Free Scopist Training : Increase Your Scopist Income Today! [2023 Update]
Have you been thinking about becoming a scopist? If you are looking for free scopist training to give you an idea of what being a scopist is all about, then this article is for you.
The world of scoping is a niche profession.
As such, if you want to become a scopist, it is inevitable that you will need to undergo some form of training.
This is so that you can equip yourself with the finer skills that scopists need to be successful, as well as to stand out from the competition.
Read on as we delve into:
- The exact work that a scopist does
- The best free scopist training
- What the salary of a scopist is like
- How long it takes to become a scopist
- Is There A Scopist Training Certification?
- Where To Find Scopist Jobs?
Best Free Scopist Training
Let’s take a look at the best free scopist training courses that are available.
At a glance, some of the best scopist training courses are illustrated in the table below:
| No. | Scopist Training Course | Features | Cost |
| 1 | The Internet Scoping School Scoping Fundamentals | Teaches the fundamentals of scoping which is the first portion of the Full CourseIncludes 21 lessons, word skills tests, and lifetime access to their Facebook groupScoping Fundamentals students get access to lower monthly papers for The Internet Scoping School’s full course | $197 |
| 2 | The Internet Scoping School Full Course | One of the best and most in-depth scopist trainings on the internetRecognised and highly recommended by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)Taught by an instructor who has over 35 years of experience in the scoping industry | $2500 with the option to pay for it in monthly installments for up to 12 months |
| 3 | BeST Scoping Techniques | Includes training on the best computer assisted transcription (CAT) software with students getting substantial discounts on the sameSelf-paced – go as slowly or as quickly as you likeThe instructors have over 40 years of practical experience | $2100 |
| 4 | Accolade Scoping Education | Easy to understand, no-frills, and straightforward scopist trainingOpportunities for one-on-one interactions with the instructor | $1500 though you can pay $700 first to take the first part of the course and make payment for the remainder later |
It must be noted at this juncture, that it is extremely rare to find free scopist training courses. This is because of how specialized the area of scoping is. As such, for now, there is only one free scopist training course that is available online.
That is The Internet Scoping School’s Intro Course.
This is a great option if you are thinking of becoming a scopist but aren’t quite ready to make the full commitment of paying for a full scopist training course.
The Internet Scoping School’s Intro Course teaches you, among other things:
- what scoping is all about
- The skills that are required to become a scopist
- What kind of software you need to carry out the work of a scopist
- What kind of tech equipment you need as a scopist
More importantly, this FREE course is a great way to check out if a scopist career is something you are suited for but still get a good amount of scopist training for free.
Once you attend the FREE scopist training course and you would like to explore the options of other paid scopist training courses, check out the table below for a quick summary of the best scopist training courses that are available online.
Now, let’s take a look at each of these amazing scopist training courses in more detail!
1.The Internet Scoping School Scoping Fundamentals Course
Now this is a wonderful value-for-money option if you want to take a paid scopist training course to get you started in the world of scoping
You only need to pay $197 to access the first part of The Internet Scoping School’s full course. This first part comprises the fundamentals of scoping and is enough to teach you all the basic skills that you need to know to get started on your scopist career.
The Internet Scoping School’s Fundamental Course is essentially the first 2 modules of their full course and comprises:
- Lifetime access to the Scoping School’s Facebook group where you can also find community support from fellow students of the course
- Interactive quizzes to test you on what you have learnt so far
- 21 complete lessons about the basics of scoping
- Words skills test to check your proficiency
The bonus point here is that those who sign up for the Scoping Fundamentals Course also have the option to make lower monthly installment payments when they choose to sign up for the full course which is normally priced at $2500 (more on this below!).
However, at this juncture, it is important to note that if you choose this option, you may end up paying a little more for the full course (between $2600 and $3000 depending on which monthly payment plan you choose) than if you were to sign up for the full course directly.
That being said, the major advantage of this is that you can spread your payments across a certain period and this is most certainly helpful in managing your budget and finances.
2.The Internet Scoping School Full Course
This is the Internet Scoping School’s most comprehensive scopist training. It is also the most popular and most recommended scopist training course among career scopists.
The instructor, Linda Evenson has been providing training to aspiring scopists since 1999. She has more than 35 years of experience and is more than happy to share and pass on her knowledge to her scoping students.
To date, Linda has trained over 650 students in the art of scoping!
