program?

Hello! I am currently a student who is required to interview a court reporter. Is there anyone that would be interested? It can be via messenger, email, or phone. I'm not planning on using much of your time, maybe 15 minutes or so. The questions focus on your experience as a freelance court reporter, your career path, and any advice you have for students entering the profession.

Thank you so very much!

Hi everyone! I am currently taking an English class, and my class uses the book Court Reporting: Bad Grammar/ Good Punctuation. I haven’t even learned any theory yet, this and legal terminology are my first classes. I did take projectsteno, but that is the extent of my court reporting knowledge so far lol.

Learning this grammar is HARD. There are so many rules, it just is not clicking for me. My professor has us learning a chapter and then we do a completely different chapter for homework. I don’t really understand why, but who am I to question. I plan to just buckle down and study these chapters and do the workbook together until it clicks, but does anyone have any advice on how to better learn this?

I've decided to ditch StenEd and enroll in MK's program to learn Magnum. My goal is to be a Silicon Valley Stenographer. If there are any current Stenographers in that area who would like to share their wisdom/experience with me please feel free to respond, thank you in advance!

Hello, noob here. I want to get into steno, and I currently use a tiny mechanical keyboard, similar to the one shown above.

From what I've seen, you stretch your pinky on the right hand to hit D and Z. Is it possible to shift your right hand over so your pinky rests on D/Z? Or would that make it difficult/impossible to type certain words? Do you need both index fingers to be able to hit \*?

Basically, could I do steno on a tiny keyboard, or do I need another column?

Hello all, don't know if this is the correct sub for this but I just got a secondhand machine that was in pretty great condition apart from the issue of it not feeding paper at all.

I took the top off to see if it was dust or old oil or something but its still not feeding at all. This machine didnt come with the manual and ive never had a steno machine before [my normal thing is typewriters] so im kinda flying blind trying to work out how to fix this.

I can force it to advance by pulling the paper, or manually rolling the groved metal roller on top, or by holding a key then pushing the long black bar at the top while stilling holding the key. The last one technically *works* but also makes that letter "double" is i suppose the best way to describe it? This is in the 3rd pic if i added them correctly, for R, S, K, W, and * only one key was pushed but the previous one would show up even though i hadn't pressed it if that makes sense?

If anyone has advice on what to do to fix it that'd be great, or if anyone has a manual for this particular machine that they'd be willing to share with me, thatd also be great

I’m back with some more questions about choosing a steno school. I recently attended the Tri Community orientation as it was well recommended on my last post. I loved the sound of the program right up until they said that they’re not taking anymore out of state students.

So I reached out to Allie Hall with the typical NCRA questions and I received the following responses:

1.  
2. What percentage of students graduate, and what percentage become reporters? All of my graduates are working reporters.
3.  
4. Do you know the success rate of your students who’ve taken the CSR?  I have never taken the time to figure this out as I have students all across the country with different CSR tests in each jurisdiction.
5.  
6. How many hours of live and taped dictation are there per hour, per quarter and per semester? Theory differs from speed building. Speed building has four hours of live courses per week and past classes are also recorded and uploaded to the dictation folder.
7.  
8. How often is multi-voice dictation given? I have a multi-voice dictation folder. Two-voice is given weekly and four-voice is given periodically.
9.  

I know Allie Hall’s program is highly recommended. But I’m really needing a program where there’s a lot of classes offered as I like more structured learning environments. Can anyone tell me about their experience with the class structure at Allie Hall?

Hello. Wondering if anyone has taken it. I test tomorrow and have studied the provided study guide and vocab but not sure what to expect. Would appreciate any insight as far difficulty, etc and how well studied I need to be to pass.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I am very interested in Stenography school and was looking for answers to a few questions I have.

1. I am looking to take Project Steno or the A to Z class before I enroll in a school. What is the stenoob for exactly? Is it for these programs and schooling as well? Or just practice? Should I purchase one or just a student machine?

