United Kingdom typing tests
UK employers test typing on the day of interview rather than through a national exam. NHS admin and medical secretary posts, police control rooms and legal firms all expect 40 to 60 WPM with high accuracy, and audio typing is common.
NHS Admin Typing Test (Band 2 to 4)
NHS Trusts
5 min 路 50 WPM 路 English
NHS Medical Secretary Audio Typing Practice
NHS Trusts
10 min 路 60 WPM 路 English
BIVR Court Reporter / STTR Speed Practice
BIVR and NRCPD
5 min 路 speed per notification 路 English
OCR / RSA Text Processing Typing Levels
OCR (formerly RSA)
10 min 路 35 WPM 路 English
Pitman / Teeline Shorthand Transcription Practice
Pitman, NCTJ
5 min 路 speed per notification 路 English
Police Control Room / 999 Call Handler Typing Test
UK police forces
5 min 路 40 WPM 路 English
UK Civil Service Typing Test: Is There One?
Civil Service Jobs
Guide and FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What typing speed does the NHS expect?
- Band 2 and 3 admin roles typically ask for 40 to 50 WPM; medical secretaries and audio typists are expected to reach 60 WPM or more with 95 percent accuracy.
- Are RSA typing certificates still used?
- OCR (formerly RSA) Text Processing levels 1 to 3 are still named in many job adverts as desirable, with level 2 roughly matching 35 to 45 WPM.
- Does the Civil Service have a typing test?
- No standard one. Civil Service Jobs uses verbal, numerical and judgement tests; some HMCTS roles request around 40 WPM.