1.1 Current Exam Blueprint and Ethical Conduct

Start with the current exam, not an old outline

AAERT describes the Certified Electronic Reporter (CER) as the professional who captures the record by digitally recording court and non-court proceedings. The current certification page lists an online multiple-choice knowledge examination with 188 total questions, including scored and unscored items, a 120-minute limit, and a required score of 80% or higher. Scored questions may have different point values, so 80% is not a promise that answering a particular raw number of questions correctly will pass. AAERT reports domain results as points earned out of points possible.

The blueprint currently linked from AAERT's certification page is the Table of Specifications dated July 2026, which supersedes the August 2025 and February 2023 editions. Its 110 numbered objectives are unchanged from the August 2025 edition; the July 2026 revision expands the role description rather than the topic list. It contains four domains:

AAERT announced that a CER practical component is being developed, but its current certification page still says the CER is earned by passing the knowledge examination. Treat an announced future component as not yet effective unless AAERT posts an implementation date and revised requirements. The knowledge exams moved to AAERT's new exam platform on March 26, 2026. Official instructions say candidates receive platform access after registration, schedule a proctored appointment, and must follow the identity, equipment, and security rules supplied for that appointment.

What AAERT says the CER actually does

The July 2026 blueprint opens with a role statement worth reading as a scope definition rather than marketing copy. AAERT describes the CER as capturing and preserving the verbatim record by:

• creating a clear and complete quality audio recording of the proceeding;
• administering oaths;
• creating accurate and detailed time-synced notes of case events and terminology to serve as a guide for creating the transcript;
• performing live playback of the proceedings as requested;
• marking and managing exhibits; and
• managing the proceeding as a neutral party to the case.

Every chapter of this guide maps to one of those six duties. Notice what the list does not say: it does not make the CER the transcriber, and it does not make the CER a decision-maker in the case.

The references AAERT names

The same blueprint lists the reference works its questions are developed against. AAERT states that no single reference is required and that no specific preparation is mandated, but the list tells you which vocabulary and conventions the item writers treat as standard:

Two entries deserve particular attention because candidates often skip them. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure supply the deposition officer's on-record duties under Rule 30, and the Guide to Judiciary Policy supplies the mandatory federal transcript format and content rules. This guide teaches from both.

The ethics decision hierarchy

Ethical conduct is not a collection of slogans. A reporter must identify the controlling authority and act without changing the substance of the record. Use this order of questions:

1. What law, rule, order, or contract controls? A local rule may determine who may administer an oath, retain audio, release a copy, or mark an exhibit.
2. What has the presiding official directed? A judge or authorized officer controls the proceeding, subject to governing law.
3. What do written assignment procedures require? Agency and court workflows govern file names, delivery paths, logs, and escalation.
4. What does professional ethics require? AAERT directs members to be fair, impartial, truthful, accurate, respectful, alert to conflicts, protective of confidentiality, and competent with their systems.
5. Is the reporter being asked to decide a legal issue? A reporter preserves and documents the record; the reporter does not give legal advice or decide objections.

When authorities appear to conflict, pause if necessary, preserve what has already been captured, and seek direction from the presiding official or authorized supervisor. Never silently invent a procedure. A useful exam distinction is between record-making action and legal decision-making. The reporter can ask speakers to identify themselves, request repetition when the record is inaudible, mark a timestamp, and document an instruction. The reporter should not coach testimony, resolve privilege, tell a party whether to answer, or characterize a ruling.

Applying the Code to scenarios

Suppose counsel asks the reporter to omit an embarrassing exchange that occurred while the proceeding was on the record. Accuracy and impartiality prohibit a private deletion. The reporter should preserve the captured material and follow an on-record ruling, authorized correction process, or sealing/redaction instruction. If a friend is a party, the reporter should disclose the relationship through the required channel because both actual bias and its appearance matter. If recording software shows a fault, professional competence requires prompt verification and escalation, not hopeful silence.

The exam commonly turns on the best next action. Look for the response that protects the record, remains neutral, follows controlling authority, and creates a traceable account of what happened. Avoid choices that conceal an error, favor one side, disclose protected information, or turn the reporter into an advocate.

Current official sources

• AAERT certification program
• CER Examination Blueprint, July 2026
• AAERT Code of Professional Ethics
• AAERT exam-platform update

Sources checked September 15, 2026.

Exam application

A useful final check is to explain why a seemingly courteous action can still be unethical. Quietly correcting a party's damaging statement favors substance over fidelity; accepting a valuable thank-you gift creates an appearance problem; and continuing through a recording fault sacrifices accuracy for convenience. In each scenario, name the governing authority, the threatened duty, the neutral action, and the documentation needed. Also distinguish current requirements from announcements: candidates study the four-domain knowledge blueprint and current knowledge examination unless AAERT publishes an effective practical-exam requirement. This habit prevents older preparation material from overriding AAERT's live certification page.