Typing Test for Jobs: WPM, Accuracy and Data Entry Tests

Typing tests are the least glamorous part of a hiring process, and that is exactly why people underestimate them. Candidates prepare for the interview, the reasoning test and the personality questionnaire, then lose a receptionist or data entry job because they typed a one-minute passage with eleven errors on an unfamiliar laptop.

This guide explains how employers test typing and data entry, what words per minute (WPM), adjusted WPM and keystrokes per hour actually mean, what is reasonable to expect, and how to improve your result in one or two weeks. It finishes with practice questions on the calculations and checking tasks that often come with a data entry test.

Who Uses Typing Tests?

Typing and data entry tests are common for roles where keyboard work makes up a large part of the day: administrative and office support, receptionists, legal and medical secretaries, transcription, customer service and contact centre roles (especially chat and email support), data entry clerks, claims processing, and some public sector and court roles. Employers in both the UK and the US use them, in the private and the public sector.

The test may be one part of a larger assessment. A typical online process for an office role might combine a short typing test with a basic skills test and a personality questionnaire. Our guide to the clerical aptitude test covers the checking, filing and coding tasks that often sit next to it.

How Employers Test Typing

There are three common formats.

1. Timed copy typing

You see a passage of text and type as much of it as you can within a fixed time. This is the classic "WPM test". It measures raw speed and accuracy on ordinary text.

A well-documented example is the Typing Test from Criteria Corp, a large US pre-employment testing publisher. According to Criteria's help centre:

Feature	Criteria Typing Test
Time	About 2 minutes in total: 1 minute of instructions, 1 minute of typing
Task	Type as much of a given passage as possible in one minute
Scores reported	Words per minute (WPM), number of errors, and adjusted WPM (WPM minus errors)

Other tests run longer, three or five minutes is common, and some let you see the whole passage while others scroll the text as you go.

2. Data entry tests

Instead of continuous text you get records: names, addresses, invoice numbers, dates, amounts. You copy them from a source (a scanned form, a table, an email) into fields on screen. Data entry tests usually care about correct fields more than raw speed, because one wrong digit in an account number is worse than a slow afternoon.

Some data entry tests add a verification step: you check pre-filled records against the source and flag mismatches. That is pure checking accuracy, the same skill tested in an error checking test.

3. Ten key (numeric keypad) tests

A ten key test measures how fast and accurately you enter numbers on the numeric keypad. It is used for accounts payable, payroll, banking operations and other number-heavy roles. Criteria's Ten Key Test, for example, consists of 20 numerical data entries, takes about five minutes or less including instructions, and reports a speed score in keystrokes per hour (KPH) plus an accuracy score based on the number of correct fields.

How WPM, Errors and KPH Are Calculated

Different tests use slightly different formulas, but most follow the same logic.

Gross WPM. By convention, most typing tests count a "word" as five characters, including spaces and punctuation. Gross WPM is total characters typed divided by five, divided by minutes. That convention exists so that a passage full of long words does not look slower than one full of short words.

Errors. An error is usually a wrong, missing or extra word or character, depending on the test. Some tests let you correct errors with backspace (which costs time but saves accuracy), others lock each word once you press space.

Adjusted or net WPM. Speed with a penalty for errors. Criteria's version is simply WPM minus the number of errors. Other tests subtract errors per minute, or multiply speed by an accuracy percentage. Whatever the formula, errors cost more than people expect on a short test.

Accuracy percentage. Correct characters or words divided by total typed. Data entry roles often care most about this figure.

Keystrokes per hour. For ten key tests, the number of keystrokes in the test, scaled up to an hour. Two minutes of keying at 400 keystrokes is 400 × 30 = 12,000 KPH.

What Speed Do Employers Want?

There is no official national standard, and it would be misleading to give you a single number. Job ads commonly state a minimum WPM, sometimes together with an accuracy requirement, and the level rises with the share of the job spent typing: a transcription or medical secretary role usually asks for more than a general office role. Some employers set no figure and simply compare candidates.

Practical advice: read the advert, and if it gives no figure, ask the recruiter. Then take a few timed tests at home to see where you stand. If you are well above the stated minimum, focus on accuracy. If you are below it, the plan later in this article is realistic for a noticeable gain in two weeks, but not for doubling your speed.

7 Practice Questions

These are our own questions. Questions 1 to 4 check that you understand how typing scores work, which helps you decide where to focus. Questions 5 to 7 are checking items of the type that appear in data entry tests.

Practice question 1

A candidate types 1,250 characters (including spaces) in a five-minute test with no errors. Using the five-characters-per-word convention, what is their WPM?

A. 25
B. 50
C. 62
D. 250

Answer: B. 1,250 characters ÷ 5 = 250 words. 250 words ÷ 5 minutes = 50 WPM. Option D forgets to divide by the time.

Practice question 2

On a one-minute test that reports adjusted WPM as WPM minus errors, Candidate X types 62 WPM with 9 errors. Candidate Y types 55 WPM with 1 error. Who has the higher adjusted WPM?

A. Candidate X, 62
B. Candidate X, 53
C. Candidate Y, 54
D. They are equal

Answer: C. X: 62 − 9 = 53. Y: 55 − 1 = 54. Y types slower but scores higher. On a one-minute test, a handful of errors wipes out a large speed advantage.

Practice question 3

A test reports net WPM as gross WPM multiplied by accuracy. A candidate types 70 gross WPM at 90% accuracy. What is the net WPM?

A. 61
B. 63
C. 70
D. 77

Answer: B. 70 × 0.9 = 63. This kind of formula punishes errors less harshly than "minus errors" on a short test, which is one reason scores from different typing tests are not directly comparable.

