Quick Answer
This typing test measures net words per minute: characters typed divided by 5, minus one word per uncorrected error, scaled to one minute. 40 WPM is average, 60 WPM is fast, and 80 WPM is the top 1 to 2 percent. The one-minute words test is what most employers use. Take it three times and use the middle score.
How this typing test scores you
Every typing test on the web counts words the same way, and it is not by counting actual words. A "word" is a fixed block of 5 characters, spaces included. That convention goes back to typewriter contests in the early 1900s and it is still what Ratatype, Typing.com, Monkeytype and employer screening tools use. It makes "the" and "photosynthesis" worth what they actually cost in keystrokes, so a words test and a sentences test give comparable numbers.
| Metric | Formula | Example (1 minute) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross WPM | (characters typed ÷ 5) ÷ minutes | 275 characters → 55 WPM |
| Net WPM | gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes) | 55 − 6 errors → 49 WPM |
| Accuracy | correct characters ÷ characters typed | 269 ÷ 275 → 97.8% |
| CPM | characters typed ÷ minutes | 275 CPM (= 55 WPM × 5) |
| KPH | keystrokes × 60 ÷ minutes | 275 keystrokes → 16,500 KPH |
The headline number on the results card is net WPM, because that is what a hiring manager or a typing certificate reports. Gross WPM is shown underneath so you can see how much your errors cost you. A backspace removes the error and its penalty, but the time you spent typing the wrong key and fixing it is gone. That is why the fastest net scores almost always come with accuracy above 96 percent, not with the highest raw speed.
What is a good typing speed?
The honest answer is that the average person is slower than they think. Ratatype published the distribution from 506,024 one-minute tests in April 2026, and the median typist lands in the 30 to 40 WPM band. The largest academic study, Dhakal and colleagues at CHI 2018, measured 168,960 volunteers and found a mean of 51.56 WPM, but that sample was people who sought out a typing test online, which skews fast. Split the difference and 40 WPM is a fair "average adult" figure.
| Net WPM | Share of typists | Percentile | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 15.0% | Bottom 15% | Beginner, hunt and peck |
| 20 to 30 | 27.5% | 15th to 42nd | Below average |
| 30 to 40 | 25.1% | 42nd to 68th | Average (the median is here) |
| 40 to 50 | 16.1% | 68th to 84th | Office ready |
| 50 to 60 | 9.1% | 84th to 93rd | Above average |
| 60 to 80 | 6.1% | 93rd to 99th | Fast, professional |
| 80 to 120 | 1.1% | Top 1% | Very fast to elite |
Source: Ratatype typing speed statistics, April 2026, 506,024 tests. Percentiles inside a band are linear interpolation, which is how the results card above computes your rank.
Two things stand out in that table. First, 42 percent of people type under 30 WPM, so if you scored 45 you are already faster than two-thirds of the population. Second, the jump from 60 to 80 WPM covers only 6 percent of typists, while 80 and above is a single percent. Speed gets exponentially rarer past 60, which is why job postings rarely ask for more than that.
Typing speed required for jobs
Employers test typing speed for a reason: in a data entry or transcription role, the typing speed is the output. These figures are working estimates pulled from job postings and vendor guides (TypeTest.io, TypeQuicker, 2026), not an official standard, but they match what postings actually ask for.
| Role | Typical minimum | Competitive | Accuracy asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| General office, admin | 40 WPM | 50 to 60 WPM | 95%+ |
| Customer support, chat | 45 WPM | 60+ WPM | 95%+ |
| Data entry (alphanumeric) | 45 WPM / 8,000 KPH | 60 WPM / 10,000 KPH | 98 to 99% |
| Medical or legal transcription | 60 WPM | 75 to 90 WPM | 98%+ |
| Legal secretary, paralegal | 60 WPM | 70+ WPM | 97%+ |
| Court reporter (stenotype) | 225 WPM | 250+ WPM | 97.5% (NCRA) |
| Programmer | No standard | 50 to 70 WPM on code | n/a |
If you are preparing for an employer test, use the same length they will use (almost always 1, 3 or 5 minutes), run it three times a day for a week, and aim to sit 10 WPM above the posted minimum with fewer than 2 errors per 100 characters. A score you can only hit once will not survive a timed assessment with someone watching.
Average typing speed by age
Typing speed climbs through the school years, peaks in the twenties and thirties, and declines slowly after fifty. The age figures below are typical ranges from typing test vendors (TypeTest.io, February 2026). No national statistics agency publishes typing speed by age, so treat these as a guide rather than a benchmark.
| Age | Typical WPM | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 11 (primary school) | 10 to 25 | Hunt and peck; touch typing is usually taught from age 8 to 10 |
| 12 to 17 (teens) | 30 to 50 | Fast risers; gaming and messaging add speed without formal practice |
| 18 to 29 | 40 to 60 | Peak range; Dhakal's sample mean of 51.56 WPM had an average age of 24.5 |
| 30 to 49 | 40 to 55 | Stable; office workers hold or improve speed here |
| 50 to 64 | 35 to 45 | Gradual decline, mostly in reaction time rather than accuracy |
| 65+ | 25 to 40 | Wide range; lifelong typists stay well above this |
30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes?
