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Continuing Education

Ways to Earn Continuing Education

CEUS vs. PDCs

CEUs are awarded for classtime. These may be taken online, in webinar or e-seminar format, or as in-person classes. There will usually be a lecture component to a CEU worthy program. The individual submitting the course for credit must be the student/participant. All other activities for which we grant units would be awarded PDCs. For examples, click here.

Live Webinars

NCRA's live webinars feature leading speakers from around the country speaking on engaging topics relevant to the court reporting profession. This delivery format includes live audio and powerpoint slides that are controlled by the speaker in real time.  More Information…

Upcoming Webinars

MAY 2013

  • 5/29/13:  8-9:30pm EST:  Legal Terminology.  Join this webinar for an overview of evidentiary terms and their application with an emphasis on common courtrooom objections.  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.

JUNE 2013

THREE WEBINARS IN JUNE!  Register for all three June webinars and receive 15% off !!!

  • 6/6/13:  8-9:30pm EST:  Transitioning from Court Reporting to CART.  It is wise advice not to have your "eggs all in one basket."  With the variety of ways to use your skills in machine shorthand available today, learn how to make yourself more marketable -- and secure your financial future at the same time - by learning how to provide CART and Captioning services.  You've go to start somewhere!  This webinar will lay it all on the line so you know how close or how far you are from adding lines of revenue to your business.  This webinar is proudly sponsored by the NCRA CART Community of Interest.  Our presenter, Kathy Cortopassi, will provide a link for captioning at the beginning of the webinar.  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.
  • 6/18/13: 8-9:30pm EST: Stress Relief for Court Reporters - Part One:  3 Steps to Reporting with More Comfort and Ease. Please join us for this course specifically designed to empower court reporters with tools to manage daily stress.  Participants will enjoy more professional and personal life satisfaction by learning and implementing three powerful life-changing processes. Register here. 0.15 CEUs.
  • 6/25/13: 8-9:30pm EST: Stress Relief for Court Reporters - Part Two: Mindful Reporting and Editing for a More Balanced Life.  Please join us as we continue our stress relief for court reporters series.  Part Two of this series has been designed to help reporters create work/life balance.  Participants will learn the transformative power of mindfulness and how to apply it to work and home.  Register here. 0.15 CEUs.
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JULY 2013

  • 7/17/13:  8-9:30pm EST:  Speed, Realtime, and Beyond - Part 1.  Do you want to work smarter and not harder?  Do you want to make more money and have more job security because you are able to provide (clean and usable) realtime feed to counsel?  Please join us for Part One of this two part-series to help you become a better reporter and will teach you how to have fun while you're at it!
  • 7/31/13:  8-9:30pm EST:  Speed, Realtime, and Beyond - Part 2.  Please join us for Part Two of our Speed, Realtime and Beyond Series.  Work smarter and not harder!  This seminar will focus on how you can become a better reporter and have fun while you're doing it!

E-Seminars 

E-Seminars represent the most convenient way to earn CEUs when and where you need them. Featuring recorded video and downloadable handout materials, e-seminars allow you to access the best presentations from past NCRA events and webinars. Explore NCRA's E-Seminar Library here.

 Recently Added E-Seminars

  • So Many Comma Rules!  Let's Master a Few of Them!  Comma conundrums with Margie Wakemen Wells.  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.
  • Realtime Tips and Tricks (Keep It Simple Steno - K.I.S.S.).  Lesia Mervin will teach you to tweak your writing to become a better realtime reporter!  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.
  • What is the Cloud?  Shauna Beach will help you navigate the basics of the Cloud.  Register here.  0.10 CEUs.
  • Now that I have the Cloud, what can I do with it?  Shauna Beach teaches different ways to use the cloud in your reporting career!  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.
  • Netiquette:  Think Before You Click!  Kathy Zebert gives tips on handling electronic communication in a positive and professional manner.  Register here.  0.15 CEUs.
  • Netiquette:  Put Your Professional "FACE" On!  Please join Kathy Zebert as she covers tips to protect your privacy on social media networks.  Register here.  0.15 CEUs
  • Ethics:  It's Not Just a Word!  Part One.  Please join us to address, inform and question the general ethics behind gifting and how reporters are affected!  Register here.  0.15 CEUs
  • Ethics:  It's Not Just a Word!  Part Two.  Please join us as we continue the general ethics behind gifting and how reporters are affected!  Register here.  0.15 CEUs
  • How to Be a Professional Independent Captioner. Please join us to learn about the challenges and rewards of working as an independent captioner, not a captioner employed by a specific company. This webinar is sponsored proudly by the NCRA Captioning Committee. Register here. 0.15 CEUs.

