United States typing tests
US typing tests range from state and county civil service clerk-typist exams to CritiCall dispatcher assessments, data entry keystrokes-per-hour tests and court reporter certifications. Most are five minutes long and score net words per minute.
10-Key Numeric Keypad Test
PopularEmployers and staffing agencies
3 min 路 8,000 KDPH 路 English
CritiCall 911 Dispatcher Typing Test
PopularBiddle Consulting (agency cutoffs)
4 min 路 40 WPM 路 English
Data Entry Keystrokes Per Hour (KPH) Test
PopularEmployers and staffing agencies
5 min 路 8,000 KDPH 路 English
Civil Service Clerk-Typist Typing Test
State and county civil service commissions
5 min 路 35 WPM 路 English
Medical Transcription Typing Test
Employers
5 min 路 65 WPM 路 English
NCRA RPR Court Reporter Transcription Practice
National Court Reporters Association
5 min 路 speed per notification 路 English
USPS Data Entry Typing Test
United States Postal Service
5 min 路 8,000 KDPH 路 English
California CSR Transcription Practice
Court Reporters Board of California
10 min 路 speed per notification 路 English
Legal Secretary Typing Test
Law firms and courts
5 min 路 60 WPM 路 English
Medical Scribe Typing Test
Employers (ScribeAmerica and others)
5 min 路 60 WPM 路 English
Military Clerk Typing Practice (Army 42A, Navy YN, USAF 3F0X1)
Department of Defense
5 min 路 35 WPM 路 English
Police Records Clerk Typing Test
City and county HR
5 min 路 40 WPM 路 English
Frequently asked questions
- What typing speed do US government jobs require?
- Clerk-typist titles commonly require 35 to 40 net WPM on a five-minute test with at least 90 percent accuracy; some counties accept 25 WPM for entry-level titles.
- What is a good KPH for data entry?
- 8,000 to 10,000 keystrokes per hour is typical for alphanumeric entry; 12,000 and above is fast. For 10-key numeric entry, 8,000 to 12,000 KPH with 98 percent accuracy is the usual target.
- How does CritiCall score typing?
- CritiCall measures keyboarding speed in net WPM and separate data-entry modules. Agencies set their own cutoffs, most often 35 to 45 WPM.