1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan

AAERT Certified Electronic Transcriber CET

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1 Chapter 1: CET Exam Orientation

1.1 The CET Credential, Exam Format & Eligibility 1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan

2 Chapter 2: Ethics, Conflicts of Interest & Confidentiality

2.1 Ethical Obligations & Avoiding the Appearance of Impropriety 2.2 Conflicts of Interest: Recognizing and Handling Them 2.3 Confidentiality, NDAs, File Security & HIPAA

3 Chapter 3: Professional Behavior, Multi-Channel Audio & Equipment

3.1 Professional Behavior: Impartiality, the Accurate Record & Service 3.2 Multi-Channel Recording & How to Play Channels 3.3 Troubleshooting, Technical Escalation & Equipment Maintenance

4 Chapter 4: Proofreading, Spelling, Capitalization & Numbers

4.1 Proofreading vs. Literary Editing & Why Spelling Matters 4.2 Capitalization in a Transcript 4.3 Numbers in a Transcript

5 Chapter 5: [sic], Abbreviations, Clauses & Commas

5.1 [sic] and Abbreviations 5.2 Clauses & the Core Comma Rules 5.3 Commas in Testimony: Address, Introductory Words, Appositives, Series & Tags

6 Chapter 6: End Punctuation, Colons, Semicolons & Quotation Marks

6.1 Periods, Question Marks & Exclamation Points 6.2 Colons & Semicolons 6.3 Quotation Marks in a Transcript

7 Chapter 7: Apostrophes, Dashes, Hyphens, Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses

7.1 Apostrophes: Possessives, Contractions & Plurals 7.2 Dashes & Hyphens: Interruptions, Breaks and Compounds 7.3 Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses

8 Chapter 8: Federal Format, Title Page & Index Page

8.1 Federal District Court Format & Page Specifications 8.2 The Title Page 8.3 The Index Page

9 Chapter 9: Proceedings Page, Headers, Certificate & Colloquy

9.1 The Proceedings Page, Calls to Order & Page Headers 9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate 9.3 Colloquy, Question-and-Answer Format & Paragraphing

10 Chapter 10: Oaths, Parentheticals, Exhibits & Special Procedures

10.1 Swearing Witnesses, Parenthetical Notations & Exhibits 10.2 Quoted Material, Words Spelled on the Record & Italics for Non-English Words 10.3 Strikes, Playbacks, Recordings Played, Asides & Sidebars

11 Chapter 11: Special Designations, Interpreters, Remote Jobs & Verbatim Rules

11.1 Certified Questions, Redactions & Confidential Designations 11.2 Interpreters, Videographers & Remote Proceedings 11.3 Verbatim Transcription: Tics, Substantive Words & Chopped-Down Speech

12 Chapter 12: Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Transcriber Judgment Calls

12.1 Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Nonverbal Responses 12.2 Log Notes, Case Information, the Court Reporter & Judgment Calls on Names and Speakers

13 Chapter 13: Page Estimates, Originals & Copies, Drafts & Research

13.1 Page Estimates, Original vs. Copy & Rough and Expedited Transcripts 13.2 References, Internet Research & Understanding the Case

14 Chapter 14: Proceedings, Case Types & the Life Cycle of a Case

14.1 Types of Proceedings & Federal Read and Sign 14.2 Types of Cases & the Order of Court and Non-Court Proceedings 14.3 The Life Cycle of a Case

15 Chapter 15: Parties, Legal Documents, Jurisdiction & Venue

15.1 Parties, Participants & Types of Witnesses 15.2 Reading Legal Documents & Using the Docket 15.3 Jurisdiction, Venue & Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings

16 Chapter 16: Case Law, Citations & Jury Selection

16.1 Case Law & the Elements of a Case Citation 16.2 Jury Selection (Voir Dire) & Bench vs. Jury Trials

17 Chapter 17: Legal & Latin Terminology

17.1 Legal Terminology I: Pleadings, Motions, Orders & Procedure 17.2 Legal Terminology II: Evidence, Objections, Rulings & Trial Terms 17.3 Latin Terminology I: Procedure, Courts & Parties 17.4 Latin Terminology II: Doctrine, Evidence & Criminal Law

18 Chapter 18: Medical Terminology

18.1 Medical Terminology I: Word Parts, Directions & Anatomy 18.2 Medical Terminology II: Conditions, Procedures, Medications & Sound-Alikes

1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

The CET practical plays a four-channel recording in TheRecordXchange player; volume can be adjusted per channel and playback controlled with a USB foot pedal in Google Chrome.

The practical submission is a PDF transcript that includes a title page, index page and certificate, plus the body text alone pasted without line numbers.

