- How the CLVS Written Exam Is Built
- The Four Domains at a Glance
- Domain 1: Pre-Production (19%)
- Domain 2: Production (39%)
- Domain 3: Post Production (28%)
- Domain 4: Professional Practices (14%)
- What the Weights Mean for Your Prep
- Sequencing Your Study Around the Domains
- Where the Domains Stop and the Practical Exam Starts
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The CLVS written exam has four domains: Pre-Production 19%, Production 39%, Post Production 28%, Professional Practices 14%.
- Production is the largest domain, and Production plus Post Production together make up 67% of the exam.
- The Written Knowledge Test has 120 multiple-choice items: 100 scored, 20 unscored, 110 minutes, 70% to pass.
- The staged-deposition Production Exam is separate and not covered by these four domain weights.
How the CLVS Written Exam Is Built
The Certified Legal Video Specialist credential, administered by NCRA, is earned in stages. Candidates complete a seven-module education program first, then take a written test and a practical test, in either order. The written piece is the Written Knowledge Test (WKT), delivered through Pearson VUE, including the OnVUE remote option. The four content areas described in this guide are the blueprint for that written test.
Here is the format you are preparing for:
- 120 multiple-choice items, of which 100 are scored and 20 are unscored (you will not know which is which).
- 110 minutes of testing time.
- 70% passing score on the scored items.
- Closed-book, with strict room rules if you test remotely.
For a deeper look at the scoring side, see our breakdown of the CLVS passing score, and for the logistics of fitting the exam into your calendar, the guide to CLVS exam dates and scheduling.
The Four Domains at a Glance
The blueprint divides legal video work into the order in which it actually happens on a case: preparing, recording, finishing, and conducting yourself professionally throughout. The weights tell you how heavily each area counts on the scored items.
| Domain | Weight | Rough Scored Items* | Core Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain 1: Pre-Production | 19% | About 19 of 100 | Preparation before the record begins |
| Domain 2: Production | 39% | About 39 of 100 | Capturing the deposition video |
| Domain 3: Post Production | 28% | About 28 of 100 | Finishing, delivering, and preserving the record |
| Domain 4: Professional Practices | 14% | About 14 of 100 | Ethics, conduct, and business practice |
*Approximation: applying each percentage to the 100 scored items. Unscored pretest items are spread unpredictably, so treat these as planning estimates, not guarantees.
The simple arithmetic matters. Production alone is worth nearly two-fifths of the scored exam, and adding Post Production brings you to 67%. Professional Practices is the smallest domain, but at 14% it is still large enough that skipping it could cost you the pass.
Domain 1: Pre-Production (19%)
Pre-Production covers everything that happens before the camera rolls on the record. This is the domain where good videographers separate themselves from people who simply own a camera: they arrive with the right equipment, a plan for the room, and a clear understanding of what the assignment requires.
What Pre-Production Questions Tend to Test
Expect scenario-style items asking what a legal videographer should do, check, or bring before a deposition begins.
- Understanding the assignment: who the parties are, the expected length, and any special requirements such as exhibits, interpreters, or remote participants
- Equipment selection and readiness, including cameras, microphones, lighting, power, and backups
- Site preparation: evaluating the room, noise, sightlines, and placement before the proceeding starts
- Pre-deposition coordination with the reporter, counsel, and other personnel
- Confirming the format of the deposition and how the video record will be used
Because this domain is about judgment before the fact, questions often ask for the best next step or the most appropriate preparation. Read each option carefully: several may be reasonable, but only one fits the situation described.
Domain 2: Production (39%)
Production is the heart of the exam and the single biggest scoring opportunity. It covers the live capture of the deposition: the moments when you cannot stop and redo anything. If you only have time to master one domain deeply, this is it.
What Production Questions Tend to Test
This domain rewards candidates who have genuinely operated in a deposition room, or who have studied the process closely enough to think like they have.
- Framing and composition of the witness, including how the shot should be set and maintained
- Audio capture: microphone placement, monitoring levels, and handling interference
- Starting the record properly, including the opening statements required on the video
- Managing the recording during breaks, interruptions, and changes of media
- Handling exhibits, demonstratives, and moments when the witness moves or leaves the frame
- Keeping accurate logs and notes during the proceeding
- Troubleshooting equipment problems without compromising the record
Because the stakes in a live deposition are high, many Production items hinge on one principle: protect the integrity of the record. When two answers both sound competent, the better one usually preserves a complete, accurate, and uninterrupted recording.
Domain 3: Post Production (28%)
Post Production begins when the deposition ends. At 28%, it is the second-largest domain, and many candidates underestimate it because the work feels less dramatic than capture. Yet the finishing, delivery, and preservation of the video record are where errors become permanent and where attorneys rely on your output at trial.
What Post Production Questions Tend to Test
Think of this domain as everything between "we are off the record" and "the finished record is in the right hands."
