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100+ Free NVRA CM Certified Master Practice Questions

Pass your NVRA Certified Master (CM) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which of the following is most likely to degrade realtime translation accuracy?

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NVRA CM Certified Master Exam

200 / 240 / 260

Official Leg Speeds

NVRA Certifications page

95%

Passing Accuracy per Leg

NVRA Certifications page

5 minutes

Dictation Length per Leg

NVRA Certifications page

~$200

Member Skills Test Fee

NVRA Certifications page

CVR + member

Eligibility Floor

Current NVRA policy

Skills-only

No Written Knowledge Test

Current NVRA policy

The NVRA Certified Master (CM) is a post-CVR designation: candidates must hold the Certified Verbatim Reporter credential before sitting for CM. The CM exam itself is skills-only — there is no written knowledge component — and consists of three five-minute Skills Test legs at 200 WPM, 240 WPM, and 260 WPM, each scored to a 95% accuracy standard. The NVRA member fee is approximately $200, and testing is proctored through NVRA. To support CM speed prep, this free practice set covers the analogous knowledge areas a master voice writer must control on test day: advanced legal and medical terminology, high-speed dictation technique, voice modulation and brief development, senior-level ethics, realtime readiness, transcript production, and current NVRA testing rules.

Sample NVRA CM Certified Master Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NVRA CM Certified Master exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What three dictation speeds make up the NVRA Certified Master (CM) Skills Test?
A.180 / 200 / 225 wpm
B.200 / 240 / 260 wpm
C.220 / 250 / 280 wpm
D.160 / 200 / 240 wpm
Explanation: The NVRA CM Skills Test uses three five-minute legs at 200 WPM, 240 WPM, and 260 WPM. These speeds match the NCRA RMR profile and define the master-level voice-writer standard. The 180/200/225 speeds belong to the foundational CVR / RPR level.
2What is the minimum transcription accuracy required to pass each CM Skills Test leg?
A.90%
B.92.5%
C.95%
D.97.5%
Explanation: Each CM leg must be transcribed at 95% accuracy. The standard is applied independently to all three speeds, so a strong 200 WPM result cannot offset a failing 260 WPM testimony leg.
3A voice writer is consistently losing voice clarity in the last minute of a 260 WPM Q&A practice leg. The most effective targeted fix is to:
A.Increase global practice volume only
B.Drill diaphragmatic breath control and pacing breaks into brief packs
C.Switch to a heavier microphone
D.Stop practicing testimony entirely until 240 WPM is perfect
Explanation: Late-leg voice degradation is a fatigue and breath-management problem. Diaphragmatic breath control, controlled pacing breaks, and brief packs that compress repetitive attorney stems reduce vocal load at the exact points where output breaks down. Volume alone accelerates fatigue.
4On the 260 WPM testimony leg, a CM candidate hits an unfamiliar drug name from a pharmacology expert. The safest in-the-moment technique is to:
A.Skip the term and reconstruct it from memory afterward
B.Use a fingerspelling alternative such as a standard untranslate marker and recover on the next clean phrase
C.Stop dictation to clarify the spelling
D.Substitute a generic placeholder like 'the drug'
Explanation: Voice writers cannot stop dictation. The disciplined recovery is to mark the term with an untranslate or fingerspelling alternative and keep voicing, so the rest of the testimony stays accurate and the unfamiliar term can be reconciled during transcript production from the audio backup.
5What is the primary purpose of brief development for a CM-level voice writer?
A.To slow speech rhythm during dictation
B.To compress recurring multi-word phrases into shorter vocal forms so high-speed legs stay translatable
C.To replace punctuation
D.To skip difficult words
Explanation: Briefs let a voice writer compress high-frequency phrases ('isn't it a fact that', 'objection to the form', 'with respect to') into shorter vocal forms. This conserves time at 240 and 260 WPM and reduces the chance of dropped function words.
6During the jury charge leg at 240 WPM, dropped function words ('the', 'a', 'of') would best be reduced by:
A.Slowing the entire practice session
B.Drilling articulation patterns and chord-style phrase briefs at 240+ WPM
C.Ignoring small words and focusing only on nouns
D.Switching to typing instead of voice writing
Explanation: Dropped function words at jury-charge speed are an articulation and chord-pattern issue. Drilling phrase briefs and articulation at speeds above 240 WPM trains the voice to capture connectors that would otherwise vanish. Ignoring small words causes verbatim-accuracy losses.
7Voice modulation under pressure refers primarily to:
A.Speaking as loudly as possible
B.Controlling pitch, volume, and pace so the voice profile stays recognizable to translation software
C.Whispering to conserve energy
D.Adding emotion to match witnesses
Explanation: Voice modulation for verbatim reporting means consistent pitch, controlled volume, and steady pace so the speech-recognition engine continues to match the trained voice profile. Loud or whispered dictation degrades translation accuracy.
8Why are CM candidates encouraged to practice at speeds above 260 WPM before test day?
A.Because the NVRA exam may add a fourth speed
B.Because over-speed practice builds a comfort margin so the 260 WPM testimony leg feels controllable
C.Because faster practice replaces the need for accuracy review
D.Because NVRA scores 260 WPM at a lower accuracy threshold
Explanation: Over-speed practice (270-290 WPM) creates psychological and physical headroom. When the candidate returns to the 260 WPM testimony leg, it feels controllable rather than maxed out, which protects accuracy under pressure.
9A CM candidate's voice profile drifts when they are stressed. The best mitigation is to:
A.Retrain the voice profile on calm dictation only
B.Retrain or supplement the voice profile with samples recorded under realistic pressure conditions
C.Disable the voice profile during the exam
D.Switch microphones immediately
Explanation: If a voice profile only knows the candidate's calm voice, it will fail under exam stress. Supplementing the profile with samples captured during realistic high-speed practice teaches the engine the stressed-voice patterns and improves translation stability.
10Which of the following is NOT an appropriate technique for managing fatigue across three back-to-back five-minute CM legs?
A.Hydration and short between-leg recovery routines
B.Diaphragmatic breathing and posture resets between legs
C.Pushing volume higher with each subsequent leg
D.Pre-staged brief packs to reduce vocal load on the fastest leg
Explanation: Increasing volume each leg accelerates vocal fatigue and degrades voice-profile recognition. Hydration, breathing resets, posture, and pre-staged briefs all reduce load and protect accuracy in the final 260 WPM leg.

