By Abhishek · Reviewed by The Ai-TypingTest Editorial Team · Last reviewed
At a glance
| Required speed | 40 WPM |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 minutes |
| Errors allowed | 3 or fewer |
| Scoring | Words per minute, with errors counted separately per word |
| Test format | Copy typing from a passage |
| Who uses it | Federal clerk, office automation (OA), secretary and assistant positions whose posting says “qualified typist” — e.g. GS-0303 and GS-0318 |
Key facts
- A USAJOBS Secretary (Office Automation), GS-0318 posting defines a qualified typist as 40 WPM on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors. [source]
- A USAJOBS Clerk (Office Automation), GS-0303 posting requires the same: 40 WPM with three or fewer errors in a five-minute sample. [source]
- The error limit is absolute: a fourth error fails the sample even at 60 WPM.
- How you prove the speed — a test, a certificate or a statement in your application — is set by each posting, not government-wide.
- A result from this site is a practice score, not a certificate an agency is obliged to accept.
How the real test works
There is no single federal typing exam you book in advance — the requirement lives in each job posting. Office automation (OA) and clerk-typist announcements list typing proficiency under Qualifications or Conditions of Employment. The agency then decides how you show it, which can be an onscreen test during the hiring process, a typing certificate, or a statement in your application questionnaire that the agency may check later. Read the “How to apply” and “Required documents” sections of your posting to see which.
When the agency does test you, the format is almost always the same:
- You get a passage of plain business prose on screen or on paper.
- The clock starts with your first keystroke and runs for five minutes.
- Speed is worked out from what you typed; errors are counted per word — a misspelled, skipped or extra word is one error.
- You pass at 40 WPM or more with 3 or fewer errors.
Whether you can use Backspace depends on the testing software, so practice both ways. The test above lets you correct mistakes; corrected mistakes do not count as errors, but they cost time.
How scoring works
Net WPM is the characters you typed correctly divided by five, divided by the minutes. The error count is then checked against the limit of three.
| Characters typed correctly | 1,075 |
|---|---|
| ÷ 5 characters per word | 215 words |
| ÷ 5 minutes | 43 WPM |
| Errors (uncorrected words) | 2 |
| Result | Pass — 40+ WPM with 3 or fewer errors |
Change one thing — a fourth error — and the same 43 WPM fails. That is why the plan below spends more time on accuracy than on speed.
How to pass
Most people who type within 10 WPM of the target can close the gap in a week; a bigger gap takes about a month of 15–20 minutes a day. Take one baseline run on the test above first, then follow the plan that fits your gap.
7-day plan (you are within about 10 WPM)
- Day 1 — baseline. Three runs at the real test length. Write down your middle score and error count, not the best one.
- Days 2–3 — accuracy first. Practice at a pace where you make almost no errors. On a test that counts errors, clean typing at 40 WPM beats fast typing with mistakes. Use an AI lesson to drill the keys your results flag as weak.
- Days 4–5 — endurance. Two full-length runs a day. Speed usually drops in the final minute; aim to hold your pace to the end.
- Day 6 — test conditions. Turn Backspace off in your head: fix nothing and see what your real error count is.
- Day 7 — mock test. One run, first thing, no warm-up. That is the number to trust.
30-day plan (bigger gap, or starting out)
- Week 1 — technique. Learn or relearn touch typing on the touch typing test and the finger chart. Expect your speed to dip.
- Week 2 — accuracy. Daily 1-minute runs at 97%+ accuracy; slow down whenever you drop below.
- Week 3 — speed. Short bursts 5–10 WPM above your comfortable pace (try 50 WPM), then one run at the real test length.
- Week 4 — rehearsal. Every other day, a full mock test in exam format. Track your middle score; when it clears 40 WPM three times in a row, you are ready.
Full method: the 30-day typing improvement plan and how to type faster. Practice little and often — 15 minutes a day beats two hours at the weekend.
Test-day checklist
- Use the kind of keyboard you will test on — a laptop keyboard and a desktop keyboard feel different.
- Warm up for five minutes beforehand — a short run on this page is enough.
- Read the instructions twice: whether Backspace works and how errors are counted change your strategy.
- Keep a steady pace. A rhythm you can hold for the whole test beats a fast start that fades.
