9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate

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

9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

The Guide to Judiciary Policy requires the transcriber to authenticate the original and each copy with a certification on the last page of each volume.

AAERT's template certificate reads: "I certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the electronic sound recording of the proceedings in the above-entitled matter."

The certificate must not repeat the title page's contents, and no extra fee may be charged for it.

When more than one transcriber produces a volume, each transcriber's certification appears at the end of that volume.

A deposition officer's certificate under FRCP 30(f) states that the witness was duly sworn and that the deposition accurately records the testimony.

Last updated: September 2026

Blueprint topic 30106 asks you to identify correct formatting of the certificate or transcript certification. On the CET practical, the certificate is one of three required parts of the PDF, with the title page and index.

Federal requirements

Guide to Judiciary Policy , § 520.63 and § 510.40.30:

"The court reporter or transcriber is to authenticate the original transcript and each copy with a certification on the last page ."

"The certification is to appear on the last page of each volume of transcript."

If more than one reporter or transcriber produced the volume, each must certify at the end of that volume.

"The contents of the title page should not be repeated as part of the certification."

A rubber stamp may be used.

The certification is a required part of the transcript, and no extra charge may be made for it (§ 530.55(g)). If it is on a separate page with no transcript text, that page may not be charged.

• The wording
• Electronic sound recording (the CET's certificate)

The Guide (§ 520.63.30(c)) gives:

"I (we), court-approved transcriber(s), certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the official electronic sound recording of the proceedings in the above-entitled matter."

AAERT's Federal Format Template and Scalini key use a short form of the same wording: Certificate

• I certify that the foregoing is a correct
• transcript from the electronic sound recording of the

proceedings in the above-entitled matter.

• _______________________________ October 17, 2025
• [NAME OF TRANSCRIBER], CET

The parts: the heading Certificate ; the certification sentence; a signature line ; the date (the date you certify, not the date of the hearing); and the transcriber's name with credential. On the practical exam, AAERT's template tells candidates not to add their own name.

Transcribing someone else's notes

For a transcriber working from another reporter's stenographic notes, § 520.63.30(b) adds statements about accuracy "to the best of my ability" and a disinterest clause: that the transcriber is "neither counsel for, related to, nor employed by any of the parties" and "not financially nor otherwise interested in the outcome."

Stenographic record

For stenography, § 520.63.30(a): "I (we) certify that the foregoing is a correct transcript from the record of proceedings in the above-entitled matter."

Redacted transcripts

When a transcript is redacted under Judicial Conference policy, the redacted version is certified at the end, without causing a page roll-over (a smaller font may be used), stating that it is "a true and correct copy of the transcript originally filed with the clerk of court on [date], and incorporating redactions of personal identifiers requested by the following attorneys of record," and that redacted characters appear as an "x" or a black box (§ 520.63.30(d)).

Where the certificate goes

After the last line of the proceedings, typically after the adjournment or recess parenthetical: (Proceedings adjourned at 4:50 p.m.) in AAERT's template, (Recess at 3:54 p.m.) in the Scalini key.

On the last page of the volume. If it fits on the last page of text, it may go there; otherwise it sits on its own final page.

Not inside the body you paste into the practical's text box. AAERT's instructions say to paste the body only, without the title, index or certificate.

Signatures

The certificate is signed by the person who produced the transcript. For PDF transcripts, many courts accept an electronic signature such as /s/ Name . Follow the court's or client's requirements. Never sign for another transcriber, and never let someone else sign for you.

Deposition certificates are different

For federal depositions, the officer (the person before whom the deposition was taken) certifies under FRCP 30(f)(1) : "The officer must certify in writing that the witness was duly sworn and that the deposition accurately records the witness's testimony." Under FRCP 30(e)(2), the officer's certificate must also note whether review by the deponent was requested and attach any changes the deponent made. State rules add their own certificate requirements, often including disinterest statements and notary details.

When the reporter who recorded a deposition is not the person who transcribed it, agencies commonly use two certificates: the officer's certificate and a transcriber's certificate. The CET signs only the statement about the transcription.

• Certificate checklist
• Correct wording for the recording method
• Signature line signed (or left for signature on the exam, as instructed)
• Date of certification
• Name and credential of the transcriber
• No repetition of title page contents
• On the last page of each volume
• One certificate for each transcriber who worked on the volume