What is the RMR?
The Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) is NCRA’s next-level skills certification designed for mid-career court reporters, those looking for the next level of networking, and those looking for a potential salary increase.
With your RMR, your peers and clients will recognize you as one of the top court reporters in the country. Your RMR gives you more opportunities for challenging and lucrative job assignments, an opportunity to compete in NCRA's National Speed Contest, the inspiration to enhance your skills and become an even more valuable part of the judicial system, eligibility to become an RDR, and 0.25 PDCs for passing each leg of the exam.
Who is eligible to sit for the RMR exam?
To register for the RMR Tests, you must be a member of NCRA and a current RPR.
How to maintain your RMR Certification
As an RMR, you will participate in NCRA's continuing education program. To renew your RMR, you must maintain your NCRA membership and your RPR certification. You will renew both your RPR and RMR simultaneously by earning 3.0 CEUs per cycle. In other words, you won't have to earn a total of 6.0 CEUs to renew your RPR and RMR.
Recognition of your achievement
After you have earned your certification, you will be able to log in to your NCRA account and print your newly earned certificate to proudly display in your home or office. Your certification also gets recognition in the Journal of Court Reporting and on NCRA's website. NCRA membership also includes a complimentary listing in NCRA PROLink.
Testing information
Online Skills Tests
You have to pass three five-minute Skills Tests (SKT), which evaluate your skills level in three areas:
- Literary at 200 wpm
- Jury Charge at 240 wpm
- Testimony/Q&A at 260 wpm
After dictation, you will have three minutes to attach your steno notes and then 75 minutes to transcribe and submit your final transcript. You must have 95 percent accuracy on each leg to pass.
You do not have to pass all the components of the exam at one time.
RMR - What is an error?
All candidates are required to read the Skills Test instructions and technical requirements prior to registering and taking their test.
Note: Skills requirements for certifications are not interchangeable.
Note: Effective January 1, 2025, due to budget constraints, and in an effort to maintain a greener footprint, NCRA will no longer be mailing physical certification certificates to members. Members may download and print their own certificates through the NCRA website. Print certification certificate instructions
Differences between the RMR certification and the former CM
The Certificate of Merit (CM) did not require candidates to hold the RPR before testing for the CM and did not require candidates to participate in NCRA's Continuing Education program upon completion. The Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) certification requires both of these.
All NCRA members who were members in good standing at the time of conversion (on Nov. 4, 1994) were automatically converted to the new certification as RMRs, unless they requested otherwise. Nonmembers will retain their CM designation.
Note: Effective January 1, 2025, due to budget constraints, and in an effort to maintain a greener footprint, NCRA will no longer be mailing physical certification certificates to members. Members may download and print their own certificates through the NCRA website. Print certification certificate instructions