Pick the test length that matches what you want to know. A 30-second test is a warm-up: it rewards a fast start and punishes a single stumble, so scores run 3 to 5 WPM higher than your real speed. The 1-minute test is the standard. It is long enough to smooth out the start, short enough that your hands never tire, and it is the length almost every certificate and employer screen uses. If someone asks for your WPM, this is the number they mean.
The 3-minute and 5-minute tests measure endurance. Most people lose 5 to 10 WPM between minute one and minute five, because concentration slips and errors creep in. Transcription and data entry employers often test at 3 or 5 minutes for exactly that reason: they want sustained throughput, not a sprint. If you are preparing for one of those jobs, practise at the longer length and watch your accuracy in the last minute, which is where scores usually fall apart.
Numbers mode and code mode
Most typing tests only use prose, which tells you nothing about how you perform on the content you actually type at work. Numbers mode feeds you integers, decimals and five-digit figures the way a spreadsheet or an invoice would. Expect your numeric WPM to be 40 to 60 percent of your prose speed if you use the number row, and higher if you are fluent on a numpad. Data entry postings quote this in keystrokes per hour; 8,000 KPH is a common floor and the results card shows your KPH equivalent through CPM.
Code mode uses real lines of JavaScript, Python, SQL and shell. Symbols, brackets and camelCase slow everyone down. A 70 WPM prose typist usually lands at 40 to 50 WPM on code, and that gap is normal. If you write software, your real bottleneck is thinking, not typing, but shaving the symbol fumbles still matters when you are in flow. Monkeytype's code mode and this one measure the same thing, so scores transfer.
How to type faster
Speed follows accuracy, never the reverse. Dhakal's study found typists who used all ten fingers averaged 54 WPM against 49 for those who did not, a smaller gap than most people expect, but the ten-finger group also had far lower error rates, and errors are what drag net WPM down. The order of work that reliably adds 10 to 20 WPM in a month:
- Stop looking at the keyboard. Cover your hands with a towel for a week if you have to. Looking down costs more than every other habit combined.
- Hold accuracy at 97 percent or better before you try to go faster. Slow down until you hit it, then speed up in small steps.
- Practise ten minutes a day, not an hour once a week. Motor learning consolidates during sleep, so daily short sessions beat long rare ones.
- Use the words mode for drills. The 300 most common English words cover about 65 percent of everyday text, so speed on them transfers to everything you write.
- Fix your two worst keys. Most people have a couple of letters they consistently miss. Drill those, not the whole alphabet.
- Retest weekly on the 1-minute words test and record the middle of three attempts. Daily scores bounce; weekly medians show the trend.
Frequently asked questions
How is WPM calculated in this typing test?
One word is counted as 5 characters, including spaces. Gross WPM is total characters typed divided by 5, divided by minutes. Net WPM subtracts one word for every uncorrected error. Accuracy is correct characters divided by all characters typed. This is the standard used by most typing tests and employer assessments.
What is a good typing speed?
A good typing speed is 40 WPM for general office work and 50 to 60 WPM for most computer-based jobs. Above 60 WPM is fast, and 80 WPM puts you in roughly the top 1 to 2 percent of typists. The median adult scores 30 to 40 WPM in Ratatype data from 506,024 tests.
Is 1 minute long enough for a typing test?
One minute is the standard length and the one most employer tests use. It is long enough to average out a slow start but short enough that fatigue does not affect the score. Use the 3 or 5 minute test if you are preparing for a transcription or data entry job, where sustained speed is what gets measured.
Why is my net WPM lower than my gross WPM?
Net WPM deducts one word (5 characters) for every error you leave uncorrected. If you typed 55 gross WPM with 6 uncorrected errors in one minute, your net WPM is 49. Fixing a mistake with backspace before moving on removes the penalty but costs you time, which is why accuracy above 95 percent usually gives the best net score.
What is the average typing speed for adults?
About 40 WPM. The largest study, Dhakal and colleagues at CHI 2018 with 168,960 participants, found a mean of 51.56 WPM on a self-selected online sample. Ratatype, with a broader population of 506,024 tests, puts the median in the 30 to 40 WPM band. The two samples differ because people who seek out typing tests tend to be faster than average.
Does the numbers typing test use the number row or the numpad?
Either. The test only checks what you type, not which keys you use. Data entry jobs usually expect numpad speed measured in keystrokes per hour (KPH); roughly 8,000 KPH is a common posting floor, which is about 27 numeric WPM at 5 characters per word.
Can I paste text to cheat the test?
No. Paste is disabled in the typing area, and the timer only starts on your first real keystroke. Scores are calculated locally in your browser and are not stored anywhere, so there is nothing to cheat for except your own number.
How can I type faster?
Learn touch typing with all ten fingers and stop looking at the keyboard. Practice ten minutes a day on common words rather than one long session a week. Aim for 97 percent accuracy before chasing speed, because every error costs more time than it saves. Most people add 10 to 20 WPM within a month of daily practice.
Sources
- Ratatype, "Average typing speed statistics", April 2026, 506,024 tests (band shares used for percentiles)
- Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta, "Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes", CHI 2018, 168,960 participants
- TypeTest.io job and age guides, February and March 2026; TypeQuicker data entry guide, January 2026 (working estimates, not standards)
- National Court Reporters Association certification requirements (225 WPM, 97.5 percent accuracy)