About the NVRA CM Certified Master Exam

The NVRA Certified Master (CM) is the advanced voice-writer credential awarded by the National Verbatim Reporters Association. CM is a skills-only mastery designation that builds on the foundational Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) by demanding 95% transcript accuracy across three five-minute dictation legs at 200, 240, and 260 words per minute.

Assessment

Three five-minute Skills Test legs at 200 WPM, 240 WPM, and 260 WPM. No written knowledge component.

Time Limit

5 minutes of dictation per leg × 3 legs, followed by the official transcript-submission window

Passing Score

95% accuracy on each leg

Exam Fee

~$200 NVRA member (National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA))

NVRA CM Certified Master Exam Content Outline

200 WPM leg

Literary-Level Dictation

The first CM Skills Test leg runs five minutes at 200 WPM. Voice writers must hold clean voice-profile output, controlled punctuation, and clear translation while the dictation pace stays demanding but rhythmic.

240 WPM leg

Jury Charge / Formal Legal Dictation

The 240 WPM leg pushes voice writers through dense, formal legal language. Brief packs, smooth voice modulation, and reliable punctuation control are critical at this tempo.

260 WPM leg

Testimony / Q&A Dictation

The 260 WPM testimony leg is the fastest portion of the CM exam. It emphasizes attorney-witness transitions, conflicts, fingerspelling alternatives, and clean recovery from any voice-profile slip.

95% per leg

Scoring and Transcript Production

Each leg is independently scored to a 95% accuracy threshold. Proofreading discipline, reading-back protocols, and state-specific transcript formatting protect against transcript-side losses on otherwise strong dictation.

Senior-level standards

Ethics, Realtime Readiness, and NVRA Rules

Counsel-of-record duties, judicial neutrality, conflict-of-interest avoidance, RVR preparation, and current NVRA testing and recertification rules round out the master-level professional standard.

How to Pass the NVRA CM Certified Master Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 95% accuracy on each leg
  • Assessment: Three five-minute Skills Test legs at 200 WPM, 240 WPM, and 260 WPM. No written knowledge component.
  • Time limit: 5 minutes of dictation per leg × 3 legs, followed by the official transcript-submission window
  • Exam fee: ~$200 NVRA member

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

NVRA CM Certified Master Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat CM as three different speed profiles: 200 WPM rhythm, 240 WPM density, and 260 WPM Q&A endurance each punish different weaknesses.
2Tune your voice profile and brief packs for the 260 WPM testimony leg specifically — that is where most CM attempts break down.
3Drill advanced legal, medical, and pharmacology terminology in short focused blocks so unfamiliar terms do not stall dictation flow.
4Run regular transcript-production passes so proofreading and formatting errors do not erase a clean dictation performance.
5Rehearse your full proctored-testing setup (audio, voice profile, file handling) before test day so it stays routine instead of reactive.
6Keep CM prep anchored to current NVRA testing rules and the NVRA Code of Ethics rather than invented topic lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on the NVRA CM exam?

CM is a skills-only Skills Test: three five-minute dictation legs at 200, 240, and 260 words per minute. There is no separate written knowledge component for CM.

Who is eligible to sit for NVRA CM?

You must be a current NVRA member and hold the NVRA Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) designation. CM is positioned as a post-CVR mastery credential, not an entry-level test.

What passing score does CM require?

Each of the three Skills Test legs must be transcribed at 95% accuracy. All three legs must be passed to earn the CM designation.

How long is each CM dictation leg?

Each leg consists of five minutes of dictation, followed by the official NVRA transcript-submission window. The three speeds are 200, 240, and 260 WPM.

How much does the NVRA CM Skills Test cost?

The CM Skills Test runs approximately $200 for NVRA members. Because CM eligibility requires NVRA membership, the public fee schedule centers on the member price.

How is CM different from the NVRA CVR?

CVR is the foundational NVRA verbatim-reporter credential. CM is the advanced mastery designation that sits on top of CVR and tests significantly faster dictation speeds with the same 95% accuracy standard.

How do you maintain the CM credential?

Holders maintain CM by keeping their NVRA membership and CVR status current and by meeting NVRA's recertification and CEU requirements as listed on the current NVRA Certifications page.