Marybeth is going to begin by covering the rules and testing procedures for the skills exams, covering them test-by-test since your preparation will vary accordingly. She'll also talk about how NCRA grades each skills exam and cover the categories of errors, both important things to know as you prepare and practice.

But knowing what you'll confront in the Certification Test Center is only part of the solution. It is also crucial to know your CAT software and to take full advantage of its features. For example, those who struggle with numbers should explore the automatic number conversion features and make the appropriate settings or dictionary entries.

There are many features in modern CAT software that can assist reporters who struggle with conflicts, punctuation, and word building (prefixes and suffixes). Even more impressive, some of the newest CAT programs have a feature that suggests briefs automatically, briefs you can use on-the-fly. Finally, one CAT software has added a feature that can correctly translate words and phrases that are incorrectly written (but are in your dictionary) and can even correctly translate words that aren't in your dictionary, words you have never written before.