AAERT recommends a VEC Infinity 3 or AltoEdge USB foot pedal; Word, WordPerfect, CAT software, a steno machine or a voice writer may be used, but not MaxScribe speech recognition.

AAERT's free Scalini practice set is a two-channel recording with case information, log notes and an answer key; the real exam uses four channels.

Last updated: September 2026

The practical exam is the part of the CET that most rewards rehearsal, and you can do nearly all of that rehearsal at home. AAERT's exam instructions describe the process in detail. Rehearse it until it is routine.

What you need

AAERT's equipment list for the practical exam:

a government-issued photo ID whose name exactly matches your registration;

a computer running Windows 10 or newer , an internet connection of at least 8 Mbps , a webcam and Google Chrome ;

wired headphones ;
a USB foot pedal (AAERT recommends the VEC Infinity 3 or AltoEdge );

Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, CAT software, a steno machine and/or a voice writer . AAERT notes that if you use MaxScribe, you cannot use its speech recognition;

your federal format template , which is on AAERT's Exam Resources page.

Exam-day workflow

AAERT's step-by-step instructions, in order:

Plug in the foot pedal and headphones, open your template, and launch Chrome.

Log in to Realtime Coach, connect to your ProctorU proctor, and complete identity and room checks. The proctor enters the exam password; proctors do not answer questions about exam content.

Open the Case Information sheet. It gives the court, judge, caption, case number, counsel, date and a summary of witnesses and exhibits.

In TheRecordXchange player, use the menu to Connect Foot Pedal , then set Foot Pedal Options . Open the Log Annotations under the player.

Play the four-channel audio and adjust each channel's volume as needed. Type in your word processor , not in the exam's "My Transcript" box.

Save the finished transcript, including the title page, index page and certificate , as a PDF . Do not put your full name in the file name; initials are fine.

Click Attach Transcript and upload the PDF.

Copy only the body of the transcript and paste it into the My Transcript box. Leave out the title page, index and certificate, and do not include line numbers. AAERT warns that the pasted text "is reviewed closely during grading."

Submit, then follow the proctor's instructions to delete the transcript and all exam files . Failing to do so can invalidate the exam.

The 180 minutes start when the exam launches. The remaining time shows on the Attach Transcript button. The recording must be transcribed completely; AAERT says you must "complete all of the audio files supplied."

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A time plan for 180 minutes

AAERT does not publish a time split. A practical plan for a 10- to 20-page transcript:

Phase Suggested time Goal
Setup 10 minutes Pedal connected, channels balanced, template open, case information read

Draft 100 to 110 minutes Type the whole recording once, flagging hard spots with a searchable marker such as **

Resolve 25 minutes Revisit flagged spots with single-channel listening

Proof and assemble 25 to 30 minutes Read-through, speaker IDs, headers, index page numbers, certificate, PDF export and paste

Buffer 10 minutes Upload problems, last checks

Two habits save the most points. First, finish the draft before perfecting any passage ; an untranscribed page loses far more than one uncertain word. Second, build the index last , after pagination is final, so the page numbers match.

Free practice materials from AAERT

AAERT's Exam Resources page has:

the Federal Format Template for Word. It is a 25-line numbered array that stays fixed whether text is single- or double-spaced;

sample pages for the title page, index page, opening statement, exhibit marking, swearing in a witness, examination Q and A, paragraphing in Q and A, examination header and certificate, and page headers ;

a practice transcript set ( State of Vermont v. Scalini , a bail review hearing) with the case information record, log notes, audio and an answer key. The practice audio has two channels ; the exam has four .

Transcribe the Scalini audio under timed conditions, then compare your work line by line with the key. The key shows AAERT's own choices on double dashes, (sic), exhibit parentheticals, the index layout and the certificate wording, all of which this guide covers.

Studying for the knowledge exam by weight

Spread your study time in proportion to the blueprint. For an 80-hour plan (an ExamFinch suggestion, not an AAERT requirement):

Blueprint domain Weight Hours Chapters in this guide
Grammar and Punctuation 30% 24 4 to 7
Transcript Format 25% 20 8 to 13
Working as a Legal Professional 15% 12 2 to 3
Legal System 15% 12 14 to 16
Terminology 15% 12 17 to 18

Grammar is tested in context. Practice by punctuating unpunctuated testimony, not only by memorizing rules. For format, lay a printed AAERT sample page beside your own transcript and check every tab stop, parenthetical and header.

After the exam

AAERT emails results once the practical is scored. For concerns about test administration or item fairness, AAERT requires a written report to the Certification Director within 5 calendar days after the exam. AAERT also publishes a CET Practical Exam Regrade Request Form.