1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan

The practical exam is the part of the CET that most rewards rehearsal, and you can do nearly all of that rehearsal at home. AAERT's exam instructions describe the process in detail. Rehearse it until it is routine.

What you need

AAERT's equipment list for the practical exam:

• a government-issued photo ID whose name exactly matches your registration;
• a computer running Windows 10 or newer, an internet connection of at least 8 Mbps, a webcam and Google Chrome;
• wired headphones;
• a USB foot pedal (AAERT recommends the VEC Infinity 3 or AltoEdge);
• Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, CAT software, a steno machine and/or a voice writer. AAERT notes that if you use MaxScribe, you cannot use its speech recognition;
• your federal format template, which is on AAERT's Exam Resources page.

Exam-day workflow

AAERT's step-by-step instructions, in order:

1. Plug in the foot pedal and headphones, open your template, and launch Chrome.
2. Log in to Realtime Coach, connect to your ProctorU proctor, and complete identity and room checks. The proctor enters the exam password; proctors do not answer questions about exam content.
3. Open the Case Information sheet. It gives the court, judge, caption, case number, counsel, date and a summary of witnesses and exhibits.
4. In TheRecordXchange player, use the menu to Connect Foot Pedal, then set Foot Pedal Options. Open the Log Annotations under the player.
5. Play the four-channel audio and adjust each channel's volume as needed. Type in your word processor, not in the exam's "My Transcript" box.
6. Save the finished transcript, including the title page, index page and certificate, as a PDF. Do not put your full name in the file name; initials are fine.
7. Click Attach Transcript and upload the PDF.
8. Copy only the body of the transcript and paste it into the My Transcript box. Leave out the title page, index and certificate, and do not include line numbers. AAERT warns that the pasted text "is reviewed closely during grading."
9. Submit, then follow the proctor's instructions to delete the transcript and all exam files. Failing to do so can invalidate the exam.

The 180 minutes start when the exam launches. The remaining time shows on the Attach Transcript button. The recording must be transcribed completely; AAERT says you must "complete all of the audio files supplied."

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A time plan for 180 minutes

AAERT does not publish a time split. A practical plan for a 10- to 20-page transcript:

Two habits save the most points. First, finish the draft before perfecting any passage; an untranscribed page loses far more than one uncertain word. Second, build the index last, after pagination is final, so the page numbers match.

Free practice materials from AAERT

AAERT's Exam Resources page has:

• the Federal Format Template for Word. It is a 25-line numbered array that stays fixed whether text is single- or double-spaced;
• sample pages for the title page, index page, opening statement, exhibit marking, swearing in a witness, examination Q and A, paragraphing in Q and A, examination header and certificate, and page headers;
• a practice transcript set (State of Vermont v. Scalini, a bail review hearing) with the case information record, log notes, audio and an answer key. The practice audio has two channels; the exam has four.

Transcribe the Scalini audio under timed conditions, then compare your work line by line with the key. The key shows AAERT's own choices on double dashes, (sic), exhibit parentheticals, the index layout and the certificate wording, all of which this guide covers.

Studying for the knowledge exam by weight

Spread your study time in proportion to the blueprint. For an 80-hour plan (an OpenExamPrep suggestion, not an AAERT requirement):

Grammar is tested in context. Practice by punctuating unpunctuated testimony, not only by memorizing rules. For format, lay a printed AAERT sample page beside your own transcript and check every tab stop, parenthetical and header.

After the exam

AAERT emails results once the practical is scored. For concerns about test administration or item fairness, AAERT requires a written report to the Certification Director within 5 calendar days after the exam. AAERT also publishes a CET Practical Exam Regrade Request Form.