Typing Speed Test

Improving Results for the Typing Speed Test

Many people take their first typing speed test in school or when going up for a new job or promotion. The self-taught typist may find themselves at a severe disadvantage if they have not learned touch typing.  Even the more fluent typist may find that their test results are not up to their own expectations and start looking for alternatives to improve their results.

A typing speed test often has three important results to consider. The first result is the raw words per minute. That means that no errors are counted against the score and the WPM results are simply the raw speed of the typist. For all but those with one hundred percent accuracy, the raw score is usually the highest.

The second figure is the adjusted WPM, which is usually arrived at by taking the raw words per minute and deducting errors from the total. Errors can be counted against the total word per minute score on the basis of one to five words per error. The stricter penalty of deducting up to five words per minute per error is less commonly seen in the modern typing tests.

The final figure is the accuracy percentage. Correcting errors is less time consuming today than it was in the days before computers and word processing software but some companies and testing centers still use this. It is more useful however when comparing a current typing speed test against an earlier one to assess overall improvement in speed and accuracy.

It is entirely possible that a person may not even know their typing speed. Perhaps it becomes a concern when they up for a promotion which requires a certain typing speed words per minute for consideration. For other people while they may not need to achieve a particular typing speed their goal is to improve their productivity and the test results provide an accurate benchmark to track improvements.

Some people may find out their typing speed when they take the typing speed test at the personnel office or testing center and while the results are certainly accurate they may be surprising or disappointing. Other people may prefer to know their typing speed before they take a forma typing speed test for a job. For those individuals the option of self administering a typing test with a known word count is possible, although it is a little clumsy. However, one of the easiest ways available today is to take a typing test online. These online typing tests are discrete, immediately available and can be taken repeatedly.

Typing with numbers can be a challenge for even the most skilled typist. A full typing test will usually include the frequent use of numbers, which can reduce typing speed for some. A good program of learning or speed and accuracy improvement will include the ability to type with numbers.

Any downloadable typing program will usually contain one or more speed tests that can be taken repeatedly as well. Initially, many people will select one of the free typing speed tests available online to assess their relative strengths and weaknesses.

There are also tutorials available online which can help a person learn to type. Online tutorials can be appropriate for people of all skill levels from those learning to touch type to fluent typists seeking to improve speed or accuracy. The only tools required for these tutorials are an internet connection and a browser.

Free online typing tests should deliver the results immediately and be taken repeatedly. Some sites will also include tutorials to help improve speed and accuracy in typing. While the online tutorials are excellent for those who know what their relative strengths and weaknesses are, some may find a downloadable typing program is more adaptable especially if they are just learning.

While there are various means of taking a typing speed test and improving the one consistent fact is that practice, even in testing helps improve the overall results.  The more frequently a typist tests the more familiar the test environment becomes.  Individuals who stress over testing may find that repeated testing lessens anxiety and improves the test results. This is in addition to the fact that typing in tests will help increase familiarity with the keyboard and difficult letter combinations.  While it takes dedication and practice to increase typing speed from 15 wpm to 40 WPM or more for the person learning to type, those touch typists who feel they need minor improvements in speed may see results very quickly.