More importantly, The Internet Scoping School Full Course is recognized and highly recommended by the National Court Reporters Association.
This is because of how incredibly detailed this scopist training course is.
Linda teaches you the theory of being a scopist as well as all the practical, hands-on techniques that go into being a scopist. She also guides you on how to use computer-aided transcription or CAT software to help you with your tasks as a scopist.
When you complete the course, you also get lifetime access to the Internet Scoping School’s Facebook group. This is where you can interact with other students, as well as Linda herself for continuous support and motivation!
The Internet Scoping School’s Full Course costs $2500 in total.
However, there is the option of breaking up this cost into monthly payment installments of up to 12 months, depending on your budget and financial circumstances.
As you can see, the Internet Scoping School is truly determined to make scopist training accessible and affordable with all its various options available to those who may be interested in becoming a scopist.
3.BeST Scoping Techniques
The BeST Scoping Techniques scopist training course is taught by 2 instructors with over 40 years of experience in the scoping industry.
This is also one of the most straightforward, no-nonsense scopist training courses that are available online.
More importantly, the self-paced nature of the course means that there is no rush or pressure to complete the scopist training. You can take your time to properly absorb all that it takes to be a scopist before starting out as one on your own.
While most of the material is available online, upon registration and payment of the scopist training fees of $2100, you will be sent a welcome package that will contain course materials, lesson plans, and study aids.
4.Accolade Scoping Education
The Accolade Scoping Education course provides training on scoping for court reporters who may be interested in expanding their career options.
However, prior experience as a court reporter is not a must if you want to sign up for this scoping course.
One of the biggest advantages of this particular scopist training course is that it is probably one of the cheaper scopist training courses that are available online.
At only $1500, this scopist training course prides itself in teaching you all there is to know to become a scopist in a positive and encouraging manner.
You can check out the details of the Accolade Scoping Education scopist training course syllabus here.
Additionally, while most of this scopist training course is self-paced, once you sign up, you also get one-to-one access with the instructor.
If you aren’t ready to pay for the full fees of the course upfront, then there is the option to pay $700 first to get started on the course. This allows you to break up the payments and the course itself and for the rest at a later time.
Is There A Scopist Certification Available?
Something you may be wondering about the scopist training I have mentioned is: why don’t I get an official scopist certification?
A fair question. The answer is because the NCRA (The Association For Court Reporters And Captioners) has not released a professional certification for scopists.
Instead, the NCRA recognizes the scopist as one of the possible careers a Court Reporter may have.
However, this does not mean you won’t be recognized as a legitimate legal scopist! Remember The Internet Scoping School Full Course is even officially recommended by the NCRA
So, don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get a scopist certification! There is plenty of demand for scopists.
Not having a NCRA certification just means that being a scopist is a career that needs a bit more time to be constitutionally recognized for certification.
What Is A Scopist’s Salary?
A scopist’s salary can vary depending on multiple factors. Among other things, these include:
- Level of formal education
- Whether you are certified in any scopist training courses
- Any additional skills
- Number of years being a scopist
- Whether you have any practical legal background or experience
On average, scopists can make about $1.25 per page of completed scoping work. Once you get more experience, you can increase this rate accordingly.
According to salary.com, a full-time scopist can make an average of $32,909 and $48,859 per year.
More importantly, this is a substantial income that you can make from the comfort of your home, with little to no overhead expenses to account for!
At the end of the day, how much you make as a scopist will also depend on how many scopist jobs you can do and how quickly you can get them done. The more you can do, the more you can earn.
Where To Find Scopist Jobs?
Now that you know you can work as a legal scopist from your home, and could earn a substantial income it is time to find scopist jobs and start getting experience!
Now, let’s save you time and get to the point, the best places to find scopist jobs are:
- Scopist Facebook groups
- Professional Scopists
- Scopist Directories
- The NCRA Job Board
- Courthouses, Court Reporters And Court Reporting Firms
- Upwork
1. Scopist Facebook groups
As for Facebook groups, these are the 3 most active scopist groups I found where you can join to look for work:
- Job Board – Court Reporters, Scopists & Proofreaders
- Triple Threat Scoping Job Board
- Scoping & Proofing Job Board (Court Reporters, Scopists, Proofreaders)
- Scoping & Proofreaders (NCRA)
- Scopist Needed Today
- Court Reporter/ Scopist Connection
- ECLIPSE Reporter/ Scopist/ Proofreader Group
- Case Catalyst Real Team Scopists And Proofers Available / Needed Today
- Case Catalyst Daily Copy Scopists And Proofers
- Professional Catalyst Scopists
Tip: If you attend one of the scopist training previously mentioned, those are the best Facebook communities to first check for networking and client opportunities!
