Are transcription courses and certification worth it?

It depends on the field. For general transcription, a course adds little, because the companies you would work for test your typing and grammar with a sample. A credential is worth the cost when the work requires one, as some legal transcript work does, or when employers in medical transcription may prefer formal training. Check the requirement for the job you want before you pay for anything.

The transcription jobs guide covers pay and tests. This question covers the credentials, and the costs they carry.

General transcription rarely requires a course

Rev's application tests English proficiency and grammar ¹, then asks for a sample transcription ². The sample is the real test. A course can help you prepare, but neither application lists a course among its steps. GoTranscript's jobs page likewise describes guidelines and a short test as the application steps ³.

For that reason, the first step is free. Practice on public audio, check your work against a completed transcript, and read the employer's style guide. The question on how to become a transcriptionist with no experience walks through that path.

Legal transcription has a recognized credential

The Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) from the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) is a credential for legal transcript work. The knowledge examination has 157 questions, and a candidate needs 80 percent or higher to pass ⁴. The practical examination requires a transcript of about 10 to 20 pages in the federal format ⁵, and to pass it a candidate must demonstrate 95 percent accuracy ⁶.

The cost is a real consideration. The AAERT registration fee for the CET is $275, and that fee covers both the knowledge exam and the practical exam ⁷. Eligibility also has a condition: to sit for an AAERT exam, a candidate must be eligible for a notary public commission and have a high school diploma or its equivalent ⁸.

Whether the CET is worth it depends on whether the legal employers you target ask for it. Read a few job listings in your area before you pay the fee.

Court reporting is a different and longer path

Court reporting is a stenotype skill, not general transcription. The Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) test requires transcribing dictation at 180, 200 and 225 words per minute, with 95 percent accuracy on each test ⁹. That is a major investment in speed, and it is not a short course.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says completing a court reporting program typically takes two or three years ¹⁰, and many states require court reporters to be licensed or certified ¹¹. A credential here is a career decision, not a side course.

Medical transcription training is shorter, and employers may prefer it

Medical transcription has a shorter formal route. The Bureau says medical transcription programs typically may be completed in less than one year, while associate's degree programs take longer ¹². The Bureau also says employers may prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary education in medical transcription ¹³.

Employment is projected to fall, though. The Bureau projects a 4 percent decline in medical transcriptionist employment from 2025 to 2035 ¹⁴. Before you enroll, read the question on whether medical transcription is still in demand and our medical transcription guide.

It depends on what you want to do

What to do

1. Start with free practice. Test your typing and style on public audio before you pay for anything.
2. Pay only for a credential that jobs ask for. Read three or four listings for the work you want, and note which credential they name.
3. Check the fee and the exam terms on the official site. Do not rely on a course provider's claim that a certificate guarantees work.
4. Be wary of paid courses that promise placement. If a course asks for money and promises work, check the placement claim in writing and read the reviews.

For how the field and its credentials compare, see the question on what typing speed you need for transcription and the guide to transcription jobs.

The short answer

For general transcription, skip paid courses and take the platform's sample test. For legal transcript work, the CET is a recognized credential and is worth the $275 fee if local employers ask for it. For court reporting, many states require licensing, and for medical transcription employers may prefer formal training, so the decision should rest on the job market you are entering.