A study of selected variables which have an effect upon achievement in shorthand dictation is the focus of this report. The relationship between competency in shorthand accuracy and achievement in shorthand dictation, is studied in Part I. Results of three word-list tests of 200 words each, administered to 135 students, indicated that success in shorthand was significantly related to ability to construct accurate shorthand outlines. Part I describes a comparative analysis of the results obtained from the Gregg Shorthand method and an experimental instruction method. The results at the end of 9 months of instruction were in favor of the experimental group, which had a significantly higher dictation rate, and higher shorthand accuracy and transcription scores. An analysis of the effect of selected variables on achievement, discussed in Part III, found that: (1) Student achievement declined significantly when the length of dictation increased from 3 to 5 minutes, (2) Student achievement declined significantly when the transcription was deferred by 1 week, and (3) Students who wrote incorrect shorthand outlines in taking dictation usually did not transcribe correctly. (GR)