Officialship Training Program

Enrollment is now OPEN!

Court Reporting Services is offering an in-person, tuition-free training program to become an Official Court Reporter, with guaranteed job placement upon passing the required certification exam.

The Officialship Training Program (OTP) is a two-year, tuition-free academic commitment.

Details below!

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What is an
OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER?

An Official Court Reporter works in a courthouse and is highly trained and skilled to capture every word spoken during court proceedings, through the use of a technologically-advanced stenographic machine, and transforms the proceedings into an official certified transcript.

Court reporters are known as "guardians of the record."

CRS Brochure

Meeting the High Demand

There is a shortage of court reporters nationwide. In Illinois alone, hundreds of court reporters are at or near retirement age. Current and future positions will need to be filled. Certification is required for these positions.

Training & Certification

Individuals will receive two years of free training by licensed court reporters. Students will be trained on a state-of-the-art stenotype machine, court reporting software, and much more! The student must reach qualifying speeds on the stenotype machine and become certified by passing the Court Reporting Services' Part-A exam. Passing the Part-A exam meets minimum requirements for a restricted Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Employment

Upon passing the Court Reporting Services' Part-A exam, the student will receive a two-year employment contract with Court Reporting Services as an Official Court Reporter, with advancement opportunities upon achieving higher certifications.

Salary & Benefits

Court Reporting Services' employees receive a complete salary and benefits package, including insurance, pension, vacation/sick days...

and more!

Equal pay for men and women.

Additional income earning potential for producing transcripts!

About the program...

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Applicants will be selected for inclusion in the program.
The projected timeline of the course is two (2) years. (Since students progress at varying rates, there is no guarantee the student will achieve the required speed level for testing during that timeframe.)
The program will be taught by licensed court reporters or individuals approved by Court Reporting Services.
Students will be required to attain the minimum certification for employment eligibility by passing the Court Reporting Services’ Part-A exam.
The individual must then remain employed with Court Reporting Services for at least two (2) years, in return for the tuition-free training, and pursue unrestricted licensure.

MANDATORY WORKSHOP DATES:

Urbana, Illinois - April 24, 2026

Wheaton, Illinois - May 1, 2026

Carterville, Illinois - May 12, 2026

MANDATORY ORIENTATION DATES:

Wheaton, Illinois - August 24, 2026

Urbana, Illinois - August 31, 2026

Carterville, Illinois - September 9, 2026

FALL CLASS START DATES:

Urbana, Illinois - September 14, 2026

Wheaton, Illinois - September 14, 2026

Carterville, Illinois - September 21, 2026

PROGRAM TIMELINE:

Phase 1: Machine shorthand theory is estimated to take 5 months to complete.

Phase 2: Speed building will begin after theory and continue until certification is attained.

Estimated program timeline: Two (2) years

UPCOMING PROGRAM LOCATIONS:

Urbana: Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana, Illinois
Wheaton: DuPage County Courthouse, Wheaton, Illinois
NEW LOCATION: John A. Logan College, Carterville, Illinois

(Please note, the Officialship Training Program is not affiliated with John A. Logan College.)

PROGRAM SCHEDULE SAMPLE:

PROGRAM PROVISIONS:

Please read the program provisions very carefully. This is a training program. Students will be treated as trainees and must adhere to strict provisions regarding absences and tardiness to ensure successful
completion of the program. This form is required to be signed upon acceptance into our program. Please do not submit it at this time.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Those interested in the program must apply by submitting the Application Form & Assessment Test packet (at the bottom of this page). The packet must be emailed to Training@ilcrs.com by March 20, 2026.
Potential candidates will be selected from the submitted applications to attend a mandatory Information and Evaluation Workshop.
Students applying to the Urbana, Illinois, program will attend the workshop at the Lincoln Square Mall classroom site on April 24, 2026.
Students applying to the Wheaton, Illinois, program will attend the workshop at the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton, Illinois, on May 1, 2026.
Students applying to the Carterville, Illinois, program will attend the workshop on May 12, 2026.
During the workshop, potential candidates will receive in-depth information about the program, an introductory stenographic training, and participate in an interview.
Depending on the number of candidates attending, the workshop may run beyond the scheduled timeframe. Candidates should be prepared to stay the entire day.
Following the workshop, a final selection of individuals will be made. The selected candidates will receive an offer to participate in the program by phone and will have a deadline to accept or reject it. If the offer is accepted, the candidate must arrange with Court Reporting Services to sign the contractual agreement for the program.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM:

Curriculum will include, but not be limited to:

Machine Shorthand Theory (Stenograph Theory for Court Reporting)
Speedbuilding
Transcript Preparation
Software Training
English/Grammar
Legal/Medical Terminology
Courtroom Procedures
Administrative Regulations for Court Reporting Services' Employees in the Illinois Courts
Code of Conduct for Court Reporting Services' Employees
Standards for the Security of the Official Court Record
Internships and onsite training (subject to location)
Exam Preparation
Guest Speakers

Equipment Required - ** Purchased by Student **

While the program tuition is free, there will be some costs required for each student. Selected candidates will receive guidance on all purchases.

Steno writer and software through Stenograph
- Both rent and one-time payment options will be available.

Audio dictation material through MyRealtimeCoach
- Phase 1 (Theory) - $42 per month per student
- Phase 2 (Speedbuilding) - $62 per month per student

PROVISIONS

The Steno Machine

Also known as a stenotype, stenographic machine or writer, this magic machine allows one to type over 300 words per minute by keystroking words phonetically.

The Steno Keyboard

Application Instructions for our Tuition-Free Officialship Training Program

Step 1 of 2 (typing test)

Please read through the instructions before taking the typing test.

1. Click on the link below to access the typing test.

2. Click on START TEST.

3. Start typing.

4. Click on SHOW RESULT.

5. >skip ad

6. Make a note of your Typing Speed, Accuracy, and Net Speed to insert on your application form in Step 2 of 2.

Note: You can retake the typing test as many times as you would like. You need only one score of 50 words per minute or above to qualify for this training program.

Step 2 of 2 (application form)

Please read through the instructions before filling out the form.

Click on the link below to access the application. Once the application opens, please save it to your computer, then open it in Adobe. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader downloaded to complete this process. If you do not, please visit https://get.adobe.com/reader to download for free.
Complete the fillable application and assessment.
Save the completed application and assessment to your computer, with your last and first name as the file name of the document.
Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Email your form as an attachment to Training@ilcrs.com no later than March 20, 2026. Applications must be submitted as an email attachment. Applications submitted as links from a Google Drive will not be accepted. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted.

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APPLICATION FORM

TYPING TEST