How this compares with other United States typing tests
Requirements vary widely by role — from around 25–35 WPM for call handling to 70+ WPM for transcription. Rows marked “Typical range” are common posting figures, not official standards.
| Duration | Errors | Basis | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal clerk / office automation (USAJOBS) | 40 WPM | 5 min | ≤ 3 | Copy | Official / published |
| Federal secretary (OA), GS-0318 | 40 WPM | 5 min | ≤ 3 | Copy | Official / published |
| California state Office Assistant (Typing)Certificate valid 4 years | 40 WPM | 5 min, proctored | Net WPM | Copy | Official / published |
| State / county clerk-typist | 35–45 WPM | Usually 5 min | Net WPM | Copy | Typical range |
| 911 dispatcher / call-takerOften with CritiCall | 35–45 WPM | 1–5 min | Accuracy floor | Copy + audio | Typical range |
| 10-key / numeric data entry | 8,000–12,000 KPH | 2–5 min | Net KPH | 10-key | Typical range |
| Data entry clerk | 40–45 WPM | 3–5 min | Field accuracy | Copy + data entry | Typical range |
| Administrative assistant | 40–60 WPM | 3–5 min | ~95% accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| Executive assistant | 55–65 WPM | 3–5 min | ~95% accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| Receptionist | 35–45 WPM | 1–5 min | Net WPM | Copy | Typical range |
| Live chat / remote support agent | 50–70 WPM | 1–3 min | ~95% accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| Virtual assistant | 45–60 WPM | 1–5 min | High accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| General transcriptionist | 65–80 WPM | Audio file | 98%+ accuracy | Audio | Typical range |
| Healthcare admin / medical office | 45–60 WPM | 1–5 min | 90%+ accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| Legal assistant / secretary | 50–70 WPM | 3–5 min | 95–98% accuracy | Copy + audio | Typical range |
| Paralegal | 45–60 WPM | 3–5 min | High accuracy | Copy | Typical range |
| Court reporter (stenotype, NCRA RPR)Stenotype, not QWERTY | 180–225 WPM | 3 × 5 min | 95% accuracy | Audio | Official / published |
| Staffing agency office placement (Prove It-style) | 35–50 WPM | 1–5 min | Net WPM | Copy | Typical range |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. USAJOBS postings that require a qualified typist define it as 40 WPM based on a 5-minute sample with 3 or fewer errors. Practice at the full five minutes — most people lose a few WPM after the first two.
40 WPM with 3 or fewer errors over 5 minutes, for postings that require a qualified typist. Many federal jobs do not test typing at all; check the Qualifications and Conditions of Employment sections of the specific announcement.
It depends on the posting. Some test you during hiring, some ask for a typing certificate, and some ask you to confirm your speed in the application questionnaire. The “Required documents” and “How to apply” sections say which applies.
It depends on the agency's testing software. Some allow corrections, some do not. Corrected mistakes do not count as errors but cost time, so practice both with and without fixing errors.
Do not rely on it. Our certificate is unproctored, so it records a result you achieved here but cannot prove who typed it. Where a posting asks for a certificate, check what source it accepts; use this site to practice for the test that counts.
Yes. The standard is 40 WPM and 3 or fewer errors. Typing 60 WPM with 4 errors does not meet it, which is why accuracy matters more than raw speed here.
Errors are typically counted per word: a misspelled word, a skipped word, an extra word or a word with wrong spacing is one error, however many letters are wrong. This test counts errors the same way.
Mostly clerical and administrative series with “Office Automation” or “typist” in the title or requirements, such as GS-0303 Clerk (OA) and GS-0318 Secretary (OA). If typing is not mentioned in the announcement, it is not required.
Sources
Requirements change. Always confirm the speed, duration and error rules in the official job posting or exam notice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us — we review every requirement quarterly (methodology).
- Secretary (Office Automation), GS-0318 — qualified typist requirement — USAJOBS (checked October 18, 2026)
- Clerk (Office Automation), GS-0303 — 40 WPM, five-minute sample — USAJOBS (checked October 18, 2026)
Related tests and guides
More tests for this market: US Typing Tests · Every requirement in one table: typing requirements by job