The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

• HEARING REPORTER - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

1219

For HEARING REPORTER, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

• EX-01219

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

Experience: Either

1. One year of experience taking and transcribing verbatim accounts of conferences, hearings, proceedings, trials, and other formal meetings in shorthand or machine shorthand writing; or
2. Possession of a State of California License as a Certified Shorthand Reporter; or
3. Possession of a Certificate of Proficiency or a Certificate of Merit issued by the National Shorthand Reporters' Association (NSRA). (Completion of eighteen months of full-time study at a school specializing in Hearing Reporter training may be substituted for not more than half of the required experience under Pattern I.)

This examination consists of the following component(s):

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

1. Grammar and spelling and possession of vocabulary.
2. Legal, medical, and other technical terminology.
3. Customary hearing procedures.

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the HEARING REPORTER Classification will be established for:

• State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

• A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
• A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Instructions:   

Read each of the 21 statements.  In the appropriate column, please indicate the amount of time you have applying or performing this knowledge, skill, ability, or task based on:

Experience - State the number of years and months of work experience you have relevant to applying or performing this knowledge, skill, ability, or task, both paid and volunteer.

Education: State the number of college level course units (semester or quarter units) you have completed directly related to applying or performing this knowledge, skill, ability, or task.

Training: State the number of training hours you have completed directly related to applying or performing this knowledge, skill, ability, or task.

Tasks:

1. Applying knowledge of the operation and maintenance of the stenographic machine to facilitate verbatim reporting.
2. Applying basic computer operating functions and capabilities to effectively carryout daily tasks (e.g. transcribing verbatim accounts of proceedings and hearings).
3. Applying knowledge of the English language such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation for effective transcription.
4. Applying knowledge of relevant terminology to successfully transcribe work product (i.e. legal, medical, tax, and/or other related terminology).
5. Applying basic word processing functions to create and edit documents with a personal computer as it relates to reporting and transcribing proceedings.
6. Identifying multiple speakers to accurately attribute statements for reporting and transcribing proceeding.
7. Operating the stenographic machine at the speed required to effectively report all proceedings.
8. Performing stenography at the minimum speed of 200 words per minute with a minimum accuracy rate of 97.5% to maintain proficiency for hearing reporters.
9. Reading stenographic notes aloud when requested during a proceeding.
10. Researching and verifying relevant terminology cited during proceedings (i.e., legal, medical, tax, and/or other related terminology).
11. Recognizing correct homonym-type words to ensure transcription is accurate.
12. Completing work product in a timely manner to maintain proper workflow as it relates to reporting and transcribing proceedings.
13. Tactfully interrupting legal proceedings to clarify testimony.
14. Maintaining and balancing priorities to ensure a consistent workflow as it relates to reporting and transcribing proceedings.
15. Learning new rules, laws, regulations, office procedures, and software programs to carry out daily job duties (e.g. reporting and transcribing proceedings).
16. Listening and transcribing testimony or dictation including that which is hard to understand.
17. Working with others to complete assignments or special projects (transcribing previously reported hearings, editing transcripts for format standards, appearing as back-up reporter for absent staff).
18. Working independently, taking initiative, and following through with projects that have been started (being backup for absent staff, researching obscure or unknown terms for transcript accuracy, processing out-going mail etc.).
19. Adapting to changes in priorities, assignments, and other interruptions which may impact current work projects (transcribing hearings, appearing as back-up reporter for absent staff, alerting judges to irregular or abnormal behavior that may impede the proceedings).
20. Proofreading all documents for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors for consistency to ensure that documents have been properly edited.
21. Accurately reporting proceedings conducted via telephone or video conference.

• State of California

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

State of California reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.