National Verbatim Reporters Association®

WWW.NVRA.ORG

STUDY GUIDE: Registered CART Provider – Master (RCP-M) Written Knowledge Test

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The National Verbatim Reporters Association® (NVRA®) is a professional

association of verbatim court reporters and other voice writing professionals.

NVRA® members document the official record of congressional hearings, court

proceedings administrative hearings, depositions, conferences and similar events and

proceedings. They also assist deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals by providing

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and realtime Broadcast Closed

Captioning. Using state-of the-art voice and stenographic methods, our reporters maintain the highest

standards of speed and accuracy in their field. NVRA® is the authority for the voice writing profession. We

support our members with official testing and certification, marketing, news and information, legislative

advocacy and professional development services.

NVRA® MISSION STATEMENT NVRA® advances the understanding, practice, education and professional standards of verbatim

reporters, CART providers, broadcast captioners and related professionals by promoting ethical behavior,

professional development and educational opportunities.

Copyright January 2017 National Verbatim Reporters Association® 629 N. Main Street Hattiesburg, MS 39401 E-mail: nvra@nvra.org Phone: 601-582-4345

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from NVRA®.

NVRA’s certification examinations meet the Standards for Educational and

Psychological Testing (1999) and have been approved by a registered psychometrician.

Further information can be found on our Web site at www.nvra.org.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Certification Testing ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

Validation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Critiques and Appeals .................................................................................................................................................... 4

The Study Guide............................................................................................................................................................. 5

What is CART ................................................................................................................................................................. 6

A Bit of Background ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

Benefits of CART ............................................................................................................................................................ 6

Laws Related to CART .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) ......................................................................................... 7

ADA ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7

IDEA Amendments of 1997 ............................................................................................................................................ 7

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508) ...................................................................................................... 8

Professional Guidelines ................................................................................................................................................. 8

What is the Difference between CART, C-Print, and TypeWell? ................................................................................... 9

The CART Environment ................................................................................................................................................ 10

CART in the Educational Setting .................................................................................................................................. 11

CART in the Legal Arena ............................................................................................................................................... 11

Differences Between CART and Reporting Legal Proceedings .................................................................................... 12

Hardware and Software ............................................................................................................................................... 12

Working with the Deaf/deaf community ..................................................................................................................... 13

Additional Resources: .................................................................................................................................................. 14

Vocabulary and Spelling .............................................................................................................................................. 16

General CART Terminology .......................................................................................................................................... 16

Homonyms and Word Usage ....................................................................................................................................... 16

Commonly Misspelled Words ...................................................................................................................................... 21

Word Construction ...................................................................................................................................................... 25

Punctuation ................................................................................................................................................................. 27

Sample Questions ........................................................................................................................................................ 27

Appendix A | Knowledge, Ability, Skills and Tasks ...................................................................................................... 33

Appendix B | Sample Critique Letter ........................................................................................................................... 34

Appendix C | Code of Ethics ........................................................................................................................................ 35

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Introduction Congratulations on deciding to pursue NVRA’s Registered CART Provider-Master (RCP-M) certification. The certification exam consists of a Written Knowledge Test and a Dictation Skills Test. The Dictation Skills Test is administered remotely and a complete description is contained in the Registered CART Provider - Master Rules, Policies, and Procedures document which can be found online at www.nvra.org. This study guide is intended to provide information that will assist you in passing the Written Knowledge Test portion of the RCP examination. Please be aware that this study guide is not intended to be comprehensive. Other resources one should use to study for the written knowledge exam are listed elsewhere in this guide.

Certification Testing

NVRA conducts certification testing several times per year. These tests are taken by experienced reporters, broadcast captioners and CART providers, brand new reporters, broadcast captioners, and CART providers, and students. Whether seeking certification in order to obtain employment, to receive increases in compensation, or simply to stand out from others in the field, NVRA certification testifies to the professionalism and skills of any voice writer.

With certification testing, NVRA is testing real world skills, not theoretical skills, of CART providers. In both the Dictation Skills Test and the Written Knowledge Test, NVRA is testing the things that a CART provider needs to be able to do and needs to know in order to be a qualified and professional provider. Therefore, NVRA utilizes professionally recorded dictated material for the Dictation Skills Test. The test does not use artificially enhanced, perfect audio played over headphones. That is not the real world. No working CART provider will have the opportunity to caption a class, meeting, appointment, etc. under those circumstances. Similarly, the Written Knowledge Test touches on a wide range of subjects, including spelling, punctuation, ethics, CART preparation and delivery, and professional practice. Even with the current emphasis on realtime voice to text skills, the professional CART provider must be well versed in all of the subjects mentioned above. NVRA is testing for real world abilities and is certifying our CART providers as capable of professional performance in the real world.

Validation NVRA’s certification examinations meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (1999) and have been approved by a registered psychometrician. This means that the questions for the Written Knowledge Test and the scripts for the Dictation Skills Test are created under strict guidelines and standards. They are vetted by subject matter experts who actually take the test. Once scored, questions or scripts that fall outside of acceptable norms are eliminated.

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In order for an item to be validated for inclusion in the Written Knowledge Test, the question and four possible answers must be written according to very specific rules mandated by the educational testing service. Additionally, in order to maintain their validity, all questions must be kept secure and never distributed outside of the actual test setting. Therefore, no notes may be taken by the test participant during the actual test, and NVRA is prevented from sharing any actual question or answer with a test participant or educator. If such sharing were to happen, the question and its answer would have to be eliminated from all future use. Part of the process of test writing involves research for correctness and the identification of a specific reference from which that answer was determined. Test questions and answers are not matters of opinion or supposition and are not subject to local custom. NVRA has written and validated several thousand questions for use in the Written Knowledge Test. These questions are randomized for each test event. Some questions may be repeated; some may not. Often, the topic of a question may be the same from test to test, but the specific wording of the question and the possible answers will differ. Validation further requires that the Written Knowledge Test be randomized and graded by an independent third party. Therefore, NVRA utilizes an educational testing service to administer and score the online Written Knowledge Test. All grading is done “blind” with no reference whatsoever to the name of the test participant. Further information can be found on our Web site at www.nvra.org.

Critiques and Appeals Following receipt of test results, a critique of test performance may be ordered by contacting NVRA Member Services. The Test Verification Committee completes these critiques and returns them to Member Services for distribution. Currently, the fee for a critique is $25. The critique is intended to assist test participants in identifying those areas that will require additional study in order for the test participant to pass the Written Knowledge Test. A sample critique will be found at Appendix B. Should a test participant experience an event or situation outside of their control that interferes with their ability to complete their test in an appropriate manner, that individual may file an appeal through Member Services. The deadlines and procedures for filing an appeal are found in the RCP-M Certification Rules, Policies, and Procedures Manual available online at nvra.org. Please note: A test participant may not appeal the number of errors on their exam, and the information contained in the critique may not be used as grounds for an appeal. As explained above, the answers to all questions are correct, thoroughly researched, and backed by official references. The fact that a test participant disagrees with the answer to a specific question is not grounds for appeal. Often a test participant will consult an outside party after the test and ask for an opinion regarding the possible answers to questions as they remember them to be, and they may receive agreement that they had marked the “correct” answer. This is not a reliable manner to determine one’s performance.

