Free Typing Speed Test

A typing speed test measures how many words you can type per minute (WPM) and how accurately you type them. Our free typing speed test uses real healthcare documentation sentences, making it the perfect practice tool for anyone considering a career in medical transcription.

Whether you are testing your speed for the first time or practising to improve, this online typing test gives you instant results with your WPM, accuracy percentage and characters per minute (CPM).

What Is a Typing Speed Test?

A typing speed test is a timed exercise that measures how quickly and accurately you can type. You are shown a series of words or sentences and asked to type them within a set time. Your results are measured in words per minute (WPM), characters per minute (CPM) and accuracy percentage.

Our typing speed test uses real sentences from referral letters, discharge summaries, clinical notes and medical reports, so you are practising with the kind of text you would work with as a healthcare documentation specialist.

What Is a Good Typing Speed?

Your typing speed depends on your experience and how often you practise. Here is a guide to where different speeds sit.

When it comes to medical transcription, speed is only half the picture. The Australian healthcare system increasingly relies on accurate digital documentation, with the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) driving the national shift toward electronic health records. Medical transcriptionists need to type at least 60 WPM with 98% accuracy to produce reliable clinical documents such as specialist letters, discharge summaries and surgical reports.

How to Improve Your Typing Speed

Improving your typing speed takes consistent practice, but the gains come quickly once you build good habits. Follow these steps to get faster.

1. Practise for 15 to 20 minutes every day — Short, focused sessions build muscle memory faster than occasional long sessions. Use our typing speed test above or try our typing practice exercises to track your progress.
2. Focus on accuracy first — It is tempting to rush, but accuracy is more important than speed. Once your fingers learn the correct movements, speed follows naturally.
3. Learn touch typing — Touch typing means typing without looking at the keyboard. Place your fingers on the home row (A, S, D, F and J, K, L, ;) and train yourself to reach each key by feel.
4. Practise with medical terminology — If you are aiming for a career in healthcare documentation, practise typing clinical terms, medication names and anatomical vocabulary. Our typing test includes these words to help you build familiarity.
5. Take regular breaks — Typing fatigue leads to more mistakes. Step away from the keyboard every 30 minutes to stretch your hands and fingers.

Why Typing Speed Matters for Healthcare Careers

Fast, accurate typing is one of the core skills for a career in healthcare documentation. Medical transcriptionists listen to audio recordings from doctors and specialists and type them into clinical documents. The faster and more accurately you type, the more productive you are and the more you can earn.

In Australia, medical transcription is a growing field. Organisations like Ozescribe connect trained transcriptionists with hospitals and specialist practices across the country. Many medical transcriptionists work from home, choosing their own hours and building a flexible career around their lifestyle.

TalentMed’s 11288NAT Diploma of Healthcare Documentation is the first and only nationally recognised course in Australia that provides both medical typing and editing training. The course covers medical terminology, clinical document formatting, voice recognition editing and real-world transcription practice. You will have qualified trainers supporting you from enrolment through to completion.

If you are serious about turning your typing skills into a career, the Diploma is the next step.

Frequently Asked Questions