NCRA Meetings and Events

NCRA holds a large number of educational events throughout the year from which members can earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain their NCRA certifications. More Information…

NCRA Pre-Approved Seminars/Events – State Associations/Third Party Vendors

Attend conventions, conferences, webinars or workshops provided by a State Association/Third Party Vendor that have been pre-approved for CEUs by the NCRA. 

The calendar of 2013 pre-approved seminars for obtaining CEUs is now available! Click here.

 Article Tests

These are two- to three-page articles, which are followed by a short multiple-choice test. Some research may be required to answer the questions. The passing score on these tests is 75% and they are marked Pass or Fail. The core area these tests fulfill will depend on the subject matter of the test. These tests may be taken only once for credit. More Information…

  • .25 PDCs for each test.

Book Tests

The Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters has developed a list of over 50 approved books for continuing education units. Each of these books has a 20-question short answer test. The passing score is 85%. The Core area these tests fulfill will depend on the subject matter of the book. These tests may be taken only once for credit. More Information…

  •  .25 PDCs for each test.

NCRA Certification Testing

Members who pass the NCRA Skills Test or the Written Knowledge Test (WKT) portion of the RMR, RDR, CRR, CLVS (if already an RPR), CCP (if an RPR), or CBC (if an RPR) will earn Professional Development Credits (PDCs). More Information…

  • Passing any skill portion of the RMR - .25 PDCs 
  • Passing WKT portion of the RMR - .25 PDCs 
  • Passing the RDR exam (WKT only) - .25 PDCs 
  • Passing the CRR exam - .25 PDCs 
  • Passing the CLVS Practical Test-Part II - .25 PDCs

Speed and Realtime Contests

All speed contests must be at or above the level of the RMR speeds in order to qualify for Continuing Education units. Credits for any speed contest leg will be awarded only once per three-year term. All realtime contests must be at or above 180 wpm straight matter, at 96% accuracy in order to qualify for CEUs. Credit for any realtime contest will be awarded only once per three-year term. More Information…

  • Each leg of an NCRA speed contest - .25 PDCs
  • Each leg of a state speed contest or Award of Excellence - .25 PDCs 
  • NCRA realtime contest - .25 PDCs
  • State realtime contest - .25 PDCs

College Courses

CEUs will not be awarded for any course involving a non-academic subject such as dancing, sewing, crafts, or learning a musical instrument. Please request a submission form from NCRA before sending in transcripts or certificates. All courses will be evaluated based on the core curriculum, depending on subject matter. All submissions must be accompanied by a $40.00 evaluation fee. College courses taken for credit (Grade must be "C" or above).

  • Each Semester Hour - 1.5 CEUs
  • Each Trimester Hour - 1.4 CEUs
  • Each Quarter Hour - 1.0 CEU

Audited college courses, correspondence courses, or CLEP exams

  • Each Semester Hour - .75 CEUs
  • Each Trimester Hour - .7 CEUs
  • Each Quarter Hour - .5 CEUs

Adult education classes not taken for college credit

  • .1 CEU for every contact hour

CPR and First Aid Courses

CEUs will be awarded for CPR and First Aid courses conducted by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or any other organization that meets the Federal standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

  • .1 CEU per hour, up to a maximum of 1.2 CEUs (Academic core) $40.00 fee

Credits for either of these two classes may only be received once each three-year term.