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Since taking notes during a test is not allowed, a test participant may be hard-pressed to remember the specific questions and the four answers verbatim. Often small differences contained in the answer choices make all the difference. One might remember the gist of the question and answers, but it would be rare indeed to be able to recall exactly. And, of course, the taking of notes during the test would result in disqualification, so everyone is relying on the memory of a test participant as to the contents of the 50 questions. Again, this is not grounds for an appeal.

The Study Guide This document, as the name states, is only a guide. It does not contain answers to all possible questions. Your preparation for the test cannot stop with this Study Guide. The Written Knowledge Test is comprised of fifty multiple choice questions. The required areas of knowledge are Preparation and Performance (85%), and Professional Responsibilities (15%). The validation process identified the knowledge, skills, and abilities required in each of those categories. The complete list is found at Appendix A to this Study Guide. The answer to every validated question will be found in one or more of the following references:

• Black's Law Dictionary (Full Edition) • Castilaw, D. (1993). Court Reporting Grammar and Punctuation (2nd Ed.). South-Western

Publishing Company • Dorland's Medical Dictionary • Keyes, B. Voice Writing Method (Sixth Edition) • Knapp, M. H., & McCormick, R. W. (2010). The complete court reporter's handbook (5th ed..

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, McKinley, S. (2012). • The CART Provider's Handbook. M.O. Book Company. www.mastorg.com • Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition • Morson, L.I.(2002). Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters (2nd ed. 4th printing). New

Egypt, NJ: Lillian Morson • NVRA Advisory Opinions • NVRA Code of Ethics • Okrent, CJ (2012). Legal Terminology for Transcription and Court Reporting (4th Ed.). Clifton

Park, NY: Cengage Learning • Robson, G. (2016), The Closed Captioning Handbook • Stedman, T.L. (2005). Stedman's Medical Dictionary (28th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott

Williams & Wilkins • The Gregg Reference Manual • The Merck Manual • The Physicians’ Desk Reference

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What is CART? Communication Access Realtime Translation – (CART) – offers instantaneous transcription of the spoken word into English text through the use of speech-to-text software, a computer, and either an open or closed microphone or stenotype machine. The text is then displayed on a computer monitor, large screen, or other display device for the individual or individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to read.

This technology is primarily used by people who are deaf and persons with hearing loss, but it is also utilized by people with learning disabilities, with central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), and those for whom English is not their primary language. CART services are provided to students in elementary through post-secondary classrooms and labs, in government and private industry workplaces, in public and private meetings, conferences and conventions, and many other venues. CART transcripts may be viewed on laptop or tablet screens, monitors, or large room-size screens, either through direct connection to the CART provider or remote connections such as the Internet.

A Bit of Background Deaf and hard of hearing individuals make up the largest disability group in the United States. Hearing loss is an invisible disability. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals have different abilities to function depending on the level of hearing loss. Communication using speech varies depending on many factors including age of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss, amount of speech therapy, and so forth. The U.S. Census Bureau, the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders, and NAD (in their article Deaf Population of U.S.A. 1995-1999) cite the following United States statistics: U.S. Disability: 54.0 million; U.S. Deaf/Hard of Hearing: 28.0 million; U.S. Deaf: 1.5 million; U.S. Hard of Hearing: 25.0 million. Of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, approximately 40% are under the age of 65 and approximately 2 million are under the age of 18. Hearing loss is the third leading chronic disability, following arthritis and hypertension.

Benefits of CART The benefit of CART services for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community is undeniable. CART provides some distinct benefits to those receiving the service. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically recognizes CART as an assistive technology which affords "effective communication access." The most important aspect to recognize is that CART provides equal access, allowing consumers to receive the same information as anyone else present, thus affording them the ability to interpret the meaning for themselves and permitting full interaction in any setting. A CART provider is trained to be sensitive to the differing needs of consumers and is skilled at conveying a speaker's message, complete with environmental cues.

With the provision of CART, the responsibility for the consumer’s learning or understanding lies with

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the consumer. For example, rather than relying on notes provided by others, the consumer will have a nearly verbatim record of the event from which to determine what is or is not important based on the consumer’s understanding of the material presented. CART also provides complete communication access by capturing every spoken word as well as environmental sounds in a verbatim record of the class, meeting, or conference. The CART provider combines a word-for-word translation with environmental sounds, such as [LAUGHING] or a [PHONE RINGING] and descriptions of tone or inflection, such as [SCREAMING], [CRYING]. As a result, the consumer has the opportunity to fully participate.

Laws Related to CART

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) Section 504 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. Under 504, it is required that qualified individuals be provided with equal access. This even means access to all media, including video. Equal access means either that the media is closed captioned or that the sound is turned off. Section 504 requires that any agency, school or institution receiving federal financial assistance provide persons with disabilities an opportunity to be fully integrated into the mainstream. However, the institution will receive no additional financial support to provide auxiliary services or aids. Persons with disabilities, as defined in this law, are individuals who have a physical impairment that limits one or more major life activities or individuals who are regarded as having an impairment. This qualifies the deaf and hard-of-hearing community as persons with disabilities. Its aim is to protect all persons with a disability from discrimination in education based solely on disability and to eliminate barriers that would prevent a student from full participation in programs or services offered to the general school population. Persons with disabilities are allowed placement in regular classrooms with support services, such as CART, to eradicate any barriers to the complete educational experience.

ADA The ADA was enacted in July 1990. The act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. An accommodation plan is developed with the individual, who is then placed in mainstream environments with any reasonable accommodation needed to provide full access. This law covers a broad range of issues from wheelchair access, to employment and housing issues, to information access. A reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a school or work environment that will enable a qualified student or employee with a disability to participate or to perform essential functions. It is the right of every deaf or hard-of-hearing individual to receive these services at school, in the workplace, and in certain specified meeting places unless the cost to provide such services is unduly burdensome. While doctors and hospitals are required by law to provide CART access, they are reluctant because insurance carriers often do not compensate them for costs associated with this service.

IDEA Amendments of 1997

New IDEA legislation was signed into law in 1997. The language requires educational institutions to provide a free, appropriate, public education to people with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. A local educational agency is eligible for assistance under IDEA if it has demonstrated to

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the satisfaction of the state educational agency that it meets each of the required conditions.

The new law is designed to remove financial incentives for placing children with disabilities in more separate settings when they could be served in a regular classroom. In addition, regular classroom teachers will be included in meetings when the academic goals of children with disabilities are set. Under IDEA, each student has an Individual Education Program (IEP), which is created by a team consisting of the parent(s), at least one of the student’s regular teachers, a representative of the public agency, an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, and, at the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the student, including related service personnel (such as the CART provider), and, if appropriate, the student. If the team has determined that the child will receive CART, the IEP should include certain specifics regarding the provision of this service. First, CART will be provided by a qualified provider who can write at a minimum speed of 180 words per minute; and, second, an electronic copy of the notes will be given to the student immediately after each class so the student can make his or her own notes at home.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508) In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. Under Section 508, federal agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others. For example, a recorded or live transmission sent from an agency over its Internet site would require a text version for those with hearing impairments. CART is considered a reasonable accommodation to receive communication access under all of these laws. In most cases, either the school or other institution subsidizes costs incurred to the consumer to ensure that full access is available.

Professional Guidelines

A Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) provider performs realtime transcription as a facilitator to provide equal access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

While CART providers facilitate communication between the consumer (the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing individual) and the hearing population, it is important to remember that the consumer is your client. As such, the CART provider takes their directions from the consumer and strives to meet the needs of the consumer as their primary goal.

