How long does it take to increase typing speed to 35 WPM?

It depends on your starting point, but with 30 to 45 minutes of daily practice many people go from the low 20s to the mid 30s in about four weeks.

Should I focus on speed or accuracy?

Accuracy first. Government typing tests judge speed on correct text, so accurate typing at a slightly lower speed beats fast typing with many errors.

What is the home row?

It is the resting position for your fingers: A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right. The bumps on F and J help you find it without looking.

How can I improve Hindi typing speed?

Stick to one layout, learn its home row, drill matras and half letters, and practise exam-style passages daily for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Is it okay to look at the keyboard while typing?

It slows you down. Learning to touch type feels slower for a week or two, but quickly overtakes looking at the keys.

How to improve your typing speed for government exams

Updated 11 October 2026

English typing test →

Most candidates who fail a typing test do not lack speed; they lack consistent, accurate speed over 10 or 15 minutes. The good news is that typing is a motor skill, and steady daily practice improves it predictably. This guide gives you a realistic plan for English and Hindi.

Step zero: measure where you are

Take a 10-minute test on our typing test (or Hindi typing test) and note three numbers: gross WPM, accuracy and KDPH. A 1-minute test flatters you; exams are 10 to 15 minutes. If you are not sure what these mean, read WPM and KDPH explained.

Posture and setup

Sit upright with feet flat on the floor and forearms roughly parallel to the floor.
Keep the screen at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away.
Wrists should float or rest lightly; do not bend them sharply upwards.
Practise on a full-size desktop keyboard if possible. Exam centres use desktops, and laptop keyboards feel different.

Learn the home row and stop looking down

Touch typing means each finger owns certain keys and returns to a resting position, the home row. On an English keyboard, left fingers rest on A S D F and right fingers on J K L ;. The small bumps on F and J let you find the position without looking. Thumbs handle the space bar.

Looking at the keyboard is the biggest speed limit. It feels slower at first to stop, but within one to two weeks you will overtake your old "hunt and peck" speed.

The 4-week plan

Aim for 30 to 45 minutes a day, ideally in two sessions. Short daily practice beats one long session a week.

Week	Focus	Daily routine	Target
1	Finger placement and accuracy	15 min home row and top/bottom row drills, slowly; 10 min easy words; never look down	95%+ accuracy, speed does not matter yet
2	Common words and rhythm	10 min drills; 15 min common-word practice; one 5-minute timed passage	Steady rhythm, 96%+ accuracy
3	Exam-style passages	10 min warm-up; one 10-minute passage; review every mistake and retype those words 5 times	Close to your exam's required WPM
4	Stamina and exam simulation	One full-length timed test (10 or 15 min) daily, under exam conditions; light drills on weak keys	Required speed plus 10 to 15% margin, 97%+ accuracy

Worked example

Ravi starts at 22 WPM with 91% accuracy, using six fingers and looking down. In week 1 his speed drops to 16 WPM while he learns proper fingering, but accuracy rises to 96%. By the end of week 2 he is at 24 WPM, 97%. Week 3: 30 WPM. Week 4: 36 to 38 WPM over 10 minutes at 97 to 98%. That clears the 35 WPM English standard given in SSC CHSL notices with a small buffer. Progress varies from person to person, but the dip-then-climb pattern is normal; do not panic in week 1.

Practice techniques that work

Accuracy first. Slow down until you make almost no mistakes, then push speed slightly. Errors practised are errors learned.
Fix weak keys. Note which letters you miss most and drill words containing them.
Read ahead. Keep your eyes a word or two ahead of your fingers.
Do not over-use Backspace. In timed tests, constant correcting kills speed. Practise typing through and correcting only when needed, according to your exam's rules.
Use real passages. Practise with paragraphs like those in exams: formal English or Hindi with numbers and punctuation.

Hindi-specific tips

Pick one layout and stick to it. Inscript and Remington put letters on different keys. See Inscript vs Remington.
Learn your home row. On Inscript, the home row keys (A to ;) give ो े ् ि ु प र क त च. On Remington (Kruti Dev style), the same keys give ं े क ि ह ी र ा स य.
Master matras and halant. Most Hindi errors are in matras (ि vs ी, े vs ै) and half letters. Drill words like कि, की, स्थिति, प्रश्न.
Watch the order. In Inscript, type the consonant first and the matra after, including ि. In Remington, ि comes before the consonant.
Practise Shift letters like ख, घ, थ, ध, भ, which need Shift on Inscript.
Expect lower WPM. Hindi needs more keystrokes per visible word; this is reflected in the lower required speed (30 WPM in SSC CHSL notices).

The week before the exam

Do one full-length test daily at the same time of day as your exam slot.
Do not change keyboards, layouts or methods now.
Sleep properly; fatigue hits accuracy first.
Re-read the skill test rules in your notice; see typing test rules.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to increase typing speed to 35 WPM?: It depends on your starting point, but with 30 to 45 minutes of daily practice many people go from the low 20s to the mid 30s in about four weeks.
Should I focus on speed or accuracy?: Accuracy first. Government typing tests judge speed on correct text, so accurate typing at a slightly lower speed beats fast typing with many errors.
What is the home row?: It is the resting position for your fingers: A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right. The bumps on F and J help you find it without looking.
How can I improve Hindi typing speed?: Stick to one layout, learn its home row, drill matras and half letters, and practise exam-style passages daily for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
Is it okay to look at the keyboard while typing?: It slows you down. Learning to touch type feels slower for a week or two, but quickly overtakes looking at the keys.