Promoting the Profession to External Audiences

Examples of events that would satisfy this requirement include presentations at court reporting schools (as a guest speaker or career day participant), law schools, and judges’ associations.  If a question arises as to whether an event qualifies, CAPR will review the request for approval.  Members seeking Professional Development Credits must submit an outline or agenda of their presentation, accompanied by either a signed NCRA submission form or letter signed by a representative of the host event..

Providing pro Bono Services (Judicial, CART, Captioning)

Pro Bono Services are defined by the Council of the Academy of Professional Reporters (CAPR) as “providing court reporting, realtime, CART, or captioning services for which compensation in any form was not rendered.”  In practice, this can include any variety of services, such as providing CART services for a deaf consumer at a meeting or church service or taking depositions for litigants who could not afford reporting services.Specifically, .25 credits will be awarded for a minimum of 2.5 hours of pro bono service, of which 30 minutes can be the preparation involved.  Services for two one-hour events plus 30 minutes of preparation, for example, can be combined for one submission.  The preparation time will be accounted for on the honor system.  Members will submit an NCRA form along with the $40 processing fee when requesting the credits.  The form must be signed by either the deaf consumer or the host of the event for which the pro bono services were performed.

Service on an NCRA, NCRF, or affiliate board or committee

Members will receive .25 Professional Development Credits per year of service on an NCRA, NCRF, or state court reporting association board or committee.  Service on a board or committee of the United States Court Reporting Association (USCRA) also qualifies for this category. Members will submit an NCRA form along with the $40 processing fee when requesting the credits, and the year of service must be completed prior to submission (with the exception of this first year, in which the service must be completed after October 1, 2011).  A cross check with NCRA or NCRF board and committee rosters will provide sufficient documentation for the national service.  For affiliate service and USCRA service, the state and USCRA boards will be required to maintain those records and verify a member’s service with a signature from the state or USCRA board president.

Involvement in a Formal Mentoring Program

To qualify for Professional Development Credits, mentoring must take place with students enrolled in a school.  A minimum of five (5) hours will be required for earning the .25 credits, and those hours can either be divided up among multiple students or can all be spent with the same student.  A mentor may submit the same student up to two times per cycle (for a total of 10 hours and 0.5 credits), if they have an extended relationship.

Reporters who host students completing their internships will also be entitled to earn credits.  Internship reporters are assigned by the school the students are attending, and the students typically fill out logs of time spent.  To earn Professional Development Credits, the reporter will also be required to fill out NCRA’s mentor form and can then submit a copy of the internship log at the end of the internship period.Mentoring relationships must be completed during the member’s three-year cycle.

Serving as Lead Chief Examiner at NCRA testing sites

Members will receive .25 Professional Development Credits for spending a year serving as an NCRA Lead Chief Examiner.  Members will submit an NCRA form along with the $40 processing fee when requesting the credits, and documentation will be verified with a cross check of NCRA’s master roster of chief examiners’ names.

In order to serve as an NCRA Chief Examiner, you must be a member of NCRA in good standing and preferably hold an NCRA credential.  Additional requirements include the ability to maintain strict confidentiality and security, adherence to NCRA policies and procedures, and administration of the exams at a suitable testing facility. 

Passing the new Association 101 Manual Exam (following national or state affiliate board service)

NCRA currently offers book and article tests, and members will earn Professional Development Credits for successfully passing – or writing – a qualifying book or article test under the new continuing education requirements (earning .25 credits per submission after October 1).  But the Association 101 exam will be a new offering beginning in October.  Following a year of state or national board service, members may download the Association 101 manual from NCRA’s website, study it, and then take a 50-question, open-book exam using the manual as the reference.  The grading and processing fee to download the test (and to record the credits, if you pass the exam) is $25.  A passing grade is 80% or 10 incorrect answers, and you will be notified of the pass/fail after the exam has been graded.  A member may only earn credits for the Association 101 exam once in his or her lifetime, but you may take it once per year until you have passed.