As with any language Interpreter, the CART provider is a neutral, impartial, objective party. It is neither their role nor prerogative to interpret or alter what is spoken, to offer opinions, or to include extraneous information with the exception of environmental sounds.

The NVRA Code of Ethics and professional courtesy should also guide the provider in applying

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the following guidelines.

A CART provider should:

A. Accept assignments using discretion with regard to skill, setting, and the consumers involved and accurately represent the provider's qualifications for CART.

B. Establish a clear understanding of: 1. who is hiring the CART provider; 2. whether an electronic file of the roughly edited text with disclaimer is to be preserved; 3. if yes, whether all participants have been informed that an electronic file of

thoroughly edited text with disclaimer will be preserved; and 4. who is entitled to receive a copy of the electronic file.

C. Strive to achieve, as nearly verbatim as possible, 100% accuracy at all times. D. Acquire, when possible, information or materials in advance to prepare a job dictionary. E. Request a team of two providers if a job is expected to be longer than two hours. F. Know the software and hardware system used and be able to do simple troubleshooting. G. Include the identification, content, and spirit of the speaker, as well as environmental

sounds in the realtime display. H. Refrain from counseling, advising, or interjecting personal opinions except as required in

order to accomplish the task at hand. I. Cooperate with all parties to ensure that effective communication is taking place. J. Delete all files immediately after the assignment in confidential, non-legal settings (e.g.

medical discussions, support groups) unless otherwise requested not to do so. K. Preserve the privacy of a consumer's personal information. L. Familiarize oneself with the provisions of NVRA's Code of Ethics. M. Stay abreast of current trends, laws, literature, and technological advances relating to CART.

It is also very important for the CART provider to make sure there is little to no lag time while providing the text feed. It is very difficult for a consumer to follow along with the CART text when there is a delay in the words appearing on the screen or when words drop down in chunks or paragraphs. Words dropping in paragraphs are not acceptable for CART. The CART provider must pay special attention to phrasing their speech to force the drop down of words at an acceptable rate of five seconds or less.

What is the Difference between CART, C-Print, and TypeWell?

CART, C-Print, and TypeWell are different systems for delivering speech-to-text services. While

speech- to-text service provides text in real time for spoken language, these options are not

interchangeable.

CART provides a verbatim output. C-Print and TypeWell provide a content-based, meaning-for-

meaning transcription, similar to an interpreter, rather than verbatim.

C-Print and TypeWell are often used in place of sign language interpreters for students who use

sign language. CART, which is verbatim, is an accommodation which is appropriate for individuals

who are hard of hearing, late-deafened, or deaf and who demonstrate strong reading skills. CART

may be used for students who are deaf when the course content may have specific vocabulary that

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is more easily presented in print (e.g., foreign languages, medical courses, high level terminology).

Training for TypeWell and C-Print can be obtained online and generally requires one to two months

to complete. Training to become a CART provider may require two to three years. All three systems

can function either remotely or with the service provider in the same location as the consumer. The

transcription can be projected for a large audience or an individual can view the service provider’s

laptop or a separate monitor.

The CART Environment

A CART provider can use an open or closed microphone or a stenotype machine, a notebook

computer, and realtime software to render instant speech-to-text translation on a computer monitor

or other display for the benefit of an individual consumer or larger group in a number of settings.

Some of these settings are, but are not limited to, legal, business, government, religious, and

educational proceedings. Remember, CART should be provided anywhere communication access is

needed!

Before a person agrees to provide CART, specialized training is crucial. It usually takes two to three

years of training in order to become a skillful provider. Even after the training is complete, ongoing

support and professional development is imperative.

When preparing for a job, agendas, handouts, speeches, or other material must be requested in

advance to enable the CART provider to become familiar with the presentation and prepare for the

assignment.

When providing individual services, the CART provider should be seated in the same location as the

consumer. If you have more than one or two consumers, it may be necessary to project onto a screen.

CART services can also be provided remotely.

Remote CART is translating in one location and transmitting to a consumer in another location. It has

become increasingly common for CART to be provided remotely. It is imperative for a remote CART

provider to have a stable, fast, broadband Internet connection. It’s best to be plugged directly into the

router. Wi-Fi can be unstable at times resulting in disconnections or lag times.

The CART provider should speak directly to the deaf or hard-of-hearing consumer but do not speak

for them. Only voice for the consumer when asked to do so. Do not engage in conversations

regarding the consumer. If an answer is required, pause to enable the consumer to read the question

on the CART screen so he or she can respond.

When providing services in any environment, request that only one person speak at a time. Be alert to

the fact that the CART provider acts as the “ears” of the consumer. Any whispers, utterances, or

laughter overheard by the CART provider must be displayed for the consumer, such as [LAUGHTER]. If

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the provider was unable to hear a comment or question, they have a responsibility to ask the person

to repeat it so it can be incorporated into the text on their screen. The provider should request

sufficient breaks during the event, if necessary.

CART in the Educational Setting

The CART provider might be assigned to several or more students in an educational setting. The

provider will insert all environmental sounds. The text of the classroom lecture, meeting, tutoring, etc.

is displayed either on the provider's laptop or the student's laptop connected via Internet or

hardwired. When the event is over, the transcript is usually emailed to the student. A hard copy which

has been edited can also be provided.

The provider should also work with the professor, tutor, or

advisor to ensure that as much information as possible is

obtained in advance. Information such as the syllabus and

access to all written materials will certainly enhance the

accuracy of the transcript. The provider can also explain the

CART process, making special note of the fact that there is

sometimes a four- to five-second delay in the text, which

may sometimes cause the student to lag behind in

responses. The goal of the CART provider is to have as little lag time as possible. It is unacceptable to

lag behind more than 5 seconds and/or drop large chunks of text at a time for the consumer to read.

The transcript should reflect verbatim content, or as nearly verbatim as possible, always conveying the

message intended by the speaker.

CART in the Legal Arena

Providers of CART services may be called upon to serve consumers in many legal settings. Hearings, courtroom appearances, trials, depositions, and meetings with attorneys and other legal professionals are all events that may require CART services. In those cases, the CART provider functions in exactly the same manner as any other qualified interpreter. They, too, are subject to the same restrictions and considerations as a foreign language interpreter or an ASL interpreter would be.

Some important considerations suggested by the U.S. Department of Justice include:

Establish effective communication prior to commencement of the proceeding

Face the Deaf/Hard of Hearing person directly

Use good eye contact

Speak a little louder and more slowly than usual (approx. 124 words per minute)

Shouting or yelling does not help a person understand the message better. It distorts speech sounds and often makes the speaker sound angry

Don't over exaggerate pronouncing words

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Avoid covering your mouth or face with your hands

Avoid careless expressions that can be misinterpreted

Give visual cues to conversation

If the legal event is expected to last for more than two hours, two CART providers should be assigned. If the case presents more than one Deaf/Hard of Hearing participant, additional CART providers should be assigned, such that each party has his or her own CART provider.