2. If you’ve graduated already how much did you pay after school to start up your career? Is it possible to have a company pay for you to start up? I don’t have a lot of money at the moment and am a stay at home mom, trying to make a better life for my family and contribute more, so the cost I’m seeing to start so far is a little discouraging. Being at home currently, I have a lot of time to study but I’m not sure if I should just take a different route because of the cost. I don’t see myself doing anything else though, I REALLY want to do steno.

3. If you had FAFSA pay for your schooling and everything was covered, what school did you go to?

4. What is the best/easiest theory to learn? I heard I should pay attention to what theory is taught before I pick a school.

The NCRA's voting boxes are open for 24 hours.

I have linked the proposed amendments. Among them is the proposal to admit voice reporters to the NCRA.

No matter what your opinion may be, if you are a voting member, please take the time to cast a vote.

Mods, my apologies if this doesn't belong here.

I'll put a link to the voting page in a comment.

I have no idea how this fits in with anything.

I’ve been trying to track down a reasonably priced copy of Morson’s, but I haven’t had much luck. I’m not absorbing the material as well as I would like using the guide’s that are readily available. Does anyone have a reasonably priced copy or know where one could be found. I’ve been looking in groups but it seems most of the active members are students like myself. Thanks!

I just got a 94 on the rpr QA… how likely is it that i’ll get that 1% back through regrading? Trying to be realistic and not be too positive if that doesn’t happen too often. I’m proud of myself but soo butthurt rn😭

Hello! I’m seriously entertaining the idea of entering into the court reporting field after 10 years of being an Executive Assistant. 

I recently was laid off with a severance through August. I do have some savings I can live off of while I go to school, but I prefer to not touch it unless I absolutely have to. 

My question is - while I’m going to school and learning the ropes of court reporting and stenography, can I gain work in the field with proofreading and scoping? I’ve seen people say there’s a great need for this but I’m not sure if there’s training or certifications necessary for it? I live in Oregon and could only find info relating to reporting when it comes to licensing.

TLDR: Super eager to get into this field but curious about making money in it while mastering stenography! 

Is there anything I should know or get prepared for? I placed out of theory I so I’m going straight into theory II. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Anyone have experience working for Lexitas in New York? I prefer agencies where I don’t send availability and they just send me emails asking for coverage as needed. Do the rates make up for this? If not, does anyone know of any agencies that do assignments this way in New York State specifically where you don’t get assigned jobs and can say yes or no???

Hello! For context I am a student starting my journey on August 17th at ACI! I was wondering if a Stentura 400 could get me through theory and speed building? I am very tight on money as is so renting a machine is hard for me right now.

Thank you!

I didnt register for this semester through the school I was in so I lost the access to RTC. When I had it, there were dictations split up into weeks and each week had about 10-15 dictations with at least 3 being practice tests.

I signed up for the smart prep membership because I do like RTC, but it seemed very limited in how much dictation it offered in the main areas (lit, jc, qa) and speeds I'm working on.

Are the other memberships better? I really am just looking for 5 min dictations and an input that will show me what I got wrong.

Hello all, it is an exciting but difficult time for me because I am starting my career in August! The hard part is I must now pay for a machine. These prices are killing me and I have no choice but to finance! Don't get me started on buying the software too T_T.

I wanted everyone's opinions on what machine I should get. I was thinking one of the Luminexs. Is there a big difference between Luminex I and II? II is more expensive but does whatever it have over the Luminex I justify paying more? I could also do the Diamante, or is it too outdated a model to buy? NextGen of course is out of the question.

Any advice would be lovely.

I took a videotaped depo of a first responder regarding an accident he worked. I had not yet been provided the caption by the agency I took this for until this job was over (the law firm had not yet sent it and were working on getting it), and so I was not aware during this job that the defendant was a minor at the time (may not be anymore) and his name is listed as initials in the caption. During this videotaped depo they kept referring to him as Mr. Smith. I'd normally confirm with the attorneys how to proceed but as I wasn't aware at the time, I did not.

