- What NCRA Actually Reports
- How to Read the 43% Figure
- What Is Not Publicly Verified
- The Exam Structure Behind the Number
- Where the Points Live: Domain Weights
- Why Candidates Miss the 70% Line
- How the Certification Pathway Shapes Outcomes
- The Cost of a Retake
- A Domain-Weighted Preparation Plan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- NCRA reports a 2025 Written Knowledge Test (WKT) pass rate of 43% across 44 scored attempts.
- That 43% is not a whole-certification pass rate and not a first-time pass rate.
- The WKT has 120 items (100 scored, 20 unscored), 110 minutes, and a 70% passing score.
- Production is 39% of the WKT; Production plus Post Production totals 67%.
What NCRA Actually Reports
If you are searching for a Certified Legal Video Specialist pass rate, here is the short version: the only figure we can verify is the one NCRA reports for the Written Knowledge Test. For 2025, that pass rate was 43%, based on 44 scored attempts. Nothing else about pass rates for this credential is publicly verified, and any site quoting a tidy "overall CLVS pass rate" is either guessing or describing a different credential that happens to share the acronym.
That distinction matters. "CLVS" is shorthand used by more than one certification in the world. This article covers only the Certified Legal Video Specialist credential offered through NCRA, the legal videography certification for professionals who record depositions and other legal proceedings. If you want a primer on the credential itself before digging into numbers, start with What Is CLVS Certification? or the broader CLVS Certification overview.
How to Read the 43% Figure
A pass rate is only as useful as its definition. Here is what the 43% does and does not tell you.
What it is
- A pass rate for the Written Knowledge Test only, the multiple-choice component delivered through Pearson VUE (including OnVUE remote proctoring).
- Calculated from 44 scored attempts in 2025.
- A measure of how many attempts cleared the 70% passing score.
What it is not
- Not a whole-certification pass rate. Earning the credential requires the seven-module education, the WKT, and the practical staged deposition. Completing all of them is a different outcome than passing one test.
- Not a first-time pass rate. NCRA's reported figure is across attempts; it is not broken out by first-time versus repeat candidates. Repeat test-takers can pull a pass rate in either direction.
- Not a multi-year trend. One year of data cannot show whether the exam is getting easier or harder.
With only 44 attempts, a handful of candidates moving either way would shift the percentage noticeably. Small samples are volatile, so treat 43% as "roughly four in ten attempts passed this year," not as a precise constant of nature. For a fuller view of what makes the credential demanding, see How Hard Is the CLVS Exam?
What Is Not Publicly Verified
Honest analysis means flagging the gaps. As of this writing, the following are not publicly verified:
- The pass rate for the production (practical) exam.
- The exact duration of the practical test.
- A combined pass rate across the written and practical components.
- Any 2026 pass rate, since a full year of data does not exist yet.
- A 2026 revision of the exam outline. The currently linked outline file is named updated201704, and no newer revision is verified.
Key Takeaway
When you see a precise-sounding CLVS pass rate that is not the 43% WKT figure, ask what it measures and where it came from. If the source is not NCRA, treat it as unverified.
For the passing-score mechanics rather than the pass-rate statistics, see CLVS Passing Score 2026.
The Exam Structure Behind the Number
To understand why a 43% pass rate is plausible, look at what a candidate faces. The WKT is a closed-book, computer-delivered test with strict rules, including for remote sessions taken through OnVUE.
| WKT Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pearson VUE, including OnVUE remote delivery |
| Total items | 120 multiple-choice |
| Scored items | 100 |
| Unscored items | 20 |
| Time allowed | 110 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Reference materials | Closed book |
| Reported 2025 pass rate | 43% (44 scored attempts) |
Two details deserve attention. First, the 20 unscored items are indistinguishable from scored ones while you test, so you must treat every question as if it counts. Second, 110 minutes for 120 items leaves under a minute per question. That pace is manageable for candidates who know the material cold and punishing for those who must reason from scratch on terminology.
The practical exam is separate: a staged deposition administered by NCRA. Because its pass rate and exact duration are not publicly verified, we do not speculate about it. Candidates may take the written and practical tests in either order once the seven-module education is complete, and all components must be finished within three years. Details on sequencing are in CLVS Requirements 2026.
Where the Points Live: Domain Weights
A 70% cut score on 100 scored items means you need roughly 70 correct. Knowing where those items concentrate is the most useful thing a pass-rate discussion can lead to.
| Domain | Weight | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 1: Pre-Production | 19% | Planning and preparation before the record begins |
| Domain 2: Production | 39% | The largest single domain; the live recording work |
| Domain 3: Post Production | 28% | Work done after the proceeding ends |
| Domain 4: Professional Practices | 14% | Conduct, responsibilities, and standards |
Production (39%) + Post Production (28%) = 67%
Two domains carry two-thirds of the written exam. A candidate who is strong on how a deposition is captured and how the resulting media is handled afterward has secured most of the available points before touching the other two domains.
- Production is the single largest domain, so shaky fundamentals here are costly.
- Post Production is the second-largest, and it is the area candidates who focus only on camera work often underweight.
- Pre-Production and Professional Practices are smaller, but at 33% combined they can easily decide a borderline result.
For a domain-by-domain breakdown of what each area covers, read CLVS Exam Domains 2026.
