2-minute typing test

Why two minutes

In one minute, a good start or a single stumble can move your score by several words per minute. Over two minutes those swings even out, so the number you get is closer to your real everyday speed. It is still short enough to take three times in a practice session and compare.

Many schools and some employers use two-minute checks for exactly this reason. If you are preparing for a longer test, alternate between this page and the 5-minute test.

How the score is calculated

A "word" is five characters, spaces and punctuation included. Net WPM is your gross speed minus one word per minute for every error you leave uncorrected, and accuracy is the share of all your keystrokes that were right, including mistakes you fixed. The timer starts on your first key. Read the full formulas.

Making the most of it

• Settle into a pace you can hold for the whole two minutes instead of sprinting the first thirty seconds.
• Look at the speed chart after the test: a line that sags in the second minute means you started too fast.
• Use the "Practise my weak keys" button after each test; five minutes on your own weak keys is worth more than five more random tests.