8.2 The Title Page

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

8.2 The Title Page

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

A federal title page must show the court, district, case name, docket number, presiding judge, type of proceeding, date and time, volume (if multi-volume), counsel and parties, jury presence, and recording and transcription methods.

For electronic sound recordings, the title page names the audio operator and the transcription company's name, address and telephone number.

AAERT's sample federal title page ends with the required method statement: "Proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording; transcript produced by transcription service."

AAERT's sample title page notes that a one-day case does not receive a volume number.

AAERT's CET template says not to add your own name in the transcription service block on the practical exam.

Last updated: September 2026

Blueprint topic 30102 asks you to identify correct title page formatting. The CET practical requires a title page, and every element on it is checkable against the case information sheet.

Required contents (federal)

The Guide to Judiciary Policy , § 520.43.10, requires each transcript to include a title page showing:

court name;
district;
case name;
civil or criminal docket number;
name and title of the judge or other judicial officer presiding;
type of proceeding;
date and time of the proceeding;
volume number (if multi-volume);
name and address of each attorney and the party represented;
whether a jury was present;
the court reporter's name, address and telephone number, if the record was made by stenography;

the audio operator's name, plus the name, address and telephone number of the transcription company , if the record was made by electronic sound recording;

the method by which the proceedings were recorded; and

the method by which the transcript was produced.

For electronic recording, the Guide 's example method statement is: "Proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording, transcript produced by transcription service." AAERT's sample uses the same words with a semicolon, and its margin note says "a comment on the method of capturing the record is required."

Under § 520.43.20, the complete record of appearances begins on the title page. The title page may be charged as a full page (§ 520.43.30).

AAERT's sample federal title page

Reduced to its structure (line numbers 1 to 25 run down the left margin on the real page): UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
EASTERN DIVISION

SARAH SMYTHE-RICHARDS and . Docket No. 07-CV-2735-JCS

ELIZABETH ANN MOODY, .

Plaintiffs, . Madison, Wisconsin
. Monday, July 9, 2007

v. . 9:00 a.m.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN .

BOARD OF REGENTS, et al., .

Defendants. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VOLUME I
TRANSCRIPT OF TRIAL
BEFORE THE HONORABLE JOHN C. SIMONE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE, and a jury.

APPEARANCES:

For the Plaintiffs: Sheridan & Fox, S.C.

By: MARY R. KENNELLY, ESQ.

49 East Midland Street, Suite 7
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
(608) 258-9625

For the Defendants: State Attorney General's Office

By: NADIM ETAN SABRAHAR, ESQ.

MICHAEL P. FONTELLE, ESQ.

...

Court Reporter: Renee DuPont

...

Transcription Service: Blaupunkt Reporting Co.

...

Proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording;

transcript produced by transcription service.

Reading it line by line

Part What to notice
Court heading Centered, capitals: court name, district, division

Caption Parties on the left with their roles ( Plaintiffs, / Defendants. ), separated from the right column by a column of periods; v. centered between parties; et al. when the caption abbreviates additional parties

Right column Docket number, city and state, day and date, time
Volume VOLUME I ; AAERT's note says "a one-day case does not receive a volume number"
Proceeding type TRANSCRIPT OF TRIAL (or OF BAIL REVIEW HEARING , OF MOTION HEARING , and so on)
Judge BEFORE THE HONORABLE [NAME] and title
Jury and a jury. shows a jury was present; a bench proceeding omits it

Appearances For the Plaintiffs: then firm, By: attorney name in capitals with ESQ. , address, telephone; each party represented listed separately

Court Reporter The person who recorded (for an electronic recording, the operator), with contact information
Transcription Service The company that produced the transcript
Method statement Required

AAERT's margin notes add two practical points: title page accuracy "is critical," so double-check every entry, and telephone numbers for counsel "are optional, but are helpful to include."

The Scalini version

AAERT's Scalini key applies the same layout to a state bail hearing: IN THE VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT / WILLISTON CRIMINAL DIVISION , caption STATE OF VERMONT, Plaintiff, v. ANTHONY SCALINI, Defendant. , Case No. 3994-10-13Cr , TRANSCRIPT OF BAIL REVIEW HEARING , BEFORE THE HONORABLE ALISON FLOWERS, SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE , and a Court Reporter: Sarah Smith, CER line. On the practical, copy the court, caption, case number, date, time, judge and counsel from the case information sheet exactly.

The transcription service block on the exam

In AAERT's Federal Format Template, the transcription service line reads "Redacted for CET Exam," with the instruction "Do not add your name here." The certificate's signature block carries the same instruction. The practical is graded anonymously, which is also why the PDF file name uses initials only.

Title page variations

Redacted transcripts: the notation REDACTED TRANSCRIPT goes on a blank line immediately below the case caption and before the volume number and the judge's name, without changing the length of the title page (§ 520.70.20).

Criminal cases: the caption reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. [NAME], Defendant. in federal court, or STATE OF... , PEOPLE OF... , COMMONWEALTH OF... in state courts.

In re matters: bankruptcy and similar proceedings use In re [NAME], Debtor.

Depositions: the title page names the deponent ( DEPOSITION OF... ) and the notice or rule under which it was taken, and the appearances often include ALSO PRESENT lines for the videographer or interpreter (Chapter 11).

Common title page errors

Wrong or missing docket number, or a number copied inconsistently with the case information.

Missing jury notation, or and a jury on a bench proceeding.

Counsel listed under the wrong party.

Missing method statement.

A volume number on a one-day proceeding.

The transcriber's own name added on the exam title page.