FAQs

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1. What is Court Reporting?

Court reporters aren’t journalists. They are special typists who create verbatim (word-for-word) transcripts of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, and other events. Court reporters play a critical role not only in judicial proceedings, but also at every meeting where the spoken word must be preserved as a written transcript. They are responsible for ensuring a complete, accurate, and secure legal record. Court reporters also provide closed-captioning and realtime translation services to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and work in variety of other fields (like the entertainment industry) where perfect records of what was said are required. Read more about the industry here.

2. Is a Court Reporter a typist?

Yes and no. A court reporter may create a transcript in a number of ways. Some use the traditional QWERTY keyboard to correct errors in transcription when editing, some use voice recognition software. The only viable realtime court reporting today is done with a stenograph machine, a small electronic device with a keyboard that is phonetically based, as opposed to traditional typing, which is spelling based. On a steno-machine, an entire word can be written in one stroke, so court reporters can surpass speeds of 225 words per minute. On traditional typewriter and computer keyboards, keys must be hit one at a time, so typing speeds are much slower.

3. What is the job market like?

The job market for realtime and non-realtime court reporters are excellent. There is a severe shortage of trained professionals in the industry. At present, there are approximately 30 realtime reporters working in Canada, and many of them are ready to retire, or would have retired already if they were not in such constant demand. As a result of the demand for realtime reporters, there is also a large demand for scopists. Realtime writers hire scopists, who are writing at lower, non-realtime speeds, to assist with the editing and proofreading of their transcripts. This way, the realtime writers can keep up with the demand and take on more work, resulting in a higher income. Those writing at speeds below realtime can also take on non-realtime court reporting jobs, where they have time after the proceeding to edit the transcript against audio. Read more in our Careers section.

In accordance with the Private Career Colleges Act, PCCs are not permitted, nor authorized to guarantee employment. However, insiders agree that there are not enough reporters and captioners to deal with the ever-growing demand! We are already fielding calls for our students while they are completing the program. Please visit ontario.ca/pcc for more information on how CCVS meets the approval of the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.

4. Will I make good money?

In short, yes. Upon graduation, realtime court reporters can earn anywhere from $60K to over $100K per annum, depending on their skill, the number of transcription assignments they accept, and whether or not they choose to freelance (representing approximately 70% of reporters in Ontario) or work salaried positions only (representing approximately 30% of reporters in Ontario). Some of the best realtime reporters make as much as $1,400.00 per day. For non-realtime court reporters, they can earn anywhere from $40K to $60K per annum. As one's speed improves, so will the income. Read more in our Careers section.

5. What's so great about Canadian Centre for Verbatim Studies?

CCVS is Canada's only college specializing in the training of Court Reporters. Our exceptional programs are approved as vocational programs under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. Our realtime program meets the rigorous National Court Reporters Association's (NCRA) standards. In addition, our programs are flexible, allowing students to learn based on their own schedule. For more information, check out our About CCVS section. Please Note: Enrollment for CCVS has been suspended until further notice. To stay informed about CCVS news, contact us directly.

6. Where is the school located?

The Canadian Centre for Verbatim Studies is located in the heart of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, one of North America’s biggest cities.

Our address is 10 St Mary St., just a 5-minute walk south of the Bloor/Yonge intersection and the Bloor/Yonge subway station. Find out more on our contact page.
7. What are your program options?

Both our Realtime Court Reporting program and our Court Reporting program have three options available. These include in-class, hybrid, and online. Please read more on our Program and Courses page. Please Note: Enrollment for CCVS has been suspended until further notice. To stay informed about CCVS news, contact us directly.

8. What is the difference between your Realtime diploma program and the Court Reporting diploma program?

The two programs are essentially the same, except for the final graduating speed and internship requirements. Students of each program will be completing the same academic courses. You can view the table below which outlines the differences between the two programs.Please Note: Enrollment for CCVS has been suspended until further notice. To stay informed about CCVS news, contact us directly.

Realtime Court Reporting Diploma vs Court Reporting Diploma

	Realtime Court Reporting	Court Reporting
Program Length	Two years	Two Years
Internship Requirement	Yes	No
Speed Test Requirements (at 95% accuracy)	3x180wpm Literary 3x200wpm Jury Charge 3x225 wpm Testimony	1x160wpm Literary, Jury Charge, ORTestimony
Job Opportunities	All realtime career paths, including realtime reporting, broadcast captioning, and CART.	Non-realtime jobs, including non-realtime reporting, note-taking, medical/legal transcription, scoping, and offline captioning.

9. Can I apply for OSAP?

We are currently pursuing this option - we are expecting OSAP will be available to CCVS students in the near future. There is a $30,000 line of credit available through the Bank of Montreal, please contact us if you would like information about this option.

10. If I change my mind, can I get my money back?

In general, after submitting, in writing, that you wish to withdraw from the program, you would receive a refund based on the amount of the program that was not delivered to you, less the cost of equipment, software, etc.  All Private Career Colleges must give refunds consistent with the guidelines set out by the Private Career Colleges Act.

11. Can anyone attend the college? (Admission Requirements)

Please Note: Enrollment for CCVS has been suspended until further notice. To stay informed about CCVS news, contact us directly.

In order to attend CCVS you must:

• Be a high school graduate or have obtained a GED
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have Government issued Photo ID

More info is in our Prospective Students section.


12. My question wasn’t answered!

Don’t worry, our staff will be happy to answer any questions you have about the school and our program. Please email us at info@verbatimstudies.com.

 

For more information or to talk to one of our education experts, contact us directly.