30-Second Typing Test
Thirty seconds is long enough that your first few words stop dominating the average, which makes it the shortest length worth repeating as you practise.
Click here to start — the clock starts on your first keystroke
Pasting is disabled during a test.
What a 30 seconds test does and does not tell you
It is still short enough that a single stumble is visible in the score, so expect results to vary by a few WPM between attempts even on a good day.
- Good for tracking week-to-week progress, because it is quick enough that you will actually do it.
- Watch consistency rather than speed here: an even rhythm over 30 seconds usually predicts a higher 1-minute score.
What one mistake and one pause cost in 30 seconds
A typing score is an average over a sample, and the length of the test is the size of that sample. At 50 WPM, 30 seconds is about 125 characters. One wrong keystroke therefore moves your accuracy by 0.80 points, and a single one-second hesitation removes 1.7 WPM from the result. Over five minutes the same slip costs 0.08 points and the same pause 0.17 WPM, which is why longer tests are steadier and harder to get lucky on.
| Your speed | Characters typed | One error costs | A 1-second pause costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 WPM | 75 | 1.3 accuracy points | 1.0 WPM |
| 50 WPM | 125 | 0.80 accuracy points | 1.7 WPM |
| 70 WPM | 175 | 0.57 accuracy points | 2.3 WPM |
Calculated with the formulas on the methodology page: WPM counts correct characters divided by five per minute, and accuracy counts every keystroke, so a corrected error still counts against it.
How to practise with a 30 seconds test
- Run it once at the start and once at the end of each practice session and note both scores. The end-of-session figure falling below the start is a sign of fatigue, not lost skill.
- Alternate the Words and Punctuation modes. Thirty seconds is short enough that a punctuation run does not become tiring, and long enough that the cost of each Shift press is visible.
- Once a week, compare the median of that week's runs with the week before. Medians move slowly; single runs do not mean much.
Other test lengths
Once you know your speed, the useful next step is finding out which keys are costing you time.
Turn the score into progress
A timed result is only useful if something changes afterwards.
- How to improve typing speedWhy speed plateaus, and the specific habits that raise a ceiling.
- WPM calculatorWork out words per minute from characters typed and time taken.
- Typing games16 free games that drill speed, accuracy and weak keys.
- Typing speed requirements for jobsWPM by country and role, and which certificates employers actually accept.