How typing tests in Indian government recruitment work
Updated 11 October 2026
Clearing the written exam is only half the job for many clerical and data entry posts. You also need to pass a typing or data entry skill test. These tests are usually qualifying, which means you need to reach a minimum standard but extra speed does not add to your merit score. Knowing exactly how the test is measured helps you practise the right thing.
Important: the figures below are as given in SSC notices for CHSL in recent years. Recruiting bodies revise their rules, so always confirm against the current notice on ssc.gov.in or your recruiting body's website.
SSC CHSL: two kinds of skill test
1. Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) for Data Entry Operator posts
- SSC CHSL notices describe the required standard as a data entry speed of 8,000 key depressions per hour on a computer.
- The test is 15 minutes long. You are given an English passage of roughly 2,000 to 2,200 key depressions and must type it on the computer.
- Notices have set a higher standard (15,000 key depressions per hour) for DEO posts in the Comptroller and Auditor General's office, with a longer passage for the same 15 minutes.
- The speed is judged on the accuracy of what you type from the given passage, not just raw keystrokes.
2. Typing Test for LDC/JSA and similar posts
- You can choose English or Hindi medium; the choice is made in the application form.
- Required speed: 35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi.
- SSC states that 35 wpm and 30 wpm correspond to about 10,500 and 9,000 key depressions per hour, assuming an average of 5 key depressions per word.
- The test lasts 10 minutes.
SSC CGL also has skill tests for some posts, such as the DEST for Tax Assistant posts and a Computer Proficiency Test for certain others; the CGL notice gives the details.
What 8,000 KDPH in 15 minutes actually means
8,000 key depressions per hour is 8,000 ÷ 60 ≈ 133 key depressions per minute. Over 15 minutes that is 8,000 ÷ 4 = 2,000 key depressions, which is why the passage is about 2,000 to 2,200 strokes. In words, 133 keystrokes a minute is about 27 words per minute (at 5 keystrokes per word), but it must be accurate. Our guide on WPM and KDPH covers the arithmetic.
Worked example: the CHSL typing test
For English at 35 wpm for 10 minutes: 35 × 5 = 175 key depressions a minute, and 175 × 10 = 1,750 key depressions in the test. For Hindi at 30 wpm: 30 × 5 × 10 = 1,500 key depressions. If you can comfortably produce 2,000 correct strokes in 10 minutes in practice, you have a buffer for nerves and an unfamiliar keyboard on exam day.
| Test (as per SSC CHSL notices) | Duration | Standard | Approx. strokes needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEST (DEO) | 15 min | 8,000 KDPH | about 2,000 |
| Typing test, English | 10 min | 35 wpm (about 10,500 KDPH) | about 1,750 |
| Typing test, Hindi | 10 min | 30 wpm (about 9,000 KDPH) | about 1,500 |
How mistakes are treated
Speed alone does not pass you. Mistakes reduce your effective speed or can disqualify you if they exceed the permitted level. Many recruiting bodies classify errors as full mistakes (for example omitting or adding a word, or substituting a wrong word) and half mistakes (for example spacing, punctuation or capitalisation errors). SSC has published its own method of evaluating errors in its notices, and some notices have set different permissible error limits for different categories of candidates. Because these details change, read the evaluation section of your notice and practise with the same mindset: accuracy first.
Other rules worth knowing
- Keyboard and software: you type on the exam centre's computer. Practise on a normal desktop keyboard, not only on a laptop.
- Backspace: correcting mistakes is generally allowed in computer tests, but it costs time. Some typing exams elsewhere have disabled it, so check.
- Exemptions and extra time: notices specify exemptions or compensatory time for some categories of persons with disabilities.
- Medium: the Hindi or English option chosen in the form usually cannot be changed later.
State recruitment and court exams
State Staff Selection Boards, Public Service Commissions and High Courts each set their own rules. Differences you may find include the speed required (sometimes higher for steno-typist or court posts), test duration, whether Hindi must be typed in Kruti Dev, Remington or Inscript, whether the test is on a computer or typewriter, and how errors are counted. Read the specific notice; see also Inscript vs Remington.
Practise realistically
- Time yourself for exactly 10 or 15 minutes, not 1 minute. Speed drops over longer tests.
- Type from printed or on-screen passages like those used in exams.
- Track both speed and accuracy on our typing test and Hindi typing test.
Questions people ask
- What is the typing speed required for SSC CHSL?
- As per SSC CHSL notices, 35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi for the typing test, which SSC equates to about 10,500 and 9,000 key depressions per hour. Confirm in the current notice.
- What is the DEST in SSC?
- The Data Entry Skill Test is a 15-minute computer test for Data Entry Operator posts. CHSL notices require a speed of 8,000 key depressions per hour, with a passage of roughly 2,000 to 2,200 key depressions.
- Is the SSC typing test qualifying?
- Yes, the skill tests are qualifying in nature. You must reach the standard, but they do not add marks to your merit score.
- How long is the SSC CHSL typing test?
- The typing test for LDC/JSA posts is 10 minutes and the DEST is 15 minutes, as per recent CHSL notices.
- What are full and half mistakes in a typing test?
- Many recruiting bodies treat word omissions, additions and wrong words as full mistakes, and spacing, punctuation or capitalisation errors as half mistakes. The exact rules are in your notice.