When Should You Test?
Do not test every day when learning. Testing in the early stages often discourages rather than helps, because your speed will temporarily be lower than your old hunt-and-peck speed while you build new habits.
Good times to test:
- Before you start learning (baseline)
- After 2 weeks of consistent practice
- After completing each stage of your learning plan
- Monthly once you are in a maintenance phase
What Makes a Good Typing Test?
- Standardized text (not your own familiar material)
- 1-minute or 5-minute duration options
- Reports both gross WPM and net WPM (with errors factored in)
- Includes accuracy percentage
- No tricks or unusually rare words that inflate difficulty artificially
Our Recommended Test
We recommend TypingTest.now for free, accurate typing speed measurement. It shows your WPM, CPM, accuracy, and error count in a clean, distraction-free format.
After you have been practicing with the guides and tools on this site, head to TypingTest.now to measure exactly where you stand. The combination of structured learning (here) and accurate measurement (there) is the fastest way to improve.
How to Interpret Your Results
Focus on net WPM, not gross WPM. Net WPM accounts for errors and is a truer picture of your productive output. Aim for at least 95% accuracy at your peak speed before you push for more WPM. See our good typing speed guide for benchmarks.