CSR Examination

The CSR examination is currently administered by the Texas Court Reporters Association (TCRA) on behalf of the Commission. Please refer to TCRA's website for questions regarding exam registration, exam fees, scores, etc.

Currently the Eleventh Edition of Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. This is subject to change, so check with the vendor prior to taking the exam.

Accommodations are made according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under section 3.10 of the JBCC Rules, you must submit written notification to the exam vendor within 10 days of the scheduled exam. It is recommended that you submit your registration paperwork as early as possible to allow time to research and make any necessary accommodations prior to the exam.

Documentation from your physician relating to your disability will be required. This documentation must include the type of disability and the recommended accommodations.

Yes. You are not required to use paper notes, but you are strongly encouraged to use them in the event you have equipment failure and can no longer access your notes electronically. Please be advised that only the final paper transcript is accepted for grading purposes. If you cannot turn in a transcript you will receive a failing grade.

You must pass the oral exam for each method. If you have previously taken and passed the written exam, you do not need to retake it, but you do need to note on your paperwork that you have passed it, when you passed it, and the file number you tested under when you passed it. 

Please refer to the website for the Texas Court Reporters Association for this information since they administer the certification exam on behalf of the Commission.

Effective September 01, 2019, the JBCC no longer requires you to qualify to sit for the oral exam. Please refer to the Exam page of our website for information on exam requirements.

Regrades are done as quickly as possible. However, there are no guarantees that results will be provided before the registration deadline of the next CSR examination. It would be advisable not to wait on the regrade results if you're planning to sit for the next exam.

Applicants must register for the exam with the exam vendor (TCRA). Please refer to their website for details on the registration process.

Yes.

Test results will be provided according to the timeline established in Rule 3.11 of the JBCC Rules. Test results are not provided by phone, fax, or to third parties. Certification cards will be issued by regular mail after the Supreme Court certifies the names of the successful examinees.

Applicants must apply using our online licensing system. The link to system is located on the home page of our website.

Effective 09/01/17, per section 152.201 (c-1) of Chapter 152 and section 3.11 (d) of the JBCC Rules, passing exam scores are valid for a period of 2 years after the date of the examination. If you've not become certified within 2 years of passing the exam, you must retake the exam passed. Per section 6.2 (g)(3) of the JBCC Rules, you would not have to retake the exam passed if the scores have not expired.

See Exam Results section of the Exam page of our website for additional information.

You must submit the appropriate form for a regrade to TCRA, the exam vendor. The form to request a regrade can be obtained from TCRA. Please refer to their website for any additional information. Applications for a regrade must be submitted within 20 days of notice (i.e., the date that results were issued) that you did not pass the exam. You may also request a review of your skills exam after the exam has been re-graded. The deadline to request a review of your skills exam is within 20 days of notice of your regrade results. 

They can be viewed in circumstances when something is in question and to determine if someone cheated, but they cannot be considered when determining grades. The final (printed) transcript is the only document that will be used to determine whether an examinee passed or failed the CSR exam.