Examination & Accreditation
Examinations for high speeds will be by live dictation by arrangement with the IPS (Incorporated Phonographic Society) whose examination fees currently start at £9.00 per examination. This will be arranged through the Principal, Mary Sorene, who is its current Chairman. These fees will be required to be paid by the student direct to the IPS, but they should only be undertaken once you are sufficiently proficient at that speed by writing, when practising, at least 20 wpm above the examination speed being attempted. The IPS examination is not a realtime one, but an edited transcript, but, as always, without any audio back-up. For realtime tests you need to be writing 40 wpm above the examination speed being attempted. Again, no audio back-up is allowed, but, in any event, this is a test of your “first draft” of your output. Check out the IPS website: www.the-ips.org.uk.
Earlier speed examinations, i.e., up to and including 150 wpm will be conducted in-house with certificates issued for passes of at least 98% accuracy.
Following completion of basic theory students/participants who wish to undertake Speech-to-Text work, will need to undertake Deaf Awareness Training via Signature, formerly known as the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP). The “Start Learning Today” option on their website, www.signature.org.uk, will help you in your search for a suitable centre.
Accreditation via the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters www.bivr.org.uk is your next qualification.
To become a Registered Speech to Text Reporter with NRCPD – The National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People you need to show that you know about speech to text reporting and professional conduct.
For those students/participants who wish to undertake Speech-to-Text work, the latest registration route criteria would be:
- BIVR Verbatim Court Reporter Membership or BIVR STTR Membership
- NRCPD approved STTR training course + live assessment
- DAC1 – Deaf Awareness Certificate at Level 1 or above