How the 10 key typing test works
Press Start test and a passage of digit groups appears, with a space between each group. Type the digits on the number pad, or on the number row if your keyboard has no pad. The clock starts on your first key and stops at the last character. Mistakes are highlighted in red and Backspace works.
The result shows your accuracy, your speed in WPM and the same speed in keystrokes per hour.
What KPH means
Number entry is measured in keystrokes per hour, written KPH. Nobody types for an hour in this test. The figure is your pace over the passage, scaled up to an hour.
KPH and WPM describe the same speed in different units. A standard word is five keystrokes and an hour has 60 minutes, so 1 WPM equals 300 KPH.
| WPM | KPH |
|---|---|
| 20 | 6,000 |
| 27 | 8,100 |
| 30 | 9,000 |
| 33 | 9,900 |
| 40 | 12,000 |
Home position on 4 5 6
The number pad has its own home row. Rest your right hand on the middle row and let each finger own a column.
- Index finger on 4. It also reaches 7 and 1.
- Middle finger on 5. It also reaches 8 and 2. Most keyboards have a small raised mark on the 5 key so you can find it by touch.
- Ring finger on 6. It also reaches 9 and 3.
- Thumb on 0.
- Little finger on Enter and the plus key.
Each finger moves straight up or down its column and then returns to the middle row. Press the space bar with your left hand so your right hand never leaves the pad. Keep your eyes on the screen, because looking down at the keys costs time on every group.
What data entry jobs ask for
Job listings for data entry work often ask for around 8,000 to 10,000 KPH. In WPM terms that is roughly 27 to 33. Accuracy matters as much as pace in this kind of work, because one wrong digit in an invoice or an account number makes the whole entry wrong. Requirements vary by employer, so check the listing.
Practice for accuracy first, then let the speed build. Your runs are saved in the Your scores panel, so you can follow your average.
Related tests
For letters and sentences, use the main typing test. To see how keystrokes are turned into words per minute, read the WPM test page.