- Securing and verifying the original recording immediately after the proceeding
- Creating copies and maintaining a clear chain of custody for original and duplicate media
- Labeling, formatting, and delivering the finished product to the requesting party
- Synchronizing video with the transcript and preparing material for use in court
- Creating edited or summarized versions only when properly directed, and preserving the unaltered original
- Storage, retention, and handling of the record over time
A recurring theme here is that the original must remain untouched and traceable. Items that offer a shortcut compromising the original, or that skip documentation, are rarely the correct choice. For how this knowledge translates into day-to-day work, see our overview of CLVS jobs.
Domain 4: Professional Practices (14%)
Professional Practices is the smallest domain, but do not confuse small with easy. It covers the conduct expected of a legal videographer, and its questions often turn on subtle distinctions about neutrality, confidentiality, and what you may or may not do when parties ask for something improper.
What Professional Practices Questions Tend to Test
- Impartiality: serving as a neutral participant rather than an advocate for any party
- Confidentiality of the proceeding and the recording
- Appropriate communication with attorneys, witnesses, and court reporters
- Responding to requests that could compromise the integrity of the record
- Business practices such as documentation, billing integrity, and continuing education
- Understanding the credential itself, including the renewal expectations that come with holding it
Renewal is part of professional life with this credential: each three-year cycle calls for 1.0 CEU, with up to 0.25 PDC counted under NCRA rules, plus annual NCRA membership or a $100 nonmember fee. For the full financial picture, including exam and education fees, read the CLVS certification cost breakdown.
What the Weights Mean for Your Prep
Weights are not just trivia; they are a time budget. Here is how to translate them into effort without inventing precision the blueprint does not provide.
| Domain | Weight | Priority | How to Approach It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production | 39% | Highest | Deep scenario practice; this is where most points live |
| Post Production | 28% | High | Master chain of custody, delivery, and preservation logic |
| Pre-Production | 19% | Medium | Know the preparation checklist and why each step matters |
| Professional Practices | 14% | Steady | Learn the neutrality and ethics principles cold |
Key Takeaway
Production plus Post Production equals 67% of the exam. A candidate who is excellent at those two and merely competent on the other two is in a far stronger position than one with the reverse profile. Allocate your hours in proportion to the weights, then shore up your weakest domain.
Keep in mind that you need 70% overall, so you cannot afford to ignore any single domain entirely. A bad showing on Professional Practices alone is survivable if the rest is strong, but a collapse on Production is not. If you want a sense of how candidates fare overall, review our analysis of the CLVS pass rate, which explains why the 43% figure NCRA reported for 2025 (across 44 scored WKT attempts) should be read as a narrow snapshot rather than a prediction for you.
Sequencing Your Study Around the Domains
You do not need a generic schedule, but it helps to order your study to match how the domains build on each other. Here is one domain-driven approach that fits the weights.
Pre-Production Foundations
- Work through the seven-module education content on preparation and equipment
- Build a one-page checklist of pre-deposition steps
Production Deep Dive
- Spend the longest block here because it is 39% of the scored exam
- Drill scenario questions on capture, audio, and handling interruptions
Post Production
- Study chain of custody, delivery, and preservation of originals
- Connect each step back to the Production decisions that created the record
Professional Practices and Full Review
- Review neutrality, confidentiality, and renewal requirements
- Take timed practice sets against the 110-minute limit
For a fuller approach, including how to pair this with practice questions, see the CLVS study guide, and keep the CLVS cheat sheet handy for last-minute review. You can also test yourself under realistic conditions on our CLVS practice test platform.
Where the Domains Stop and the Practical Exam Starts
It is worth being precise about scope. The four domains and their weights describe the Written Knowledge Test. The practical component is a separate staged deposition, administered by NCRA, with its own fee structure (the Production Exam is $325 for members and $425 for nonmembers). The exact practical-test duration and its pass rate are not publicly verified, so do not trust anyone who quotes you a precise number for either.
That said, the written domains and the practical exam are clearly related. The Production and Post Production material you study for the WKT is the same knowledge you will be asked to demonstrate in person. Treating the written exam as pure memorization misses the point; the questions are designed to check whether you understand how a deposition video is actually made and protected. Candidates who learn the reasoning behind each procedure tend to find both components more manageable.
Is the investment worth the effort?
Domain mastery is only part of the decision. The base totals come to roughly $895 for members and $1,128 for nonmembers, before optional training, dues, travel, equipment, and retakes. Whether that pays off depends on your market and goals, which we address in the CLVS ROI analysis and, for earnings context, the CLVS salary guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
The written exam covers Pre-Production (19%), Production (39%), Post Production (28%), and Professional Practices (14%). Production is the largest, and Production plus Post Production together account for 67% of the exam.
The Written Knowledge Test has 120 multiple-choice items. Of these, 100 are scored and 20 are unscored, and you cannot tell which are which. You have 110 minutes and need 70% to pass.
Most candidates benefit from starting with Pre-Production because it frames the rest of the process, then spending the largest block of time on Production. Allocate hours roughly in proportion to the weights, and finish with Professional Practices and timed review.
No. The weights describe the Written Knowledge Test only. The practical component is a separate staged deposition administered by NCRA. The related knowledge overlaps, but the weights do not carry over.
The currently linked outline carries the filename updated201704, and we have not verified a 2026 revision. Always download the latest outline from NCRA before planning your study. For a general explanation of the credential, see what CLVS certification is.