Differences Between CART and Reporting Legal Proceedings

It may be surprising to a court reporter that CART is not strictly verbatim. That being said, it is important to understand that CART providers attempt to produce captions that are as close as humanly possible to what is spoken. Why are CART providers allowed this license? The reason carrying the most importance is that the CART provider cannot control the event or ask for clarification, as a reporter might do in a deposition or court proceeding. CART providers must frequently deal with audio difficulties, overlapping speakers, names and terminology that are unfamiliar to them, as well as other obstacles to producing a verbatim reproduction of what is said. When these things occur, the CART provider must attempt to convey the meaning of what is said to the best of his ability; therefore, they might paraphrase and/or summarize slightly, and not create a verbatim reproduction of the spoken word. Another way this license may be used is in the case of troublesome misrecognitions. For instance, if the speakers on a show are talking about “tennis shoes,” and the SRE is consistently generating “ten issues” as text, the CART provider might say, “athletic footwear” when he hears “tennis shoes” so that the meaning of the spoken word is conveyed to the consumer.

Hardware and Software

Choosing equipment to provide CART services can be daunting. A CART provider must be comfortable

troubleshooting their equipment, when necessary. Equipment will vary depending on whether the

provider is a voice writer or stenographer and whether they will provide services from a remote

location or on site.

The following is a recommended list of equipment that a CART provider should have.

a laptop with a fast central processor.

a quality USB sound card (also referred to as sound pod).

an industry standard amount of RAM(preferably).

an open microphone or speech silencer microphone (voice writers only).

stenotype machine (steno writers only).

speech recognition software and/or CAT software.

a minimum of three USB ports.

a surge protection power strip and extension cord.

a laptop table.

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Working with the Deaf/deaf community

Did you know that there is a difference between Deaf and deaf? It often comes as a surprise to

people that many deaf people refer to themselves as being members of the Deaf culture. The

American Deaf (uppercase D) culture is a unique linguistic minority that uses American Sign

Language (ASL) as its primary mode of communication. You may see this written as Deaf/deaf or,

more commonly, as D/deaf. In either case, it is very important to be aware of the distinction that is

being made.

Here is a description of Deaf culture and

suggestions for effective communication, as

well as common terms used within the

D/deaf community. The American Deaf

culture has labels for identifying its

members. These labels reflect both cultural

values and beliefs.

Deaf

This term refers to members of the Deaf community who share common values, traditions,

language, and behaviors. Deaf people do not perceive themselves as having lost something

(i.e., hearing) and do not think of themselves as handicapped, impaired, or disabled. They

celebrate and cherish their culture because it gives them the unique privilege of sharing a

common history and language. Deaf people are considered a linguistic minority within the

American culture. They have their own culture and, at the same time, live and work within the

dominant American culture.

Hard of hearing, deaf (lower case d), and late-deafened

Within the Deaf culture, these words refer to a person’s audiological status. Notice that a

lower case “d’” is used. People who describe themselves as “hard of hearing” or “late-

deafened” do not see themselves as members of the Deaf culture. Some may know sign

language but their primary language is English.

Hearing Impaired

Often, this term is used by the media and society in general to refer to people with a hearing

loss. A more acceptable generic phrase is “a person who is deaf or hard of hearing” to refer

to all people with a hearing loss. Within the Deaf culture, the term “hearing impaired” often

is seen as offensive. It suggests that D/deaf people are “broken” or “inferior” because they do

not hear.

Hearing

Within the Deaf culture, the term “hearing” is used to identify people who are members of

the dominant American culture. One might think the ASL sign for “hearing” is related to the

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group’s ability to hear (e.g., pointing to the ear). However, the sign for “hearing” is related to

the ability to “talk.” The act of talking is clearly visible to D/deaf people, whereas listening or

hearing is not. From the Deaf culture perspective, it is the act of “talking” that clearly

separates the two groups.

Most people feel uncomfortable when meeting a D/deaf person for the first time. When we

communicate with people, we generally don’t have to think about the process. When faced with a

D/deaf person, we are uncertain which rules apply. We do not know where to look, or how fast or

loud to speak. When the D/deaf person gives us a look of confusion, we do not know how to correct

the problem. Accept the fact that your initial communications will feel uncomfortable and awkward.

As you interact more, you will start to feel more comfortable and know how to make yourself

understood.

It’s okay to write to a D/deaf person. The D/deaf person will appreciate your effort even more if you

use a combination of gestures, facial expressions, body language, and written communication. Some

D/deaf people can lip read very well. If one approach doesn’t work, try another. If the D/deaf person

indicates that he or she does not understand, then it is okay to ask them to write or type.

Most people engage in very quick and efficient conversations. We often lose patience when someone

is having difficulty understanding the interaction. D/deaf people highly value face-to-face

communication and perceive it as an investment, not an imposition. Take the time to communicate

and connect. Speak more slowly. If the D/deaf person does not understand, he or she will ask

questions. If you do not understand the D/deaf person, stop the conversation and ask for clarification.

Never fake understanding or say, “never mind, it’s not important.” No matter how trivial, share the

information.

D/deaf people listen with their eyes. A D/deaf person cannot look at an object and, at the same

time, listen to you describe how to use it. Only talk when you have eye contact with the D/deaf

person. Use the beginning and end of the conversation as an opportunity for direct communication

with the D/deaf person. When you take the initiative to shake hands, make eye contact, use

gestures, touch and/or smile, you are communicating in a visual and tactile manner.

CART is an evolving and maturing profession, and the available technology associated with CART is

rapidly advancing. These guidelines are not meant to be an all-inclusive presentation on working with

D/deaf people, but a starting point for improved communication.

Additional Resources:

Dept. of Justice - ADA

Dept. of Education -

IDEA

http://cart-info.org/manual.html

http://deafness.about.com/cs/guestarticles/a/cartlaws.htm

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http://cart-info.org/benefits.html

http://cart-info.org/environments.html

http://cart-info.org/remotecart.htmlhttp://cart-info.org/guidelines.html

www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/www.section508.go

NVRA Code of Ethics

Betty Keyes, Voice Writing Method, fourth edition

http://nad.org/

http://www.chchearing.org/news-events/news-announcements/new-name-for-league-for-hard-

hearing

http://www.deafwebsites.com/

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Vocabulary and Spelling

The following lists of general CART/captioning terminology, homonyms, frequently misspelled words, foreign words and phrases, and prefixes, suffixes, and roots should assist you in successfully completing both the Written Knowledge Test and the transcription of the Dictation Skills Test. While many examination items are taken from these lists, the examination is not limited to the words appearing in this Study Guide.

General CART Terminology ADA- The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities as defined in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. ALDA- Association of Late Deafened Adults Assistive technology- refers to the use of any technological device to assist an individual with a disability. CAPD- Central Auditory Processing Disorder- A condition in which the

individual may have problems concentrating in a classroom setting. CART- Communication Access Realtime Translation is a service performed by a realtime reporter who is specially trained to assist a hard of hearing individual communicate. CAT- Computer-Aided Transcription refers to any application or use of a computer to help the CART Provider produce a transcript or feed.

ESL- English as a Second Language. People unfamiliar with English can use captions to read words and hear pronunciations to assist in learning English. Realtime- refers to the act of writing or voicing and having the English words appear instantly on the computer screen for viewing or printing. Remote access- translating in one location and transmitting to a consumer in another location.