2. Linkedin
Make sure your profile is updated to reflect your newly-minted scopist skills and make it known that you are looking for jobs!
3. Professional Scopists
National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is a membership based platform that lets you take on work whenever you need to.
4. Scopist Directories
Scopist directories are one of the best sites to find scopist jobs!
Here you can get a lot of exposure as a scopist, you need to apply to appear in their directory and be contacted or also receive scopist job opportunities via your email.
Note: The only downside is that ( putting aside Stenograph) these sites don’t have an updated design, so you can feel confused browsing them.
5.The NCRA Job Board
Another great place to find scopist Jobs is the NCRA job board! It may not always flow with scopist opportunities, but it is always recommendable to check it out.
For example, here I found a great opportunity for a scopist:
6. Courthouses, Court reporters, And Court Reporting Firms
You may not know any court reporters before you start landing your first scopist job. It is alright for you to not know.
For a start, you can do an internet research to find courthouses, individual court reporters and court reporting firms. You may cold calling or e-mail them about your services.
Try to ask the courthouses and court reporting firms if they can provide you with name and contact information of the stenographic court reporters.
Do not limit your search to only your immediate geographic area. As a scopist, you can work remotely for court reports all over the world.
7. Upwork
Also, a little tip.
If you use Upwork, you may not find a lot of scopist jobs, but if you search instead for court reporter or legal transcription jobs you may find some!
Any of these terms can bring back entry-level jobs where you can get related gigs as a scopist to start getting experience in the legal transcription and editing world.
Here is an example when I searched Legal Transcriptionist jobs on Upwork:
Essential Scopists Tools
Now, what are some essential scopist tools you should have if you want to be a scopist?
As for tools, the basics you should have are:
- Logbook/ Journal
- Your computer
- Audio Gear
- Transcriptionist Software
And, some optional tools are:
- Speakers
- Foot Pedals
1. Logbook/ Journal For Scopists, Court Reporters And Proofreaders
Check out this logbook/ journal. It is amazingly handy for scopists, court reporters and proofreaders to jot down notes and important dates.
On a side note, since scopists usually work remotely from home or anywhere, here are super comfy 1 short-sleeve Scopist shirt and 1 long-sleeve Scopist shirt for you to wear in comfort. I have one, too!
2. Laptop For Scopists
For scopists two of the best laptops to consider are the:
Why? They are lightweight, fast and reliable laptops that will help you get the work done without worrying about slow performance.
3. Audio Gear
As for audio gear, any high-quality headphones will do as long as you hear clearly everything in the audio, here is a top recommendation that are easy to use and very comfortable: Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones
4. Scoping Software
As for Transcription Software, the most popular ones for Scopists are:
As for prices, I want you to know that CATalyst is NOT cheap, according to the Internet Scoping School this is the best software for scopists, but even with the school discount, you’ll have to pay around $1595 plus shipping.
If you don’t have that money, I would advise you to start with a cheaper software like the StenoCAT, and then move on to CATalyst when you have the budget.
5. Speakers
Speakers are a good option for those who don’t love to listen to audio in headphones.
In this case the best recommendations for scopists are:
These are versatile bluetooth speakers that are:
- Easy to set up
- Provide high quality audio
- And, are small enough to not clutter your workspace!
6. Foot Pedals
Last but not least, foot pedals are a hack tool for experienced scopists.
Why?
They help you quickly get the work done as you can control the play and stop functions from your foot instead of using your hands, which saves you time in the long run!
TOP recommendation:
This foot pedal is easy to customize to fit your preferences, plus it is very durable and easy to use, so you won’t be trying too hard to understand it, instead just install it and start working!
How Long Does It Take To Become A Scopist?
The length of time it takes to become a scopist will depend on different factors as well. These include:
- How long your scopist training is
- Whether you can get any practical experience along the way to enhance your scopist learning process
- How long it takes you to set up your scopist business
Most scopist training courses take between 3 to 6 months to complete. However, the faster you can go through the scopist training course materials, the faster you can become a fully-fledged scopist!