First question is I was going to change every Mr. Smith to Mr. J.S. or just J.S. Is that what you would do, even on a videotaped depo transcript? How would you proceed?

But also, as I have never actually watched any videotaped deposition, I'm really just curious, do they do anything to redact the name in the video or will they hear them say each time Mr. Smith?

For context, I recently tried the Platinum Steno theory YouTube course, got about 3/4 of the way through, and realize I just had too many questions to continue teaching myself theory. I want a course that is extremely disciplined, and I want to be pushed as hard as possible because I am worried about my tendency of giving up too quickly. Therefore I also want something fast paced so I can stay in a strict routine. Basically I need a theory course that forces me to lock in. I’d be able to start in January 2027 after I get my Bachelors this December. Any recs?

So I just took my Lit and Jury Charge legs of the RPR. Literary was very dense and I unfortunately got a 93% from the automatic grading system, and I doubt the official grade will be much different. However, I got a preliminary score of 97% for Jury Charge.

One thing that’s bugging me is that the documentation mentioned needing to do a pan of the room before the test, but there was no prompt during the verification process to do this. I was only prompted to take a photo of myself and my ID, but I’m nervous now that I somehow overlooked it.

Considering a career change into court reporting/stenography — looking for advice from current reporters

Hi everyone,

I graduated post-COVID with a degree in Paralegal Studies and have been working as a paralegal since. I’m also a Notary Public. I was recently laid off, and having some time to reflect on my career has made me seriously consider whether I want to continue down the traditional law firm path or explore another area within the legal field.

I’m looking into court reporting/stenography and would love advice from current reporters, students, or anyone familiar with the profession.

A few reasons I’m interested:

• I enjoy the legal field, but I’ve struggled with the competitive nature and office politics that can come with law firms. I’m interested in a career where I can focus more on developing a specialized skill and producing high-quality work.
• I’m naturally introverted, and I understand networking is likely part of succeeding as a freelance reporter. However, I see this as an opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone and build professional relationships in a different way.
• Flexibility and independence are very appealing to me. The possibility of remote depositions, freelance opportunities, and having more control over my schedule is something that really interests me. I like the idea of eventually having more ownership over my career and being responsible for building my own success.
• The earning potential is another factor. I’ve been wondering if court reporting offers more room for financial growth long-term. I live in NYC, and I’ve heard there is strong demand for qualified reporters here.
• I’m attracted to the fact that court reporting is a specialized profession. I like the idea of mastering a difficult skill and becoming someone with a specific expertise that is valuable and in demand. The shortage of qualified court reporters is appealing because it seems like there is an opportunity for people who are willing to put in the time and effort to develop the skill. I’m drawn to careers where my accuracy, ability, and experience directly contribute to my value.
• I enjoy detail-oriented work. My background as a paralegal has involved managing deadlines, legal documents, and case details. I like accuracy, precision, and technology. I currently type around 75 WPM and spend a lot of time working on computers, although I understand stenography is a completely different skill set.

I know court reporting is not an easy path. I’ve never played an instrument or learned another language, so I’m realistic that learning stenography will be a major challenge. At the same time, I’m open to learning a difficult skill and putting in consistent practice.

My biggest concerns are:

1. How difficult is court reporting school realistically, and what separates people who succeed from those who drop out?
2. For those who completed training, how difficult was it to find work afterward?
3. Is the demand in NYC truly as strong as people say?
4. How much networking is actually required, especially for someone who is more introverted?
5. How has AI affected the profession, and how optimistic are you about the future of court reporting?
6. Would you recommend court reporting to someone with a paralegal background?

I’m not looking for an “easy” career. I’m interested in building a specialized skill and finding a career path that fits my personality and long-term goals.

Any advice, experiences, or things you wish you knew before starting would be greatly appreciated!