How do you get a typing speed certificate?

To get a typing speed certificate, start with the person who will read it. Find out which test, which length and which provider they accept. Then take that test under the conditions they name. A free online certificate is the quickest route, but it is only the right one when the employer accepts it. Some employers do not accept them, and others ask for a proctored test, meaning one watched by a proctor.

This page explains where certificates come from, what a certificate usually shows, and how to choose a route. For the scoring behind the number on any certificate, see the guide to how typing speed is measured.

Start with the employer or agency, because they set the rules

A certificate is only useful against a stated requirement. Requirements differ, and the person reading the certificate decides which one applies. Test length is one of the details that varies. The typing vendor TypeQuicker says many in-person certificate providers and public agencies use a five-minute test ¹. Its FAQ also says the test used depends on what the employer or agency accepts, so the five-minute test is a common default, not a rule.

Ask four questions before you start:

1. Which test or provider do you accept?
2. How long should the test be, and what minimum speed and accuracy do you require?
3. Must the test be proctored, meaning supervised in person or by an approved provider?
4. Which details must the certificate show?

The last question matters because the content is not the same everywhere. TypeQuicker's FAQ lists what employers commonly ask a certificate to show: the name, test date, test length, gross and net WPM, errors, accuracy, the testing organization and a proctor's signature ². Treat that list as a guide to what to check, and compare it with the posting or the agency's form.

A free certificate from a typing site is not proctored

An online certificate from a typing website records a test you took. It does not prove who was at the keyboard. The typingtest.me site says the free certificate it generates is not proctored and has no external verification link ³. Check the terms of any site you use, since the same limit may apply.

The same site warns that some employers may require a proctored or vendor-issued certificate, not a free self-generated one ⁴. Ratatype says a person gets its typing certificate by passing its typing test ⁵. That makes the certificate a record of one vendor's test, which suits some employers and not others.

So a free certificate is a reasonable first step for practice or for a profile. It is a risky choice when a job or agency has named a specific certificate.

Where proctored and official certificates come from

A proctored certificate comes from the provider that supervised the test, such as a school, a workforce center or the body that runs an exam. The exact route depends on the country and the job.

Some government and recruitment exams set a minimum typing speed as part of selection. A Delhi Development Authority recruitment notice requires English-medium candidates to reach a minimum typing speed of 35 words per minute ⁶. CBSE's typing test also sets its merit criterion at 35 words per minute for English ⁷. For an exam like these, take the test the exam body names rather than a free one.

Some professions set a typing standard inside a larger credential. The NCRA's skills test for court reporting requires 95 percent accuracy on each leg ⁸. That is a professional examination, not a free certificate, but it shows the level of accuracy an official route can demand.

For older UK typing qualifications, such as the RSA typing exams, we could not confirm from an official source whether they are still offered. Ask the employer whether they accept them, and check with the awarding body before you enroll.

What to do: a route that fits the requirement

1. Get the requirement in writing. Ask the employer or agency for the test, length, speed, accuracy and whether it must be proctored.
2. Practice on a free test first. Use the test length they named, so your practice score is a fair guide. The question on how words per minute is calculated explains how the score is worked out.
3. Choose a route that matches. If a free online certificate is acceptable, use one and keep the result. If the requirement says proctored, look for a local school, adult education center or workforce office that runs one.
4. Keep the details. Note the test date, length, gross and net scores, errors and accuracy, since employers commonly ask for them ².
5. Check the result before you send it. A certificate for the wrong test length may not be accepted, so compare it with the requirement one last time.

It depends on the job and the country

The right route depends on whether the job is clerical, professional or a government recruitment, and on the rules in your area. A data-entry role may accept an online result. A court or government post may need a proctored test from a named body.

If you are trying to show your speed for an application that does not mention a certificate, a practice result with its test details is often more useful than a certificate that nobody asked for. The question on what typing speed a job needs covers the speeds employers commonly set. For the rules behind any score, see the question on gross and net WPM.