Homonyms and Word Usage accede: to agree exceed: to go beyond limit accept: to receive willingly except: other than; to exclude access: entrance excess: more than needed adherence: close attachment; devotion adherents: supporters of a cause

adverse: acting against or in a contrary direction; hostile averse: having an active feeling of repugnance or distaste advice: opinion, suggestion advise: to offer advice to, to counsel affect: to influence; emotional response effect: a result; to cause to happen

aid: to assist aide: assistant ail: feel ill ale: type of beer aisle: passageway between rows of seats isle: small island all ready: prepared already: by this time

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allowed: permitted aloud: in loud tone, out loud allude: to refer to indirectly elude: to avoid allusion: indirect reference illusion: erroneous belief; perception elusion: avoidance altar: elevated structure for religious ceremonies alter: to adjust or modify ascent: an upward slope assent: agreement; to agree bail: money for release of arrested person bale: wrapped package bare: unclothed; to reveal bear: to carry; an animal bazaar: marketplace, fair bizarre: strange beat: whip, thrash beet: dark red root vegetable been: past participle of be bin: storage container beer: alcoholic beverage bier: coffin stand biannual: occurring twice a year biennial: occurring once every two years bloc: a group united for common cause block: piece of wood, city square; to prevent passage

boar: male swine boor: crude person bore: dull, tiresome person; to make a hole board: a plank of wood bored: uninterested born: brought into life borne: carried brake: stop break: smash breach: to break or violate breech: part of a gun breadth: width breath: air inhaled and exhaled breathe: to inhale and exhale buy: purchase by: next to cache: a group of things that have been hidden in a secret place; a computer memory for storage of frequently or recently used instructions or data cash: ready money cannon: large gun canon: code of law canvas: heavy cloth canvass: to examine or survey capital: seat of government, uppercase letter of alphabet; very serious; sum of money capitol: building where legislature meets cede: to surrender seed: propagative part of plant; to plant

cellar: basement seller: one who sells censer: incense container censor: one who condemns; to examine for objectionable material censure: reprimand sensor: a device that responds to stimulus choir: company of singers quire: one twentieth of a ream of paper choose: to select chose: past tense of choose chord: tones sounded together cord: twine, rope, cable cite: to quote an authority sight: the ability to see; to look at site: a place cloth: fabric clothe: to cover with clothing coarse: rough, crude course: a route, program of instruction complement: something that completes; makes whole compliment: expression of praise; to praise conscience: sense of right and wrong conscious: aware, capable of thought consul: government official council: governing body counsel: advice, attorney; to advise

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core: innermost part corps: military group, group of persons acting together corpse: dead body deprivation: the act of depriving; loss depravation: moral corruption; perversion decent: acceptable descent: downward slope or movement; ancestry dissent: disagreement; to disagree desert: arid region; to abandon dessert: after-dinner course die: expire; singular of dice dye: color discreet: reserved, respectful discrete: individual, distinct done: finished; past participle of do dun: dull brown color; to demand payment earn: to gain from work urn: a vase elicit: to bring out illicit: illegal, forbidden emigrate: to leave one region or country to settle in another; emigrate from immigrate: to settle in a region or country other than one’s native area; immigrate to eminent: distinguished imminent: about to occur envelop: to surround envelope: wrapper

everyday: ordinary every day: each day everyone: everybody every one: each one exercise: bodily exertion; to use exorcise: to free from evil spirit faint: lose consciousness feint: misleading movement fair: average; lovely fare: a charge for transportation farther: greater distance further: additional; to promote flair: style, talent flare: to flame up; sudden outburst foreword: preface to book forward: in front; to send, promote formally: conventionally, ceremonially formerly: previously forth: forward fourth: number after third foul: offensive fowl: types of birds gate: structure blocking an entrance gait: rhythm of movement gorilla: a large primate guerrilla: a kind of soldier grate: framework of bars; to annoy great: large, distinguished

grisly: gruesome grizzly: species of bear; partly gray hail: frozen precipitation; to greet enthusiastically hale: in sound health hangar: structure for aircraft storage hanger: a device for hanging clothes heal: to mend heel: part of foot hew: to shape with ax hue: color hear: to perceive by ear here: in this place heard: past tense of hear herd: a group of animals hole: an opening whole: complete hoard: to store up horde: large group incite: to provoke insight: ability to discern its: possessive of it it’s: contraction of it is lane: narrow roadway lain: past participle of lie later: occurring after latter: second of two things lead: heavy metal; front position; to guide led: past tense of lead

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lessen: to make less lesson: something learned lesser: smaller lessor: one who leases liable: responsible libel: written defamation lightening: lessening lightning: electrical discharge in atmosphere loath: unwilling, reluctant loathe: to dislike intensely loose: slack, not tight lose: to mislay; opposite of win mail: postal material; armor male: masculine material: relating to matter rather than form; having real importance; the elements, constituents, or substances of which something is composed or can be made materiel: equipment, apparatus, and supplies used by an organization or institution meat: edible flesh meet: encounter mete: to deal out medal: an award meddle: to interfere metal: hard substance mettle: courage, spirit might: power, force; may mite: small object or creature

moot: open to question, debatable, deprived of practical significance, made abstract, or purely academic mute: unable or unwilling to speak; to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of moral: conviction of right or wrong morale: spirit of enthusiasm or discipline in a group more: additional moor: open land naval: relating to navy or ships navel: where umbilical cord was attached no: the opposite of yes know: to be certain pail: bucket pale: light in color, pallid pair: two matched items pare: to peel pear: fruit palate: roof of the mouth palette: board for mixing artist’s paints pallet: platform for freight; mattress passed: past tense of pass past: after; a time gone by patience: forbearance patients: persons under medical care peace: the absence of war piece: a portion of something

peak: high point, pinnacle peek: quick look pique: resentment peal: to ring out peel: skin of fruit pedal: foot lever peddle: sell petal: part of flower peer: to look intently; a person of equal status pier: platform extending from shore over water personal: private personnel: employees phase: a stage or period faze: to disturb plain: clear plane: airborne vehicle; carpenter’s tool plaintiff: complaining party in litigation plaintive: sorrowful, melancholy populace: population populous: containing many inhabitants pole: long, rounded piece of wood poll: voting place; to question in survey pore: tiny opening in skin pour: to stream or flow precede: to come before in time proceed: go forward, continue

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presence: the state of being at hand presents: gifts principal: most important; sum of money; head of school principle: a basic truth or law; rule or standard prophecy: a prediction prophesy: to predict rail: horizontal bar rale: rattling breath sound rain: precipitation reign: to rule rein: a strap for controlling an animal raise: to build up raze: to tear down rational: sane, logical rationale: explanation or reason real: actual reel: a spool; to wind respectfully: with regard or deference respectively: in the order designated right: correct rite: a religious ceremony write: to form letters, compose road: a surface for driving rode: past tense of ride role: function, capacity; part played by actor roll: a list; to rotate rote: memorizing process wrote: past tense of write

sail: fabric for propelling ship; to move effortlessly sale: the act of selling sane: of sound mind seine: fishing net scene: where an action occurs seen: past participle of see shear: to cut sheer: steep; transparent; to turn aside sleight: clever trick slight: to treat thoughtlessly stalk: stem of plant; to track stock: a supply of merchandise; corporate shares stationary: unmoving stationery: writing paper steal: take property steel: hard metal straight: unbending strait: a water passageway taught: past tense of teach taut: tight tense: nerve-racking tents: portable shelters their: possessive of they there: opposite of here they’re: contraction of they are throe: spasm of pain throw: to toss timber: trees; wood timbre: distinctive tone to: toward too: also two: number following one

treaties: contracts, formal agreements treatise: written account troop: group of people troupe: theatrical company trustee: legal administrator trusty: dependable; trustworthy convict waist: the middle of the body waste: discarded material wait: postpone weight: measure of heaviness waive: to relinquish voluntarily wave: hand gesture; ridge of water want: desire wont: apt, likely weak: not strong week: Sunday through Saturday weather: state of the atmosphere whether: used to introduce alternative possibilities which: one of a group witch: a sorcerer who’s: contraction of who is whose: possessive of who wreak: to inflict punishment wreck: to destroy yoke: type of harness yolk: center of egg your: possessive of you you’re: contraction of you are yore: time long past

