What typing speed is required for SSC CGL DEST?

The requirement is about 8,000 key depressions per hour over 15 minutes. Figures marked as needing verification should be confirmed in the current notification.

Which language or keyboard layout is used in SSC CGL DEST?

English. Our tests emulate the required layout on a standard QWERTY keyboard, so you can practise without changing system settings.

How long is the test?

15 minutes of typing, with the passage of roughly 400 words. The timer starts on your first keystroke here; in the real exam it starts when the invigilator begins the test.

How should I practise?

Take one of the 120 practice tests daily under full exam conditions, then review errors. Add shorter speed drills (1 and 3 minute tests) to raise your base speed, and finish with another full-length SSC CGL DEST test.

SSC CGL Data Entry Speed Test (DEST)

Staff Selection Commission · official site · last verified 2026-10-14

Start test 1

Duration: 15 min
Required speed: 8,000 KDPH
Passage: ~400 words
Backspace: Allowed

About the test

SSC CGL Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) is conducted by Staff Selection Commission. The typing component lasts 15 minutes and expects about 8,000 key depressions per hour in English. Qualifying. About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes (8,000 KDPH). Maximum error percentage by category: UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 30%. Full and half mistakes per the SSC convention.

These 120 practice tests are modeled on the real format: the passage sits above a plain text box, there is no spell-check or highlighting while you type, and the timer runs exactly as it does in the exam hall. Backspace is allowed, as in the real software.

Use the tests to build the specific stamina and accuracy the exam rewards, then review the word-by-word report to see which mistakes cost you marks.

Languages and layouts

English

How it is scored

Qualifying. About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes (8,000 KDPH). Maximum error percentage by category: UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 30%. Full and half mistakes per the SSC convention.

Gross speed counts every character you type (five characters equal one word). Net speed subtracts mistakes: a wrong, omitted, added or misspelt word is a full mistake, and a capitalisation, spacing or punctuation slip is a half mistake. For example, typing 330 words in 15 minutes with 6 full and 4 half mistakes gives 330 minus 8, or 322 net words, which is 21 net words per minute. Error percentage (mistakes divided by words typed) must stay at or below 20%.

Who takes it and when

Candidates shortlisted from the earlier written or computer-based stages of the SSC CGL DEST recruitment take the typing test as a qualifying or scored skill test. Check the current notification for category-wise relaxations.

Cycles vary by year; the typing test is usually held a few weeks after the main examination results. Confirm dates in the official notification.

Preparation tips

Practise with the same 15-minute duration and the same passage length (400 words) so your pace is calibrated to the real test.
Correct mistakes immediately and sparingly; each correction costs about three keystrokes.
Keep your eyes on the passage, not the keyboard, and read one or two words ahead of what you are typing.
Match capitalisation, punctuation and spacing exactly; these count as half mistakes under the SSC-style rule.
Aim for a practice speed about 10% above the 8,000 key depressions per hour requirement so exam-day nerves do not push you below the line.
Review the word-by-word report after every test and drill the words and keys you miss most.

Please confirm in the current official notification: category-wise error caps for the current cycle.

Practice tests

English

Frequently asked questions

What typing speed is required for SSC CGL DEST?: The requirement is about 8,000 key depressions per hour over 15 minutes. Figures marked as needing verification should be confirmed in the current notification.
Which language or keyboard layout is used in SSC CGL DEST?: English. Our tests emulate the required layout on a standard QWERTY keyboard, so you can practise without changing system settings.
Is backspace allowed?: Backspace is allowed, as in the real software.
How are mistakes counted?: Qualifying. About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes (8,000 KDPH). Maximum error percentage by category: UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 30%. Full and half mistakes per the SSC convention.
How long is the test?: 15 minutes of typing, with the passage of roughly 400 words. The timer starts on your first keystroke here; in the real exam it starts when the invigilator begins the test.
How should I practise?: Take one of the 120 practice tests daily under full exam conditions, then review errors. Add shorter speed drills (1 and 3 minute tests) to raise your base speed, and finish with another full-length SSC CGL DEST test.