CLVS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Number That Matters: 70% on the Written Knowledge Test

If you are searching for the Certified Legal Video Specialist passing score, the headline figure is simple: 70% on the Written Knowledge Test (WKT). The credential is administered by NCRA, the National Court Reporters Association, and the WKT is delivered through Pearson VUE, including the OnVUE remote-proctoring option.

That 70% applies to the multiple-choice written component. The certification also includes a practical exam built around a staged deposition, and NCRA administers that part directly. Candidates sometimes treat "the passing score" as one universal threshold for the whole credential, but the written and practical pieces are separate events with separate formats. This article focuses on the written score, then explains how the practical component fits in so you can plan realistically.

How 100 Scored Items Turn Into a Result

The WKT presents 120 multiple-choice items over 110 minutes. Of those 120 questions, 100 are scored and 20 are unscored. The unscored items are typically used to evaluate questions for future test forms, and you cannot tell which ones they are while testing. The practical consequence is straightforward: treat every question as if it counts.

With 100 scored items and a 70% threshold, the working target is roughly 70 correct answers among the scored set. Because you cannot identify the unscored 20, you should not try to "write off" difficult questions on the theory that they might be experimental. A candidate who skips effort on ten questions assuming they are unscored could be giving away scored points.

Pacing against the clock

One hundred ten minutes for 120 items works out to under a minute per question on average. Legal video questions often involve scenario reading, such as a deposition setup, an equipment problem, or a conflict between what counsel asks and what the record requires. Those scenarios take longer than pure recall questions. A reasonable approach is to move quickly through definitional items and bank time for the scenario-based ones, flagging any item where you are choosing between two plausible answers.

Why a raw percentage can mislead you

Practice-test percentages are only useful if the practice questions resemble the real exam in difficulty and topic mix. Scoring 80% on a quiz weighted toward Pre-Production, which is only 19% of the exam, tells you much less than scoring 70% on a set that mirrors the actual domain weights. When you evaluate your readiness, match your practice sets to the weighting described below, and use the CLVS practice tests to check your performance by domain rather than relying on one blended number.

Two Components, Two Different Pass Conditions

The Certified Legal Video Specialist pathway has three moving parts: a required education sequence, the written test, and the practical test. Understanding how they connect prevents a common planning mistake.

After finishing the seven education modules, you may take the written and practical tests in either order. All components must be completed within three years. That flexibility matters: some candidates prefer to take the practical test first while the hands-on training is fresh, then study for the WKT afterward. Others clear the written exam first so that the only remaining hurdle is a performance task.

Domain Math: Where Your Points Actually Come From

A 70% score is not earned evenly across topics. The WKT draws from four content domains with very different weights, and those weights should determine how you spend study hours.

Here is the practical math. Suppose you are strong in Production and Post Production but weak elsewhere. Those two domains represent 67% of the exam, so mastering them gets you close to the 70% threshold on their own. But relying on only two domains leaves almost no margin for error. Conversely, a candidate who is excellent at Professional Practices (14%) and Pre-Production (19%) but shaky on Production has built strength in the wrong places. For a full breakdown of what each area covers, read the CLVS Exam Domains guide.

What the 43% Pass Rate Does and Doesn't Tell You

NCRA reports a 43% WKT pass rate for 2025, based on 44 scored attempts. That figure deserves careful interpretation, because it is easy to over-read.

• It is a written-test figure. It is not a pass rate for the whole certification, which also includes the practical staged deposition.
• It is not a first-time pass rate. The data as published does not distinguish first attempts from retakes, so you cannot conclude that 43% of first-time candidates pass.
• The sample is small. Forty-four attempts is a limited pool, so year-to-year swings may reflect a handful of candidates rather than a real change in difficulty.

What the number does suggest is that the 70% threshold is not a formality. Fewer than half of scored attempts cleared it in 2025. That is consistent with an exam that tests applied judgment about real deposition situations, not just vocabulary. For a deeper look at the data, see CLVS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for a candid assessment of difficulty, How Hard Is the CLVS Exam?

Exam Format, Fees, and Remote-Room Rules

Your score is only part of the equation. Mistakes in logistics can cost you an attempt, and each attempt has a price.

Closed-book, strictly proctored

The WKT is closed-book. If you choose OnVUE remote proctoring, expect strict room rules: a cleared workspace, identity verification, and monitoring throughout the session. Review the Pearson VUE requirements before test day so that a technical or room-compliance issue does not interrupt your session. A candidate who loses focus to a preventable setup problem is effectively gambling with their score.

What the exam components cost

Base totals come to $895 for members and $1,128 for nonmembers, excluding optional training, dues, travel, equipment, and retakes. That last item is the one that connects directly to your passing score: every retake adds cost, so preparing to pass the WKT the first time is the cheapest strategy. The full picture is in the CLVS Certification Cost breakdown.

A Score-Driven Study Sequence

Because the passing score rewards the heaviest domains, sequence your preparation around the weights rather than studying topics in the order the outline lists them. Here is one way to organize roughly six weeks after you finish the education modules.

The reasoning behind this order is that Production and Post Production together make up 67% of the exam, so they deserve the earliest and most repeated attention. Pre-Production and Professional Practices are smaller, but a short final-week review keeps them from becoming avoidable point losses. For a fuller preparation framework, see the CLVS Study Guide, and keep the CLVS Cheat Sheet handy for last-minute review.

After You Pass: Timelines and Renewal

Passing the written test is one milestone, not the finish line. You still need to complete the practical exam and the education sequence, and all components must be finished within three years. If you clear the WKT early, do not let the clock run on the practical test.

Once certified, maintenance is modest but real. Renewal requires 1.0 CEU per three-year cycle, with up to 0.25 PDC permitted under NCRA rules, plus annual membership or a $100 nonmember fee. Planning for renewal from the start keeps the credential active without a scramble.

Whether the credential is worth the effort depends on your career path. Legal video specialists typically work with court reporting firms, litigation support providers, and law offices that record depositions. To weigh the investment, see Is the CLVS Certification Worth It?, explore CLVS jobs, and review the CLVS Salary Guide for earnings context. When you are ready to test yourself against the real format, start with a full-length run on the CLVS Exam Prep practice test site.

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