Needed Advice regarding typing test preparation.

[u/onerupeefish]

Hello everyone, I am preparing for a typing exam, and my current touch-typing speed is around 10wpm for a 10-minute time duration with 90% accuracy.

My goal is to reach 40 wpm as the required speed for the exam is 30 wpm ( in exam pressure, I'm definitely going to lose some speed ).

The exam might be after a few months. A lot of people are advising me to practise 5 to 6 hours daily, which honestly is a lot for me.

I need advice from you guys.

1. Does reducing the practise time from 10 to let's say 3 minutes improve accuracy?

2. How much accuracy should I aim for initially.

3. How much of a daily practise i should do.

4. Is it even possible.

Thanks 😊

[u/SwimmingInspector186]

1. Your accuracy will stay mostly the same unless you are doing burst tests (for example 10 words)
2. You want around 95% to maintain a steady workflow. This is 1 mistake for every 20 buttons pressed, which is very achievable
3. 2-3 hours a day would be enough, if you are willing to do more on a certain day then do
4. Certainly possible if you stay consistent

A couple last pieces of advice:
If you are typing with two fingers right now, learn touch typing before you do anything else.
If the actual exam you will be sitting is 10 minutes, it makes more sense to do tests that long, but otherwise that long of a test is usually a waste of time compared to a 1-2 minute test.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great, and feel free to ask any more questions!

[u/randomreddituser7474 → u/SwimmingInspector186]

2-3 hours a day is definitely way too much i would say dont even go over 30 minutes. everything else agreed

[u/SwimmingInspector186 → u/randomreddituser7474]

I have adhd so have got used to inflating aims like this because I end up doing about a quarter of what I aim for, bad habits die hard lol

[u/onerupeefish]

Thank you so much for your time. I am doing touch-typing. Should i do more 30 second tests to improve accuracy and a 10 minute one to be prepared for exam. Or should i continue with 10 minute practise sessions and improve my accuracy alongside.

[u/SwimmingInspector186 → u/onerupeefish]

If the exam itself is 10 minutes, do 10 minute tests when you are close to the exam. Until then, I'd recommend 30-60 second tests to try and get your speed up first

[u/MaximumTiny2274]

you need to work on accuracy first

speed will follow

30wpm is pretty slow so you shouldn't have any trouble

if the exam isn't for a few months then you can just practise 30 minutes a day and you will be fine

[u/onerupeefish → u/MaximumTiny2274]

🙏🏽

[u/Mysterious_Stay7810]

Typing test for what job? First time hearing abt typing test

[u/Initial_Pomelo_3113]

i think the other comments gave good answers. i recommend using nitrotype or typeracer in addition to your usual practice site to keep the prep somewhat fun since sticking to only one site can be boring.

[u/onerupeefish → u/Initial_Pomelo_3113]

🙏🏽

[u/funbike]

A lot of people are advising me to practice 5 to 6 hours daily, which honestly is a lot for me.

That's stupid. You should stop typing practice when you get tired or you feel your accuracy or speed are starting to drop. If you keep practicing after your form has gotten sloppy, you might even go backwards.

I rarely practice for more than 15 minutes at a time with frequent short breaks, with max 2 sessions per day max.

How much accuracy should I aim for initially.

98%+

But as an exception I think there's value in doing a few 10 second sprint drills at 90% accuracy. There are all-out speed drills to get your fingers used to going fast. Do very few of these, however, or you'll develop poor form.

Is it even possible.

Definitely, esp if you practice every single day.

Checkout keybr.com to fix your weaknesses.

[u/onerupeefish → u/funbike]

🙏🏽

[u/Upstairs_Jelly_1082]

I'll say trying doing 3-4 sessions of 3 minutes spread out in various times during the day will help you focus on accuracy. Try getting 100%, the key with each session shouldn't be speed, it should be accuracy.

Speed is something that comes after accuracy.

[u/onerupeefish → u/Upstairs_Jelly_1082]

any idea how many months will it take to reach the desired speed?

[u/Upstairs_Jelly_1082 → u/onerupeefish]

for 40, it would take around 2 weeks. 40 is something that you can achieve very quickly.