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How to improve your typing speed: a practical 30-day plan
There is no trick that makes anyone type fast overnight. What works is a simple routine, repeated daily, that builds accuracy first and speed second. Results vary from person to person, but this order is reliable.
Week 1: posture, home row and accuracy
Sit upright with your wrists relaxed and your screen at eye level. Place your fingers on the home row: A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right. Practise slowly and look at the screen, not at the keys. Your goal this week is accuracy: fewer than two mistakes per hundred words.
Week 2: all the rows and a steady rhythm
Learn the top and bottom rows one at a time and let each finger own its keys. Type to an even rhythm instead of bursts of speed. A steady rhythm at a modest pace beats fast typing with frequent corrections.
Week 3: fix your repeat mistakes
Most typists make the same few mistakes again and again. Keep a list of the words you miss and drill only those words for ten minutes a day. This is usually the quickest source of improvement because it targets exactly what slows you down.
Week 4: timed tests like the real thing
Take two or three full timed tests a week using office-style passages with dates, numbers and punctuation. Practise with the same duration as your exam, and track your net speed and accuracy together. If speed rises while accuracy falls, slow down a little.
Habits that help
- Short sessions every day beat one long session a week.
- Rest your eyes and hands every 25 to 30 minutes.
- Do not stop to fix a mistake during a timed test: keep your rhythm.
- Practise on the keyboard type you will use in the exam if you can.
TypingNonStop has exam passages with the pass marks of real government and office jobs, net WPM, weak-word drills, lessons and games.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to type faster?
It differs for everyone. Daily focused practice for a few weeks usually produces a visible improvement, especially in accuracy.
Should I look at the keyboard?
No. Learn the key positions and keep your eyes on the text.
Is accuracy or speed more important?
Accuracy first. Speed follows once errors are rare.