If you've been a court reporter for any length of time, sitting there silently on the sidelines, writing every spoken word has no doubt given you time to think. It's your job to be neutral, but sometimes with the caliber of people in the room it's hard not to formulate opinions.
I learned from my own experience, and from other RPR's I questioned, that, not surprisingly, English was a major component of the exam. Even though other subjects may vary, grammar was always on the test. If you study no other subject preparing for the RPR, I would suggest brushing up on your English skills.
In a word, relax. Yes, taking tests can be scary, but remember, you've written 225 wpm takes before and aced them. This is just another take. Don't dwell on the fact that you're taking a test. In fact, don't even think about test day in the days and months leading up to your exam date.
I am a freelance court reporter here in Florida. I am an independent contractor and I can work for several court reporting firms at the same time. As a freelance reporter, I cover mainly civil litigation, though some criminal cases do come my way occasionally. I also report hearings and trials in these civil cases.
Court reporting is a tough job. We're not saving the world like social activists or fighting crime like law enforcement. We just write at 300 words per minute, pull all-nighters to get a transcript out, and deal with difficult people on a daily basis. It's such a low profile job.