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Commonly Misspelled Words

abeyance absence absorption abundance accentuate acceptable accessible accidentally accommodate accuracy accustomed achieve acknowledge acquaintance acquiesce acquire across actually address admission adolescent advice advising aesthetic against aggravate aggressive all right all together almost altercation although altogether altruistic amateur analysis analyze anathema angel annihilate annual answer apology apparent appearance appetite

appreciate appropriate approximately argument arrest ascend assassinate assistance associate atheist athlete attendance audience auxiliary average bargain basically beginning belief believe beneficial benefited boundary breath breathe Britain bureaucracy burial business calculator calendar carrying category cede cemetery certain changeable changing characteristic chief chocolate choose climbed coarse column coming

commercial commitment committed committee competent competition complement compliment conceit conceive concentrate concert condemn conquer conscience conscientious conscious consistency consistent continuous controlled controversial convenience convenient coolly council counsel course courteous criticism criticize crowd cruelty curiosity curious deceive deception decide decision definitely degree dependent descend descendant describe description

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desirable despair desperate destroy determine detrimental develop device devise dictionary difference diffident dining disagree disappear disappoint disapprove disastrous discipline discriminate discussion disease disparage disparate dispel dissatisfied distinction divide divine division doctor drawer drunkenness easily ecstasy efficiency efficient eighth either eligible embarrass emphasize empty enemy entirely environment epicurean equipped especially

essential every exaggerate exceed excellent excoriate exercise exhaust existence expense experience experiment explanation extremely familiar fascinate favorite February finally financially forcibly foreign foresee foreword fortuitous forty forward friend frightening fulfill gauge generally government grammar gratuitous grief guarantee guard guidance happily harass height heroes hideous humorous hungry hurriedly hurrying hypocrisy

hypocrite ideally illogical imaginary imagine imitation immediately immigrant implacable incidentally incredible independence independent indigenous indispensable individually inevitably influential initiate innocuous inoculate insidious insistent integrate intelligence interest interference interpret iridescent irrelevant irresistible irritable island jealousy judgment knowledge laboratory leisure length lenient library license lightning likelihood literally livelihood loneliness loose lose

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luxury lying magazine maintenance manageable maneuver marriage mathematics meant medicine miniature minor minutes mirror mischievous missile misspelled morale morals mournful muscle mysterious naturally necessary neighbor neither nickel niece ninety ninth noticeable nuclear nuisance numerous obstacle occasion occasionally occur occurrence official omission omit omitted onerous opponent opportunity opposite ordinarily originally

paid panacea panicky paralleled particularly pastime peaceable peculiar pedal perceive perception performance permanent permissible persevere persistence personnel perspiration persuade persuasion petal physical pitiful planning pleasant poison politician pollute possession possibly practically practice prairie precede preference preferred prejudice preparation prevalent primitive privilege probably procedure proceed process professor profusion prominent pronunciation

prophecy prophesy psychology purpose pursue pursuit quandary quantity quiet quizzes realistically realize really rebel recede receipt receive recognize recommend reference referred relief relieve religious remembrance reminisce renown repetition representative resemblance resistance restaurant rhythm ridiculous roommate sacrifice sacrilegious safety satellite scarcity schedule science secretary seize separate sergeant several sheriff shining

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shoulder significance similar sincerely sophomore source speak speech sponsor stopping strategy strength strenuous stretch strict studying succeed successful sufficient summary superintendent

supersede suppress surely surprise suspicious technical technique temperature tendency than then thorough though throughout together tomorrow tragedy transferred truly twelfth tyranny

unanimous unconscious undoubtedly unnecessary until usually vacuum vegetable vengeance vicious villain visible weather Wednesday weird wherever whether wholly woman women writing

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Word Construction The following lists supply information regarding prefixes, suffixes, and roots. These are helpful in extrapolating proper word usage and/or definitions.

Prefixes:

a-............................... without/absence of ab-............................. away from ad-............................. to/toward an-............................. without ante-.......................... before anti-........................... against bi-............................... two brady-......................... slow contra-....................... against ecto-........................... outside endo-.......................... within exo-............................ outside glyc-............................ sweet hyper-......................... above hypo-.......................... below im-.............................. not infra-.......................... under/below

inter-.......................... between intra-.......................... inside mal-........................... bad macro-....................... large meso-......................... middle meta-......................... after mut-........................... change patho-........................ disease peri-........................... surrounding retro-......................... back sub-............................ under/below supra-......................... above super-......................... over/above tachy-......................... fast trans-......................... through, across, beyond ultra-......................... beyond, excess

Suffixes:

-algia........................... pain -asis............................. condition -asthenia..................... weakness -ectomy...................... excision, surgical removal -emia.......................... blood condition -genic.......................... producing, causing -itia, itis....................... inflammation -lysis............................ reduction, destruction -megaly....................... enlargement -oma........................... tumor, swelling -oscopy, -osopy, -opsy.......................... to view

-ostomy...................... creation of artificial opening -otomy....................... cut into -pathy......................... disease -penia......................... insufficiency -plegia........................ paralysis -pnea.......................... breathing -sclerosis..................... hardening -sepsis......................... infection -stasis......................... control/stop -tropic......................... influencing

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Roots: bronch-...................... windpipe cardi-.......................... heart carp............................ wrist cutane........................ skin cyst............................. bladder cyt.............................. cell derm.......................... skin dors............................ back encephal..................... brain enter........................... intestines erythr......................... red gangli......................... swelling gastr........................... stomach hema.......................... blood hepat.......................... liver homeo........................ same lact............................. milk leuko.......................... white lip.............................. fat mening....................... membrane

morph........................ shape/form myo............................ muscle nephr......................... kidney olfact.......................... to smell oo............................... egg, ovum oss, oste..................... bone phleb.......................... vein pleur........................... rib pod............................. foot proct........................... rectum psych........................... mind puber.......................... adult pyr.............................. fever ren.............................. kidney scler............................ hard somat......................... body strat............................ layer thromb....................... clot ven............................. vein

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Punctuation The following brief description of punctuation marks and their appropriate usage is meant as a refresher. For more in-depth information, consult The Gregg Reference Manual or Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.

QUESTION MARK – A question mark ends a question. Doesn’t get any plainer than that.

PERIOD – A period ends a complete sentence. A period does not end a dependent clause when it stands alone. A sentence must contain a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb).

Incorrect: “All monthly expense reports must be submitted. No later than the 10th of the following month.”

A period may be used at the end of a polite request. For example, “Would you please state your name for the record.”