That being said, it is important to take your time with your scopist training course and ensure that you are properly skilled before you take on any scopist jobs.
Additionally, you can also complement these scopist training courses by getting hands-on, practical experience from a court reporter!
A court reporter will be able to give you tips and tricks on how to stand out as a scopist. They will also be able to share with you common errors or oversights that they have come across in their experience as a court reporter.
Alternatively, you can start off your scopist career by doing court reporter proofreading jobs.
This is truly one of the best ways to learn to be a scopist. Experience is the best teacher after all!
These are things that no training courses can teach you. The practical experience is sure to make your scopist services invaluable!
Is Court Reporting Stressful?
Another way to get started in scoping is to become a court reporter first. Of course, this means that you will need to be physically present at court proceedings and master the art of the stenograph machine!
You may also be wondering if being a court reporter or doing court reporting work in general (including being a legal transcriptionist and scopist) is stressful. Especially when much of your job is dependent on paying very close attention to minor details and working on tight deadlines.
Well, any job will have its own share of stressful times.
However, if you are organized with your work, as well as in the way in which you conduct your scopist business, then you can reduce the stress levels considerably!
FAQs on Free Scopist Training
What Is The Job Of A Scopist?
A scopist is a transcript editor for court reporters, who has to compare the court reporter’s shorthands, complete the formatting and editing to create the finished transcript. You can work remotely as a scopist with a laptop, software, and headphone. There are a variety of scoping courses online if you want to be a scopist.
What are Scopist Earnings?
The average scopist earning is about USD1.00 to USD1.25 per page for a regular turnaround job that requires 2 to 3 business days. A well-trained scopists who is fresh out of training can earn USD30,000 per year. With improved speed skill, he or she can easily USD50,000 per year or more.
FAQs on Free Scopist Training
What Is The Job Of A Scopist?
A scopist is a transcript editor for court reporters, who has to compare the court reporter’s shorthands, complete the formatting and editing to create the finished transcript. You can work remotely as a scopist with a laptop, software, and headphone. There are a variety of scoping courses online if you want to be a scopist.
What are Scopist Earnings?
The average scopist earning is about USD1.00 to USD1.25 per page for a regular turnaround job that requires 2 to 3 business days. A well-trained scopists who is fresh out of training can earn USD30,000 per year. With improved speed skill, he or she can easily USD50,000 per year or more.
What Does A Scopist Do?
According to the National Court Reporters Association, a scopist is a professional transcript editor for court reporters. A scopist is different from a proofreader and editor as a scopist has the skill in comparing a court reporter’s shorthand to the finished transcript. A scopist identifies and fixes the mistranslated errors.
How To Become A Scopist?
The most common path to become a scopist is a traditional education, by completing a scoping program from scoping school.
The courseworks of a traditional scopist program are:
- Law and legal terminology.
- Scoping machine shorthand.
- Reporting technology.
- Medical reporting.
- Reporting communications.
- Realtime reporting.
A scopist is an expert in grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
How To Become A Scopist For Court Reporters?
To become a scopist for court reporters, a scopist must complete a scoping program from a scoping school. Future scopists are free to choose to partake in hands-on scopist training or online training. You will be granted a certification or professional diploma upon completion of training. Scopists have flexible schedules and can work from home.
What Is Internet Scoping?
According to National Court Reporters Association, internet scoping is an act of editing a transcript translated by Computer Aided Transcription software into English, correcting mistranslated or untranslated stenotype notes, with proper pronunciation and format by a scopist. Scopists are usually independent contractors with dedicated ability to spend long hours in front of their computer screens.
How To Become A Proofreader For Court Reporters?
In order to become a legal transcription proofreader, you will need to obtain a certificate in legal transcription. No specific qualifications are needed to become a legal transcription proofreader. However, there are certification programs that can make you look more appealing than other applicants, and a plus for the ability to use audio transcribing software.
How To Pay Bonus For Upwork?
These are how you can pay bonus for a fixed price milestone on Upwork:
- Select the contract from “Jobs” under “My Jobs”.
- Click “Review and Pay”.
- Select “Approve and Pay”.
- Tick the “Add A Bonus” checkbox and enter the amount.
- Click “Send Payment”
- For an hourly contract bonus, you have to select the freelancer name.
