AAERT Certification Explained: CET, CER, and CDR (2026 Guide)

If you're working toward legal transcription or digital court reporting, you'll hear one name again and again: AAERT. Its certifications are the best-known credentials in electronic reporting and transcription, and many court reporting firms and legal clients look for them. This guide explains what AAERT certification is, the difference between the CET, CER, and CDR, what the exams look like, what they cost, and how to prepare.

Fees and exam details below come from AAERT's website as of October 2026. AAERT updates its program from time to time, so always confirm current details at aaert.org before you register.

What is AAERT?

AAERT is the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers, a professional organization for people who record and transcribe legal proceedings using digital recording. It offers certification, continuing education, and a professional network for electronic reporters and transcribers.

The three AAERT certifications

• CET (Certified Electronic Transcriber). For transcriptionists who turn digitally recorded proceedings into accurate, verbatim transcripts. This is the credential most relevant to legal transcriptionists.
• CER (Certified Electronic Reporter). For reporters who digitally record court and non-court proceedings.
• CDR (Certified Deposition Reporter). For reporters who digitally record depositions and other out-of-court proceedings.

If your goal is transcription work from home, the CET is the one to focus on.

Who can take an AAERT exam?

According to AAERT, to sit for an exam you need to:

• Be eligible for a notary public commission
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent

AAERT recommends, but does not require, one year of experience as a reporter or transcriber, or a course of study in court reporting. You don't have to be a U.S. citizen, and you don't have to be an AAERT member to take an exam. If you pass, you'll need to become a Professional Member within 30 days to receive your certification.

What the CET exam looks like

The CET has two parts, taken on separate days. Both are online and proctored, and you schedule them when it suits you.

• Knowledge exam: 157 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes. The passing score is 80%.
• Practical exam: You produce a federal-format transcript, roughly 10 to 20 pages, from a mock proceeding recorded on four-channel audio. It must include a title page, index, and certificate page. You have 180 minutes, and the passing standard is 95% accuracy.

If you pass the knowledge exam but not the practical, you only retake the practical.

For comparison, the CER knowledge exam has 188 questions and the CDR has 154, each with a 120-minute limit and an 80% passing score.

How much does AAERT certification cost?

• Exam registration: $275 for the CET, CER, or CDR. For the CET, that covers both the knowledge and practical exams.
• Retakes: $175 to retake a knowledge exam and $95 to retake the CET practical.
• Cancellation: a $50 processing fee if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. Missing the exam without rescheduling forfeits the full fee.
• Membership: passing candidates join AAERT as Professional Members and keep their membership active to stay certified. Check AAERT's site for current dues.
• Recertification: every three years, $100 if you've kept three consecutive years of membership, or $300 if you haven't.

Keeping your certification

AAERT certification isn't a one-time event. You'll renew your membership every year and recertify every three years by submitting continuing education units (CEUs) and paying the renewal fee. Approved training and professional development activities can count toward those CEUs.

Is AAERT certification required to be a legal transcriptionist?

Not by law. You can work as a legal transcriptionist without it, and many people start that way. But the CET is now widely expected by court reporting firms and legal clients, and it can open doors to better-paying work. For most people building a legal transcription career, it's worth planning for.

How to prepare for the CET exam

AAERT doesn't require any specific training, but the exam tests real skills: legal terminology, transcript formatting, verbatim style, and careful listening to multi-channel audio. Most people do best with structured practice on realistic legal audio.

Transcribe Anywhere is listed among AAERT's approved schools for exam preparation. Our Legal Transcription: Theory & Practice™ course prepares graduates to pursue the CET. It includes fourteen training modules, ten levels of practice dictations with answer keys, and a final exam with a certificate of completion, and the training is listed as equivalent to 2.1 CEUs. You don't need legal or transcription experience to start.

New to transcription altogether? Start with our step-by-step guide on how to become a transcriptionist, or compare paths in General vs. Legal Transcription: Which Path Is Right for You?

Frequently asked questions

What is AAERT certification?

It's a professional credential from the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers. AAERT offers three: the CET for transcribers, the CER for electronic reporters, and the CDR for deposition reporters.

How much does the AAERT CET exam cost?

Registration is $275 and covers both the knowledge and practical exams. Retakes cost $175 for the knowledge exam and $95 for the practical, according to AAERT's website as of October 2026.

Can you take the AAERT exam online?

Yes. AAERT exams are online and proctored, and you schedule them at a time that suits you.

Do you need experience to take the CET?

AAERT recommends one year of experience as a reporter or transcriber, or a course of study, but it isn't required. You do need to be eligible for a notary public commission and have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Do you have to be an AAERT member?

Not to take the exam. If you pass, you must become a Professional Member within 30 days to receive your certification, and keep your membership active to maintain it.

How long does AAERT certification last?

You recertify every three years by submitting continuing education units and paying a renewal fee, and you keep your membership active each year.

Your next step

If legal transcription is your goal, learn more about our Legal Transcription course. If you're still deciding whether transcription is right for you, try our free 7-lesson mini-course first.