COMMA – Though much has been written about it, the poor comma is both underused and overused. There are far too many comma rules to explain here. Please study the proper use of commas as a professional court reporter, and please study the grading rules used in certification testing specifically. Segment grading only looks at commas that separate, but proper comma usage is one of the important skills needed to produce a correct and readable transcript in the real world.

In reality, the comma has two purposes: to set off nonessential expressions that interrupt the flow of thought and to separate elements within a sentence to clarify their relationship to one another. Two commas are needed to set off, but only a single comma is needed to separate.

Some examples of commas that set off: • “There is, no doubt, a reasonable explanation.” But, “There is no doubt about his integrity.”

• “Jane would prefer, therefore, to finish the draft document first.” But, “Given this new information, Jane would therefore prefer to limit the agreement to two years.”

Some examples of commas that separate: • In a list: “The zoo has just acquired new pandas, bears, and koalas.” • In a compound sentence when the two clauses are joined by a conjunction: “I witnessed the green car hit the van, and I called the ambulance and the police.” • After an introductory element: “Yes, we can.” and “Before we can make a decision, we need to study the report.” • In a direct address: “No, sir, I did not say that.” and “Dr. Franks, did you examine this patient?” • In a date: “I moved on May 12, 2005.” and “It was May 12, 2005, when I moved.” But “I moved in May 2005.” • With a city and state: “I live in Omaha, Nebraska.” and “I moved from Omaha, Nebraska, to Newport, Rhode Island.”

Some common comma mistakes: • Incorrect: “Please review the report quickly, I need it back tomorrow.” Correct: “Please review the report quickly. I need it back tomorrow.” or “Please review the report quickly; I need it back tomorrow.” • Incorrect: “Barbara got her master’s, and is now looking for a job.” Correct: “Barbara got her master’s and is now looking for a job.” or “Barbara got her master’s, and she is now looking for a job.” or “Barbara got her master’s. She is now looking for a job.”

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SEMICOLON – The two most common uses of the semicolon are between two related independent clauses where no conjunction is present and between dependent clauses in a series when they are long or contain internal commas. Rather than use a semicolon, it is perfectly correct to make two complete sentences, provided both independent clauses can stand alone.

Some examples: • “Most of the stockholders favored the sale; management did not.” and “Most of the stockholders favored the sale. Management did not.” • But, “Most of the stockholders favored the sale, but management did not.” • They promised that they would review the specifications, costs, and sales estimates; that they would analyze the alternative figures; and that they would prepare a graph, chart, and report on their recommendations.

COLON – A colon is not a frequently used punctuation mark, especially in certification testing. In general, a colon is used with such anticipatory expressions as the following, as fol-lows, thus, these. For example, “The home’s attractive features are these: large windows, a gourmet kitchen, and hardwood floors.”

Colons are not used after prepositions. An example of incorrect usage would be “The panel consists of: Ms. Jones, Mr. Brown, and Mrs. Green.” But, the sentence “The panel consists of the following people: Ms. Jones, Mr. Brown, and Mrs. Green.” is correct.

APOSTROPHE – An apostrophe is used in a contraction to indicate the missing letters. For example, do not becomes don't and madam becomes ma’am. “It’s” only contains an apostrophe when it means “it is.”

An apostrophe is also used to denote possessive. With a singular, add apostrophe s. With a plural, add an apostrophe after the final

s, unless the possessive adds a syllable. In that case, add apostrophe s.

Some examples:

• “The bank’s vault was heavily reinforced with steel.” But, “The banks all have steel vaults.” • “The Johnsons’ dog has a blue collar.” But, “The Jones’s dog has a red one.” • “The Browns are very nice people.” But, “Judy Brown’s station wagon can hold all the children.”

HYPHEN – A hyphen is used to divide a word, often at the end of a sentence when part of the word must wrap to the next line. A hyphen is also used to create compound nouns, verbs, or adjectives.

In certification testing, no error is counted for the presence or lack of a hyphen in a compound adjective. In a noun or verb, however, the hyphen’s presence or absence is required for the proper spelling of the word. Therefore, these hyphens are the subject of error. When in doubt, consult your spell check or dictionary.

DASH, QUOTATION MARKS – These marks have specific, limited uses in the normal course of court reporting. They are not used in certification testing. Please consult your employer or local court reporting regulations for guidance.

ELLIPSIS – The ellipsis is not used in the normal course of court reporting, unless it is contained within actual quoted or reproduced material. (If you don’t know what an ellipsis is, look it up.)

EXCLAMATION POINT – Again, this mark is not used in court reporting unless it is contained within actual quoted or reproduced material, as it would amount to a subjective judgment on the part of the court reporter.

A WORD ABOUT CAPITALIZATION – Consult your firm or regulating authority regarding local

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use of capitals in such words as Defendant, Plaintiff, Court, Judge, and so forth. Local custom will dictate here. But, be consistent. The “Sheriff’s Office” one time cannot be the “Sheriff’s office” or the “sheriff’s office” the next time.

In general, if the words refer to a specific entity, they are capitalized. If they refer to a general subject or person, they are lower case.

Some examples: • “The group elected a president at its last meeting.” But, “President Eisenhower spoke at the convention.” • “I work at Anderson Paint and Decorating.” But, “How long have you been in the paint and decorating business?” • “I live in the state of Alabama.” But, “I have never visited New York State.” And “The city of Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys.”

IN CONCLUSION As previously, this study guide is not intended to be comprehensive, nor is it intended as a “how to be a CART provider” guide. Other resources listed earlier in this guide should be consulted in your preparation to take the Written Knowledge Test for the RCP-M. The National Verbatim Reporters Association wishes you well in your pursuit of Registered CART Provider - Master (RCP-M) certification.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Which of the following responsibilities

falls outside a CART provider’s scope

of practice?

A. Including punctuation in the

realtime feed.

B. Ensure client completes all

assignments.

C. Including environmental sounds.

D. Editing “on the fly” for accuracy

2. A CART Provider hears a sexist remark

made during an assignment. What

action should the CART provider take?

A. Omit the sexist remark from the

notes

B. Insert a parenthetical

C. Paraphrase the remark

D. Display the remark

3. A CART provider with minimal

scientific knowledge is requested to

CART a conference on Hematopoietic

cell transplantation. What action

should the CART provider take?

A. Google the subject.

B. Refer the assignment to a qualified

CART Provider.

C. Accept the assignment.

D. Charge an additional fee for

technical terminology.

4. A teacher asks the CART provider to

stop writing during a class while she is

speaking. What action should the

CART provider take:

A. Stop writing.

B. Paraphrase what the teacher says.

C. Ask the CART consumer what they

want you to do

D. Keep CARTing.

5. Your CART consumer gets up and

leaves in the middle of a class. What

action should the CART provider take?

A. Keep writing the class.

B. Stop writing the class until the

consumer returns.

C. Leave the classroom.

D. Paraphrase what’s being said until

consumer returns.

6. Which of the following terms could be

offensive to the deaf community?

A. Deaf.

B. Hard of hearing.

C. Hearing impaired.

D. Late-deafened.

7. When asked by a professor to disclose

the name of the student receiving

CART services, what action should the

CART provider take?

A. Tell professor the students name.

B. Point out the student to the

professor.

C. Instruct the student to tell the

professor.

D. Refuse to answer.

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PREPARATION AND PERFORMANCE

8. How should a CART provider prepare

for a job in a post-secondary

educational setting?

