Practice with a test
A typing test gives you something most practice lacks: a number at the end. That number tells you whether the last ten minutes helped. The plan below uses the test on this page and nothing else.
The 10 minute daily plan
| Minutes | What to do | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | One easy run | Warm up and ignore the score |
| 3 to 6 | Two or three slow runs | Accuracy as close to 100 percent as you can get |
| 7 to 9 | Two runs at normal pace | Hold the accuracy and let the speed rise |
| 10 | One last run | Count this one as the result for the day |
Why accuracy comes first
The score is WPM multiplied by accuracy, so every wrong key costs you twice: once in the accuracy figure and once in the time it takes to fix. There is a second reason. Whatever you repeat, you learn. Practice fast and sloppy, and you train your fingers to hit wrong keys quickly.
In the slow runs, type at a pace where red highlights are rare. It will feel too easy, and that is the point. Clean repetitions teach each finger where its keys are, and speed follows without being forced.
What to work on in each run
Give each run one focus, and change it from day to day.
- Eyes on the screen. Do not look down. If you have to look, your fingers do not know that key yet, so slow down for it.
- Home row. Rest your fingers on A S D F and J K L ; and come back there after every reach.
- One word ahead. Read the next word while you finish the current one.
- Even rhythm. Aim for keystrokes at a steady beat instead of fast bursts with pauses between them.
Track the average
A single good run can be luck: an easy passage or a moment of sharp focus. The average of your recent runs is the figure to trust. Your results are saved in this browser and listed in the Your scores panel, and the dashboard shows them next to your other tests.
Progress is uneven, and flat weeks are normal.
Once the plan feels comfortable, swap one of the normal-pace runs for the 1 minute typing test to work on stamina. You can also use the word typing test to drill common words without capitals or punctuation.