Practice question 4

In a five-minute ten key test, a candidate makes 1,100 keystrokes. What is their speed in keystrokes per hour?

A. 5,500
B. 11,000
C. 13,200
D. 66,000

Answer: C. An hour contains 12 five-minute blocks, so 1,100 × 12 = 13,200 KPH. Option D multiplies by 60 instead of 12.

Practice question 5

Compare the source record with the entered record. How many fields contain an error?

Field	Source	Entered
Customer no.	4471-0938	4471-0938
Surname	Hargreaves	Hargraeves
Postcode	LS6 2QP	LS6 2QP
Amount	1,086.40	1,068.40
Date	03/11/2026	03/11/2026

A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

Answer: C. The surname has the "e" and "a" swapped (Hargraeves), and the amount has the 8 and 6 swapped (1,068.40 instead of 1,086.40). Transposed characters are the most common data entry error, so check pairs of neighbouring characters, not just whether the "shape" of the entry looks right.

Practice question 6

Which entered phone number matches the source number 0161 498 2207?

A. 0161 489 2207
B. 0161 498 2270
C. 0161 498 2207
D. 0116 498 2207

Answer: C. A swaps 9 and 8 in the middle group, B swaps the last two digits, D swaps 6 and 1 in the area code. Reading numbers in groups of three or four and comparing group by group is faster and more reliable than reading the whole string at once.

Practice question 7

A data entry instruction says: "Enter dates as DD/MM/YYYY. Enter amounts without currency symbols, with two decimal places." The source shows "£45 on 7 March 2026". Which entry is correct?

A. 07/03/2026 and 45.00
B. 03/07/2026 and 45.00
C. 07/03/2026 and £45
D. 7/3/26 and 45

Answer: A. Day first, then month, four-digit year, and the amount without the pound sign and with two decimal places. B uses the US month-first order, a classic mistake on tests used in both the UK and US. Following the format rules is part of the score.

Common Mistakes

Practising on a different keyboard. Laptop keyboards, especially without a numeric keypad, change your speed. Practise on what you will test on.
Looking at your hands. Every glance down costs time and breaks your reading rhythm.
Chasing speed on a one-minute test. With adjusted WPM, two extra errors can cost more than five extra words gain.
Ignoring format instructions. Date formats, capitalisation and decimal places count as errors on many data entry tests.
Not reading ahead. Strong typists read a few words ahead of what their fingers are typing. Watching the cursor slows you down.

A Two-Week Preparation Plan

1. Day 1: baseline

Take three timed tests of one, three and five minutes on a free typing site, on the keyboard you will use. Record gross WPM, errors and accuracy. If the job involves numbers, also time yourself entering 20 rows of mixed numbers on the numeric keypad.

2. Days 2 to 5: accuracy first

Do 15 to 20 minutes a day at a speed where you make almost no errors. If you touch-type with the wrong fingers, this is the week to fix the worst habits, accepting a temporary drop in speed.

3. Days 6 to 10: build speed in short bursts

Alternate one-minute sprints slightly above your comfortable speed with longer runs at normal pace. Use realistic text: emails, addresses, product descriptions, not just random words.

4. Days 11 to 13: data entry and checking

Copy records from a printed or on-screen table into a spreadsheet, then check every field against the source. Practise the specific formats your target job uses: dates, postcodes, account numbers.

5. Day 14: simulate the test

Take a test with the same length and format as the real one, in the same conditions, and compare it with your day 1 baseline. Then stop: rest matters more than one more session.

Practical Tips for Test Day

If you take the test at home, use a full-size keyboard and a stable internet connection, and close everything else.
Sit properly: screen at eye level, wrists level. It sounds trivial, but it affects speed.
Warm up with two or three minutes of typing before you start.
If you make an error on a test that allows backspace, fix it immediately rather than going back later.
If the typing test is part of an in-person assessment, ask whether you can adjust the chair and screen before you start. Nobody minds.

A typing test rarely decides an offer on its own; it is a threshold. The interview still matters, and admin roles often come with practical questions about organisation and prioritising. Our guide to situational interview questions helps with that part. If your process also includes a numbers test, our numerical reasoning practice questions are a good next step, and you can try a broader set of free practice tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a typing test for a job?

Often only a few minutes. Criteria's Typing Test, for example, gives you one minute of typing after one minute of instructions. Other employers use tests of three to five minutes or a longer copy-typing task, so check your invitation.

What WPM do employers want?

There is no single standard. Job ads commonly state a minimum speed together with an accuracy requirement, and the level depends on how much of the job is typing. If the advert gives no figure, ask the recruiter what the test looks for.

Does accuracy matter more than speed in a typing test?

Usually yes. Many tests report an adjusted or net speed that subtracts errors, and data entry roles are judged on correct fields. Typing slightly slower with almost no errors often produces a better result than rushing.

What is a ten key test?

A ten key test measures how quickly and accurately you enter numbers on the numeric keypad. Criteria's Ten Key Test has 20 numerical entries and reports speed in keystrokes per hour and accuracy as the number of correct fields.

Can I take a typing test on a laptop?

Yes, but a laptop keyboard without a numeric keypad is a real handicap on a ten key test. If you can, use a full-size keyboard, and practise on the same keyboard you will use for the test.

About the author

Ingmar van Maurik is a specialist in test and interview preparation who helps candidates perform better in recruitment processes.

References

Criteria Corp, Typing Tests (help centre): https://criteria.helpdocs.io/article/sk7z1kcq08-typing-tests Criteria Corp, Assessment Portfolio: https://www.criteriacorp.com/files/Criteria-AssessmentPortfolio.pdf

Typing Test for Jobs: WPM, Accuracy and Data Entry Tests