Why Candidates Miss the 70% Line
NCRA does not publish a diagnostic breakdown of why attempts fail, so what follows is reasoned inference from the exam's structure, not reported data. These are the pressure points the format creates.
Experience without the vocabulary
A working videographer may be excellent at the craft yet unfamiliar with the formal terminology a standardized, closed-book test uses. Knowing how to do something on a job and recognizing the exam's preferred wording are different skills.
Lopsided preparation
Because Production is the largest domain, candidates naturally gravitate toward it. But with Post Production at 28%, neglecting it caps your ceiling. The 67% concentration cuts both ways: a gap in either domain is expensive.
Underestimating Professional Practices
At 14%, this domain looks easy to skim. Yet 14 scored items is enough to swing a result when you are near the cut score.
Treating a closed-book test like a work task
On the job you can look things up. On the WKT you cannot, and the proctoring rules, especially for remote OnVUE sessions, are strict. Candidates who have never rehearsed under timed, closed-book conditions are surprised by the pace.
An aging outline
The linked exam outline is the updated201704 file, with no verified 2026 revision. Candidates who rely only on informal or outdated resources may miss how the outline frames each topic. Anchor your study to the official outline first, then supplement.
How the Certification Pathway Shapes Outcomes
The sequence of requirements influences how candidates arrive at the WKT, which in turn colors any pass-rate figure.
- Seven-module education comes first. You cannot sit for the written or practical tests until it is done.
- Written and practical tests follow, in either order. Some candidates prefer to take the WKT while the education is fresh; others tackle the staged deposition first.
- Everything must be completed within three years. The window creates urgency but also room to retake if needed.
No degree, experience-hour requirement, or reference requirement has been verified for this credential, which means the candidate pool can be broad: working videographers, people moving into legal video from adjacent fields, and others. A mixed pool is another reason a single pass-rate number is hard to interpret. A figure that blends seasoned professionals with newcomers says little about where you personally fall. For the full eligibility picture, see CLVS Requirements 2026, and for timing, CLVS Exam Dates 2026.
The Cost of a Retake
A sub-50% pass rate makes retake economics worth understanding. The base costs below come straight from the published fee structure:
| Component | Reporter Member | Nonmember | Student Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Knowledge Test | $220 | $253 | $181 |
| Mandatory education | $350 | $450 | Not specified |
| Production Exam | $325 | $425 | Not specified |
| Optional hands-on training | $200 | $300 | Not specified |
The base totals are $895 for members and $1,128 for nonmembers, and those totals exclude optional training, dues, travel, equipment, and retakes. The takeaway for pass-rate planning: a WKT retake means paying the written test fee again ($220 for reporter members, $253 for nonmembers, $181 for student members), so preparing to pass the first time is the cheapest strategy. The full cost picture is in CLVS Certification Cost 2026.
Passing is not the end of the money conversation, either. Renewal runs on a three-year cycle and requires 1.0 CEU (with up to 0.25 PDC allowed under NCRA rules), plus annual membership or a $100 nonmember fee. Whether all of this pays off is the subject of Is the CLVS Certification Worth It?, and compensation context lives in the CLVS Salary Guide.
A Domain-Weighted Preparation Plan
Given the weights above, here is one way to allocate a six-week preparation window. It is built around the exam's structure rather than generic study habits: the heaviest domains get the earliest and most repeated attention.
Production (39%)
- Work through the official outline for the Production domain line by line.
- Build a personal glossary of every term the outline uses.
- Take a short diagnostic set of practice questions to find weak spots early.
Post Production (28%)
- Cover everything that happens to the record after the proceeding ends.
- Revisit Production items that missed in the diagnostic.
- Connect the two domains: how capture decisions affect post-production outcomes.
Pre-Production (19%) and Professional Practices (14%)
- Treat these 33% of items as a full week, not an afterthought.
- Memorize standards and responsibilities, which reward recall over reasoning.
Timed, closed-book rehearsal
- Simulate the real format: 120 items in 110 minutes, no notes.
- Review every miss against the outline, not just the answer key.
You can run those timed rehearsals on the CLVS practice test site, which is built around this exam's format and domain names. For a compact refresher in the final days, the CLVS Cheat Sheet condenses the must-know facts, and structured course options are covered in CLVS Training.
Key Takeaway
Aim well above 70% on timed practice before you book the real test. The 20 unscored items and the sub-minute pacing mean your margin for error is thinner than it feels. Check your readiness with full-length attempts at our practice tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
The only verified figure is NCRA's reported 2025 Written Knowledge Test pass rate of 43%, across 44 scored attempts. It is not a whole-certification pass rate and not a first-time pass rate. The production exam pass rate is not publicly verified.
No verified 2026 figure exists as of this writing. The most recent reported number is for 2025. Check NCRA directly for updates, and be skeptical of sites that cite a 2026 rate without a source.
You need a 70% passing score on the Written Knowledge Test. The exam has 120 multiple-choice items, of which 100 are scored and 20 are unscored, and you have 110 minutes to complete it.
Production, at 39%, is the largest domain, and Production plus Post Production accounts for 67% of the exam. Prioritize those two, but do not ignore Pre-Production (19%) or Professional Practices (14%), since they make up the remaining third.
Not necessarily. The sample is small at 44 attempts, the figure covers only the written component, and the candidate pool is mixed. It does suggest the test rewards focused preparation against the official outline, so see our difficulty guide for a fuller assessment.