60 WPM Typing Test — Reach 60 Words Per Minute Fast
60 words per minute is the widely accepted professional typing standard. It is the speed threshold that appears on most administrative job postings, the minimum for many data entry roles, and the benchmark government agencies and healthcare employers use when screening candidates. At 60 WPM you are in the top third of all adult typists. Here is a complete guide to what 60 WPM unlocks professionally, which careers require it, how to get there from 40 WPM in 4–8 weeks, and the specific drills that have the biggest impact on this particular speed jump.
Why 60 WPM Is the Professional Standard
The 60 WPM threshold became the professional baseline partly for historical reasons — early typewriter manuals classified typists above 60 WPM as "proficient" — and partly because it represents the natural breakpoint where typing stops being a bottleneck and starts matching the pace of thought during routine writing tasks. Below 60 WPM, most people find that they cannot keep up with normal speech for transcription, and they lose mental context while pausing to find keys. Above 60 WPM, the cognitive load of typing itself drops significantly.
For employers, 60 WPM is a practical filter. A data entry clerk at 40 WPM produces roughly 33% less output per hour than one at 60 WPM. Over a 40-hour work week, that gap compounds to hours of lost productivity. The 60 WPM requirement is, in most cases, a pure productivity calculation rather than an arbitrary gatekeeping measure.
Jobs That Require 60 WPM
The following roles commonly list 60 WPM as a minimum requirement in job postings. Many also specify an accuracy threshold (97–99%) — speed alone is not enough.
How Long Does It Take to Go From 40 to 60 WPM?
The 40-to-60 WPM range is one of the most frequently asked about intervals in typing improvement, and the answer is well-established: 4–8 weeks of deliberate practice for most people who already use correct touch-typing technique.
The word "deliberate" matters here. Sitting at a computer for 20 minutes typing random emails does not produce the same gains as structured drills that target your specific weaknesses. The typists who move from 40 to 60 WPM in 4 weeks are the ones doing focused bigram drills and speed bursting, not just "more typing."
For people who are still hunt-and-pecking at 40 WPM, the transition is longer — closer to 8–12 weeks — because you first need to rebuild your muscle memory for all 26 letters before the speed gains become smooth. The frustrating part is that you will feel slower for the first two weeks after switching to touch typing. Push through: virtually everyone who stays with it breaks back through their old speed by week three.
5 Specific Drills to Reach 60 WPM
- Bigram rolling: Identify the 20 most common English letter pairs (th, he, in, er, an, re, on, at, en, nd…). Drill them as two-finger rolls — both keys pressed in rapid sequence without a gap. This single exercise is responsible for more improvement between 40 and 60 WPM than any other technique.
- Top-row reach drills: At 40 WPM most typists hesitate on top-row letters (Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P). Type sentences composed almost entirely of top-row words: 'We were quite worried yet tried to write it out properly'. Repeat until these reaches feel automatic.
- Speed bursting: Type a 15-second sprint at 30% above your comfortable speed — making errors is fine. Then slow back down. Repeat 5–6 times per session. This trains your fingers to operate at a higher ceiling and makes your target speed feel relaxed by comparison.
- Accuracy-first 60-second tests: Complete ten 60-second tests in a row targeting 100% accuracy at a deliberately slow pace (30–35 WPM). Then push to 50 WPM with the same accuracy goal. The discipline of not correcting errors trains you to type correctly the first time, which is the real source of speed.
- Number row integration: If your target job involves data entry, add number row practice. Typing numbers quickly requires independent pinky and ring-finger reach that many 40 WPM typists have not developed. Ten minutes per day on number drills will add 3–5 WPM to your overall functional speed.
The Accuracy Trap at 60 WPM
One of the most common mistakes people make when chasing 60 WPM is focusing exclusively on raw speed and ignoring accuracy. On a standardized typing test for employment, each error typically costs you one word from your gross WPM. A typist who types 70 gross WPM with 10 errors scores only 60 net WPM — exactly at the threshold. A typist who types 63 gross WPM with zero errors also scores 63 net WPM and is actually the better candidate.
For job applications, accuracy at or above 97–98% is usually as important as the speed number. Practice tests that penalize errors heavily — or that require you to go back and fix mistakes before moving on — are better preparation for real employment tests than platforms that only show your gross WPM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 60 WPM a good typing speed?
Yes. 60 WPM is widely considered the professional baseline — it is the speed at which most employers stop asking about typing ability. It places you above roughly 65–70% of all adult typists. For context, the average untrained adult types at 40–44 WPM, so 60 WPM represents a meaningful edge in typing-heavy roles.
How long does it take to go from 40 to 60 WPM?
For most people, 4–8 weeks of deliberate daily practice (15–20 minutes a day). The key variable is technique: if you are already using correct touch-typing finger placement at 40 WPM, the jump to 60 is mainly about drills and repetition. If you are still hunt-and-pecking at 40, you will need to switch technique first, which adds 2–4 weeks.
What is the 60 WPM test typically like for jobs?
Most employer typing tests run for 3–5 minutes (not 60 seconds) on a passage of plain English prose. They measure net WPM — subtracting errors — and usually require at least 97–98% accuracy. Practice on longer tests, not just 60-second bursts, if you are preparing for a job application.
What jobs specifically require 60 WPM?
Administrative assistants, executive assistants, data entry clerks, paralegal positions, medical transcriptionists, court reporters (in training), journalists at professional outlets, and many government positions list 60 WPM as a minimum. Some customer support roles specify 55–60 WPM for live-chat positions.
What should I aim for after reaching 60 WPM?
80 WPM is a natural next goal — it places you in the top 10–15% of all typists and is the target speed for most senior administrative and data entry roles. The techniques to get from 60 to 80 focus on reducing same-hand consecutives and improving pinky-finger strength for letters like P, Q, A, and Z.
Are you at 60 WPM yet? Take the FastTypings test to find out — 60 seconds, instant WPM and accuracy score, no account required. Track your progress as you push from 40 to 60 and beyond.
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