5-minute typing test
Five minutes of passages. A fair measure of the speed you can keep up, not just reach.
- Esc new text
- Timer starts on your first key
- Switching tabs pauses the test
What five minutes tells you
Over five minutes, small habits add up. Hesitating on the same key pair, looking down at the keyboard or rushing and then correcting all show clearly in a longer test. Your result splits the test into thirds so you can see whether your speed and accuracy held up from start to finish.
How the score is calculated
TypingSpark counts a "word" as five characters, including spaces and punctuation. That is the convention used by typing tests and employers, and it makes results comparable however long the actual words are.
- Gross WPM is every character in your final text divided by five, per minute.
- Net WPM takes gross WPM and subtracts one word per minute for each error you left uncorrected. This is the number most employers ask for.
- Accuracy is the share of your keystrokes that were correct, including mistakes you later fixed.
The timer starts on your first keystroke, not when the page loads, and pauses if you switch tabs. Read the full formulas.
Pacing yourself
The best long-test results come from an even pace. Start at a speed that feels slightly easy, read one or two words ahead of where you are typing, and keep your hands relaxed. If your error rate rises in the last third, take a short break between tests and check your posture: feet flat, shoulders down, wrists level.
Questions
Why is my 5-minute speed lower than my 1-minute speed?
That is normal. Short tests reward bursts; longer tests show the pace you can sustain. A gap of a few words per minute is typical.
How do I stop slowing down at the end?
Practise longer tests regularly and start slightly slower. An even rhythm uses less effort than fast bursts followed by corrections.