Which legal dictation book is best for steno practice?

We found no independent review or exam notice that names a single best legal dictation book. The title our searches found is Dr. G. D. Bist's Legal Dictations, which a steno seller describes as containing court judgements ¹. The seller says Vol. I is supported by audio CDs for self-learners ². That is a seller's description, not a test of the book, so choose by what your exam needs.

This page covers books for practising legal dictation for shorthand and steno tests. For the test itself, see the guide to legal dictation for shorthand and steno exams.

No independent review or exam board names a best book

We searched for reviews, exam-board reading lists and library records. We found none that ranks legal dictation books or names one as the standard for a test. The recruitment notices we checked set speeds, transcription times and mistake limits, but name no book for practice. So the claim "best" has no independent basis in the sources we could open.

A book is useful if its passages match the test you will take: the same language, a similar speed and a similar kind of text. The notice for your post sets those three things, so start there.

Bist's Legal Dictations is the title our searches found, and its seller describes the content

We read one steno seller's page for Dr. G. D. Bist's material. For the English and Hindi Legal Dictation, it lists judgements on all types of civil and criminal cases under the Indian Penal Code or the Code of Criminal Procedure, and legal debates on laws passed by Parliament ¹. The Vol. I edition is described with audio CDs for self-learners ².

The same page claims that the series takes learners from 50 to 160 or 180 words per minute ³. That range covers the test speeds in the notices we checked. The Supreme Court's 2024 Court Master test is set at 120 words per minute ⁴, and its Personal Assistant test at 100 ⁵. The seller's range does not say which passages are written at which speed, so check a sample before you buy.

The seller's page gives no publisher or ISBN, so check the passages against the notice for your own exam. Check the speed and the subject matter against the notice for your own exam.

It depends on your language, your speed and whether you need audio

The right book depends on three things.

• Language. If your test is in English, choose an English book. If your test is in Hindi, check whether the book is in Hindi. The Bist page covers both English and Hindi, but the sample you read is the one to judge. The question on legal dictation in Hindi explains how Hindi tests differ.
• Speed. Start at the speed your notice sets. A book that starts at a low speed will not prepare you for a 100 or 120 word test on its own ^{5 6}, but it can build the base.
• Audio. A book without a recording is harder to practice with, because you cannot set the reading speed. The seller says its audio is for self-learners ², but you should confirm whether the audio comes with the file you buy.

Free copies of these books may circulate as PDFs. We did not check who holds the rights to those copies, so buy from the seller or borrow from a library, and do not rely on a free file of unknown origin.

What to do

1. Read the notice for your post. Note the language, the speed and the transcription time.
2. Pick a passage set at or near that speed. If the book lists its speeds, use those levels. If it does not, time a passage yourself.
3. Check the audio and the answer key. Practice with a recording you can stop and replay, and check your transcript against the printed text.
4. Keep a log of mistakes. The Supreme Court's Court Master test allows 5 percent mistakes ⁷, so count your errors against that limit for each passage.

For the method, see how to practice legal dictation. For the outline method, which saves time on phrases that recur in court language, see legal dictation shorthand outlines. For the speed in the notices, see legal dictation speed in High Court exams. The glossary entry on shorthand explains the systems most candidates use.