What Is A Scopist For Court Reporter?
Scopist is hired by court reporters to transform the undefined raw stenotype notes into proper English while ensuring that the notes are correctly formatted, punctuated and thoroughly researched. Scopist will check that all the legal terms and names are correctly spelled through research. Questionable areas are flagged and returned back to court reporters to proofread.
Free Scopist Training FAQs
1. What Is A Scopist?
Broadly speaking, a scopist is someone who is involved in transforming shorthand notes into long-form transcripts, specifically in the area of court proceedings.
Essentially, a scopist:
- Uses the shorthand notes given to them by a court reporter who has done them on a stenographer machine;
- Listens to the audio recordings of the proceedings in question;
- Converts these into long-form written, typed, or printed transcriptions;
- While ensuring that the final transcript has proper sentence structure, and is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
As you can see, the role of a scopist is wide in the sense that they need to have the skills of a transcriptionist, as well as those of a proofreader.
In addition to this, a scopist will also need to have some background in or be familiar with legal terminology, proceedings, and documentation.
This is where scoping training comes in, to provide scopists with the necessary skills to enable them to look for scopist jobs and begin their scoping careers.
At this point, it is important to be aware of the distinction between a court reporter, legal transcriptionist, proofreader, and scopist.
Here’s a table that sets out the differences for you:
| Court Reporter | A court reporter is physically present at the legal proceedings. They use a stenograph machine to quickly take shorthand notes on what happens during the proceedings.A court reporter is likely to have attended court reporter school and stenographer training to get the necessary skills to become a court reporter. |
| Legal Transcriptionist | A legal transcriptionist essentially does legal transcription. This involves listening to the audio recordings of the court proceedings only and converting the audio into written or typed form. Check this article out if you are keen to learn more about legal transcription and how to become a legal transcriptionist. A legal transcriptionist does not need to be physically present at the court proceedings. |
| Proofreader | A proofreader’s role is confined to ensuring that the contents of a document do not contain any spelling or grammatical errors.A proofreader will also correct any mistakes in sentence structures and ensure that the document has a good flow for easy reading and understanding of its contents. |
| Scopist | A scopist has a unique skill set that enables them to read the court reporter’s shorthand notes and listen to the audio recordings of the proceedings. The aim of this is to use a combination of the two to produce a complete, detailed, and accurate written version of the events that occurred during the court proceedings in question. A scopist will also ensure that the final scopist version of the transcript has proper paragraphing, formatting, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.Additionally, a scopist does not need to be physically present in the courtroom to carry out their scopist tasks. |
2. How Do I Train To Be A Scopist?
You can learn to be a scopist by receiving scopist training from a specialized scopist school.
And most of this training can be done online! The best scopist training available today are:
- The Internet Scoping School Full Course
- BeST Scoping Techniques
- Accolade Scoping Education
Any of these training will help you skyrocket your scopist career, however, the most recommended scopist training is The Internet Scoping School Full Course.
2. Is Internet Scoping School Legit?
The Internet Scoping School is 100% legit.
It is regarded as one of the most comprehensive and popular scopist training, the instructor, Linda Evenson has provided training since 1999, talk about experience!
Also, The Internet Scoping School Full Course is recognized and recommended by the NCRA – (National Court Reporters Association)
So, yes the Internet Scoping School is legit and 100% recommended.
3. How Much Does It Cost To Become A Scopist?
To become a scopist you will need to have between $1500-$2500.
However, these prices will vary based on the scopist training resources, bonuses, time of access to the resources, discounts of scopist software, and the type of payment plan you choose.
4. How Long Does It Take To Become A Scopist?
It will take 6 months on average to become a scopist if you invest at least 15-20 hours per week.
This information is according to the Internet scoping school one of the most recommended scopist training available today.
Conclusion
So, are you ready to become a scopist? If you aren’t sure where to start, explore the free scopist training courses first and work your way up from there.
If you are ready to start your scopist career, check out this detailed guide on how to become a scopist. You will also find out about the best tech and software gear that you need to carry out your scopist tasks.
Whether you have experience or not, the scopist training courses discussed here are more than enough to equip you to become a scopist. It is a great remote work option, especially if you have a legal background. So take that first step towards becoming a scopist today!
Affiliate Link Disclosure
This article contains some affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission when you click on them, at no additional cost to you. I do hope you find the information in this article helpful!
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