Typing Test for a Job

A lot of clerical jobs still time your typing before they hire you. This is a free 5-minute practice test in that format: net words per minute, plus accuracy. It is practice, not a certificate. Nothing you type is uploaded.

┌─ SESSION JOB TEST ─ 5-minute net WPM ──┐
Net: 0
Accuracy: 100%
Errors: 0
Time: 5:00
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Five minutes. Net WPM is gross speed minus one word for each error.

┌─ TYPE THIS ────────────────────────────────┐

Type the passage. The 5-minute timer starts on your first letter. A wrong key does not advance.

└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ KEYBOARD ─────────────────────────────────┐
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What employers test

A posting names a speed and a sitting. These three are public, and they are examples, not a complete list:

  • California clerical certificates are a proctored 5-minute test at 40 words per minute. An internet test does not count, including this one.
  • Los Angeles County uses 40 net words per minute as the default when an exam requires typing and the posting does not name another rate.
  • USPS Exam 712 is five minutes. Some jobs need 30 net words per minute and some need 45.

60 net WPM is a faster bar some office jobs ask for. It is not one of those three rules. Read the posting. The number, the length, and whether someone has to proctor it all belong to that employer.

How net WPM works

A word is five characters, including spaces. That is why scores can be compared across different passages.

  • Gross WPM is every keystroke, divided by five, divided by the minutes you typed.
  • Net WPM is gross WPM minus one word for each error.
  • Accuracy is the share of keystrokes that were right.

On this test a wrong key does not move the cursor, and there is no backspace. Every miss counts, and you still have to type the correct character. Some employment tests only penalize mistakes left in the finished copy. This one is stricter, which is the safer way to practice.

How to practice

Take the five minutes once. See which of 30, 40, 45, and 60 you clear. Then drill the keys that slipped, instead of retyping the letters you already know.

The button after the test opens the same trainer as the rest of Type Fast and pins the weak key your current lessons can actually work on. Short, accurate sessions beat one frantic retake. More on the habit: how to type faster.

Job typing test FAQ

What do employers test?

A speed, usually net words per minute, over a timed sitting. California clerical certificates use a proctored 5-minute test at 40 words per minute, and an internet result does not count. Los Angeles County's default typing bar is 40 net words per minute unless the posting says otherwise. USPS Exam 712 is five minutes; some jobs need 30 net words per minute and some need 45. Read the posting you are applying to.

How does net WPM work on this test?

A word is five characters, including spaces. Gross WPM is every keystroke divided by five, divided by minutes. Each error costs one word. Net WPM is gross WPM minus that penalty. Accuracy is the share of keystrokes that were right. A wrong key does not advance, and there is no backspace, so every miss counts.

Does this page give me a typing certificate?

No. This is practice. California and many other employers will not accept an unproctored internet test. Use the score to see where you stand, then take the test the employer names.

Is what I type uploaded?

No. The passage and your result stay in this browser. Type Fast does not upload what you type.