How to Prepare for an Employment Typing Test

Pre-employment typing tests are predictable, which means you can prepare. Here's a simple plan.

Find out the format

If you can, ask the employer or recruiter:

• How long is the test? (1, 3 or 5 minutes are common)
• Is it measured in WPM or KPH?
• Is it prose, data entry or numeric?
• Can you correct mistakes?

One week before

1. Take a full assessment in the matching format on Typing Gauge to get a baseline.
2. Check your result's biggest opportunity — speed, accuracy or consistency.
3. Practise that area for 10–15 minutes a day.

Three days before

Practise at the exact duration of the real test. If it's five minutes, do 5-minute tests so the length feels normal.

The day before

Do one or two relaxed tests, then stop. You won't improve much in a day, but you can lose confidence by overdoing it.

On the day

• Use a familiar keyboard and a comfortable chair if you're testing at home.
• Close other tabs and silence notifications — many tests record when you leave the page.
• Read the instructions carefully.
• Start at a pace you can hold, and fix mistakes as you go.

If you're sent a Typing Gauge link

You'll enter your name and email and get one attempt. If something goes wrong — a power cut or a browser crash — contact the employer, who can allow a retake.