Fact · Typing and writing speed
40words per minute
A federal announcement for a GS-3 typist job makes 40 words per minute a selective factor, so candidates below it get no further consideration.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“SELECTIVE FACTOR: This position performs typist work, and the ability to type 40 words per minute is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.”
Federal job announcement 876004200 (GS-3 typist, USAJOBS), U.S. Office of Personnel Management, USAJOBS, n.d., Selective factor.
Open the original- What it measures
- The announcement lists the pay as GS-3, from $15.79 to $20.53 per hour. The typing test is part of the screening for this single job.
- What it does not show
- One agency posting. It shows how a 40 WPM requirement is written, not what every federal job requires.