When it comes to online transcription or online caption jobs, Rev.com is definitely a great choice and this is why. And more and more people like you are wanting to know: How can I pass the Rev test? Or what are the answers to the Rev test?
Well, unfortunately, I’m not going to give you the exact answers because I want you to be honest about your work. But I will give you some helpful step-by-step tips to guide you through the application process.
I’ll show you what to expect inside the application and give you a better idea to help you become more confident when taking the Rev test. After all, I took the tests on Rev myself and I was able to pass each one. Now I’m able to make hundreds of extra dollars per year through Rev, and you can do the same thing if you follow this article!
So, let’s go through some tips on what you should pay attention to as you take your Rev application test.
Step 1: Polish your grammar.
The first part of your test will test your grammar skills.
Having good grammar is very important when taking the Rev test. This means you need to keep a close eye on the look of your writing.
Always make sure that your words and sentences are structured correctly, and always use correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Here are some of the correct answers to help you in this part of the test.
A good tool that you can use to improve your grammar for free is called Grammarly. This is a browser plugin that you can install right into your browser.
Then head over to Google Docs and practice writing a paragraph or two. If Grammarly spots a grammatical error in your writing, it will underline the wrong word or phrase for you and you can correct your mistakes easily.
Once you improve your grammar, you’ll be able to ace the grammar questions!
Practice your grammar with Grammarly!
Step 2: Learn the Rev Style Guide.
After you complete the grammar test, you now need to learn Rev’s Style Guide.
Everything that you transcribe or caption on Rev needs to follow their Style Guide. Make sure you read and understand everything in the Style Guide. During the test, you may need to answer a few questions testing your knowledge of the Style Guide.
If you’d like to see what the Style Guide looks like, check out the links below:
According to the Style Guide, Rev is going to judge your transcription or caption work based on a few metrics. If you’re transcribing, your two metrics are Accuracy and Formatting. If you’re captioning, there’s a third metric known as Alignment. Here’s an explanation of each metric:
- Accuracy – How well you listened to the audio and typed out the words correctly.
- Formatting – How well you styled your transcription or captions as stated in the Style Guide, for example, identifying speakers correctly or adding dashes in your captions whenever the speaker changes.
- Alignment – How well you aligned your captions with the video.
These metrics are important when Rev judges your work in your application test. Then, when you pass the test and you become a Rev worker, your goal is to make sure you are strong in each of these three metrics.
If you constantly make errors in any of these metrics, your Rev account could get suspended and you may have to take the test all over again.
Let’s go over each metric step by step and how you can improve on each one.
Accuracy: Have a Good Ear
This pretty much goes back to what I said earlier about paying attention but, in particular, paying attention to what you’re hearing. If you fail to correctly listen to spoken audio well, your Accuracy metric will go down.
For example, if you hear “Bengal tiger” and you write “bang go tiger” instead, you are prone to losing a point for your Accuracy. Always listen and understand the context of what you’re hearing.
Formatting: Write It the Correct Way
There are specific guidelines in the Style Guide that Rev wants you to follow when formatting your work. For example, you need to label speakers correctly. If the video says a speaker’s name is John, but you label him Man in your work, you will lose a point for Formatting. Also, if you forget to begin your caption work with a dash, that’s another penalty in the Formatting metric.
Before you submit your application test, make sure your transcription or caption work follows the formatting guidelines mentioned in the Style Guide.
Alignment: Align Captions Correctly
This metric only applies if you’re applying to become a captioner. You don’t have this metric if you’re transcribing.
The key here is to pay attention to the video and audio and press a certain key on the keyboard to align the correct caption right at that point. If you put the caption on the video two seconds before or after the speaker says what’s in your caption, you could lose points for the Alignment metric.
Step 3: Pay attention to your work.
Now, in this final part of the test, you get to practice transcribing or captioning. Here, Rev will give you a video or audio clip that you will need to transcribe or caption. I’ll give you a hint of what kind of video or audio later on in this article!
One thing that is important as you practice is to pay attention to what you’re doing!
This might seem very straightforward, but I can’t stress this enough. I have seen projects where people are just sloppy with their transcription. Sometimes, they mishear words or miss capital letters and so their writing doesn’t look right.
That’s why it’s important to pay attention to what you’re hearing and to what you’re writing. Attention is important when it comes to transcribing or captioning.
Here are some tips that can help keep your attention while you’re transcribing or captioning, especially for the Rev test:
- Close all other tabs that are open in your browser.
- Close all other programs on your computer.
- Wear some earphones instead of relying on a speaker.
- Keep a quiet atmosphere around you. If it helps, move to a quieter room before you start working.
- Stop singing, humming, or whistling while you work.
- Figure out the context of the file you’re transcribing or captioning. What’s going on as you are hearing the audio or video?
- If the words you typed out don’t make sense, listen again. A different similar-sounding word might make better sense.
Also, while it might seem good to be a fast typer, as with any online transcription or caption job, accuracy matters more than speed. So, if you can focus better typing slower, it’s worth slowing down to make sure that your work improves.
If you do type fast, I recommend always keeping your eyes on the words you type (like I do) and catching your typos as you go.
Additional Tips to Help You
What’s the Video or Audio Inside the Test?
Transcription Test Audio
Your transcription test sample will contain an audio of a conversation between a man and a woman, explaining some common questions beginners may have with Rev.com, such as how they started out or how much you earn.
The audio will already be transcribed, but you will need to act as the “transcript editor”, correcting any grammatical mistakes you find and changing the text so it is in line with the Style Guide.
So, again, review your grammar skills and the Rev Style Guide in order to correctly edit the audio transcription and submit your application.
Caption Test Video
The video you will be captioning in the test is an interview recorded for NASA’s Digital Learning Network. Host Damon Talley interviews NASA’s flow director, Ken Tenbusch, at the Kennedy Space Center, where you learn what “shuttle flow” is. You learn the maintenance that a space shuttle goes through between launches.
You will need to provide the captions as you hear them in the video, remembering to indicate a new speaker and a change of speaker. Don’t forget your grammar and your knowledge of the Rev Style Guide.
Now allow me to help you out. Just visit this page and go to the middle of the page to find the transcript of the NASA interview in the video. Don’t copy and paste the transcript, but feel free to use it to help you type what you hear in the interview.
If You Fail, Keep Trying
Even if you did all you could to correctly take the test, but then Rev emails you to tell you they declined your work, don’t get discouraged! You’re always welcome to re-apply to Rev and maybe do a little bit better.
Keep in mind Rev chooses their workers based on how well they completed their application. If an applicant nails the test as close to perfect as possible, they will likely be selected to work. So the key here is to do your very best! Simply follow the tips I’ve given you at this point and you should be good to go.
There will also be times when Rev is overwhelmed with applications and they are forced to deny you. So you might want to wait a while before trying again. By that time, Rev may have less applications to work with and will accept you as a worker.
The bottom line is: don’t blame Rev for denying you. Instead, be open to improving yourself and just be patient with them. If you have enough determination to work for Rev, you will eventually get accepted!
It’s all about trying again and again!
Final Words
So that’s pretty much going to wrap up everything you need to know as you take the application to become a transcriptionist or captioner for Rev.com. I hope this gave you better confidence about completing your application test for Rev.
If you’d like, feel free to use this article while you’re taking the test and even when you get approved to work, you can use this article for reference while you’re completing the projects inside Rev. I think you might find this article more beneficial when you use it to help you inside Rev.com.
When you’re ready to take the application, you can get started right here! And I wish you the best of luck in taking Rev’s application test.