A. Google all terminology related to

the class.

B. Read the class syllabus.

C. Ask the consumer to send you their

notes.

D. Obtain all materials that will be used

in the classroom.

9. The professor makes an obvious

mistake while teaching. What action

should the CART provider take?

A. Correct the mistake while providing

CART.

B. CART the mistake and add a

correction next to it.

C. Ask the professor to correct his

mistake

D. CART exactly what the professor

said.

10. Which of the following words or

phrases is an example of a soft

pronunciation?

A. Good morning, class.

B. Yes, ma’am

C. Uh-huh

D. [LAUGHING]

11. What is the main function of the surge

protector?

A. To provide extra outlets for

devices to plug in

B. To provide an extension cord

C. Protect electrical devices from

voltage spikes

D. To allow for more work space

12. Why is it important to close any

background running programs prior to

providing CART services?

A. To prevent sharing of

confidential information

B. To free resources

C. To avoid any confidentiality

issues

D. To avoid pop-ups

13. How should one speak during general

training of a speech engine?

A. Enunciate slowly with no

expression

B. Enunciate quickly with no

expression

C. Enunciate in a monotone voice

like a robot

D. Enunciate as closely to real-life

speech as possible

14. Which of the following items should

be deleted from the software’s

dictionary?

A. Vulgar words

B. Racist terms

C. Words with conflicts

D. Words rarely used

15. When should speech files be saved?

A. When dictation is edited and

free of errors

B. At each break taken

C. Every two weeks

D. Before closing software at the

end of a job.

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16. When should environmental sounds

be displayed to the consumer?

A. As often as required by the

ADA

B. Rarely, because they can be

confusing to the consumer

C. When they are significant to

what is happening

D. Never. It makes the screen

unreadable.

17. Which of the following is imperative

for a remote CART provider to have?

A. Webcam

B. Wi-Fi

C. Stable internet connection

D. Classroom building and

number

18. Which actions should be taken by the

CART provider when music with lyrics

is played?

A. Caption the lyrics

B. Write [MUSIC PLAYING]

C. Paraphrase the lyrics

D. Nothing

19. A CART provider observes students

cheating on a test. What actions

should the CART provider take:

A. Inform the professor

B. Tell the students that it isn’t

good to cheat

C. Take no action

D. Report incident to hiring firm

or agency

20. While providing CART, the word

“didn’t” appears when the word “did”

should have appeared. What action

should the CART provider take?

A. Ignore the mistake

B. Point out the mistake to the

consumer

C. Edit “on the fly”

D. Correct the mistake later while

Sample Question

Answer Key 1. B 11. C

2. D 12. B

3. B 13. D

4. D 14. C

5. B 15. A

6. C 16. C

7. D 17. C

8. D 18. A

9. D 19. C

10. C 20. C

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Appendix A: Registered CART Provider- Knowledge, Ability, Skills, and Tasks

Preparation and Performance

Knowledge of speech recognition technology

Knowledge of methods to ensure compatibility of hardware and software

Knowledge of methods to troubleshoot equipment problems

Knowledge of sources of CART terminology, spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Knowledge of prescribed formats for CART display

Knowledge of conventions in speaker identification

Ability to provide CART at varying speeds

Ability to resolve word conflicts

Ability to insert sound descriptors

Ability to provide accurate realtime output under less than optimal conditions

Ability to listen, provide CART, and monitor CART output

Ability to provide live feed to consumer

Ability to insert punctuation while providing CART

Ability to correct recognition errors while providing CART

Ability to paraphrase while providing CART

Ability to anticipate potential errors while providing CART

Ability to customize, correct, and maintain dictionary and vocabulary

Configure realtime hardware

Configure realtime software

Verify compatibility of hardware and software

Build database in realtime software

Perform post-event procedures

Professional Responsibilities

Knowledge of ethical guidelines regarding professional relationships or interactions with the profession

Knowledge of ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality of information

Knowledge of professional competence and skill levels necessary to perform different types of assignments

Adhere to NVRA Code of Ethics

Meet the demands of the CART assignment

Set fees independently

Recognize situations exceeding abilities

Represent qualifications and abilities truthfully

Maintain confidentiality

Recognize role of CART provider

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Appendix B: SAMPLE WRITTEN KNOWLEDGE TEST CRITIQUE

Dear Tester 00-0000,

In response to your request for a critique of your performance on the Written Knowledge Test, your

entire test was reviewed.

This critique is not an official review of your grade, nor can it be used as the basis for any appeal. It

is only intended to assist you in preparing for future testing.

Please find the following breakdown of errors:

1) Definitions: You chose incorrect answers to questions related to the meaning of the

following words: Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 or the Rehabilitation Act, CODA

2) Spelling: You chose the incorrect spelling of the following words: preceed, nonviolent

3) Homonyms: You chose the incorrect use of the following words: affect/effect

4) CART provider practice: You chose incorrect answers on one or more questions regarding

the following subjects: deleting words from dictionary, prevention of extra words, saving

speech files, configuring entries in speech files, correcting recognition errors, handling

improper grammar, determining the visual components of the feed, handling a request to

participate in class discussion

5) Miscellaneous: You chose incorrect answers to one or more questions regarding the

following: plural possessive, capitalization, use of hyphen, use of apostrophe, use of colon

We hope this information enables you to better understand your score and is of benefit to you in

your studies. Best of luck on your next written test. We want to see that CVR posted after your

name.

NVRA Verification Committee

P a g e | 35

APPENDIX C: NVRA Code of Ethics

A member of NVRA shall:

I. Exhibit absolute impartiality toward all participants in the proceedings; be truthful and

accurate when making public statements or advertising qualifications and services provided;

and offer comparable services and financial arrangements to all.

II. Preserve confidentiality; respect privileged information and confidences, oral or written,

entrusted to the reporter or learned indirectly; guard against not only the fact of but the

appearance of impropriety; avoid giving or receiving any gift, incentive or reward of

substance to or from any persons associated with the proceedings; and immediately notify

all parties of any possible or potential conflict of interest.

III. Refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to

attorneys, clients, or their representatives or agents, except for nominal items that do not

exceed $50.00 in the aggregate per recipient firm each year.

IV. Determine fees independently, except when established by statute or court order; enter into

no unlawful agreements with others on fees; and honor contracts, agreements and assigned

responsibilities.

V. Be prompt to all assignments and maintain a dignified appearance in dress and deportment;

respect all participants in a proceeding; and not offer counsel, advice or personal opinions.

VI. Prepare the record, and preserve the notes/recordings, in accordance with guidelines

established by rule, statute or court order; strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness

and dignity in both the process and products of professional work; and maintain the integrity

of the profession.

VII. Acquire and maintain professional competence; stay abreast of changes in the law, legal

procedures and technological developments relating to the reporting profession; and

participate in continuing education programs.

VIII. Exhibit ethical conduct while participating in the NVRA testing and continuing education

programs.

IX. Participate in national, state and local associations to advance the quality and standards of

the reporting profession; improve public understanding of the reporting profession; and

cooperate with the bench and bar for the improvement of the administration of justice.

X. Understand and accept that there is a consequence for misconduct, up to and including

membership revocation, and that those who have been or are sanctioned by a government

agency or convicted in a court of law of an action that is in violation of this Code may be

barred from membership or expelled from the organization.

XI. Abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of NVRA.