Every typing test runs the same handful of calculations. Understanding them makes your results far more useful than a bare score.
The inputs
A test records four things while you type:
- Total characters typed, including spaces
- Correct characters — those matching the target text
- Incorrect characters — mismatches
- Elapsed time in seconds
The formulas
Raw (gross) WPM
raw WPM = (total characters ÷ 5) ÷ (seconds ÷ 60)
Net WPM
net WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ (seconds ÷ 60)
Accuracy
accuracy = correct characters ÷ total characters × 100
Consistency compares your speed sample by sample. A test that records WPM every second can compute the variation across those samples; low variation means a steady rhythm, which usually predicts better long-test results.
A worked example
You type for 2 minutes and produce 640 characters, of which 620 are correct.
- raw WPM = (640 ÷ 5) ÷ 2 = 64
- net WPM = (620 ÷ 5) ÷ 2 = 62
- accuracy = 620 ÷ 640 × 100 = 96.9%
The two-WPM gap between raw and net is small, which tells you speed is the lever to work on next. If the gap were ten, accuracy would be the priority.
Why your score drops on longer tests
A one-minute test captures your peak. A ten-minute test captures your sustainable pace, which is normally 5–10% lower. Since most exam skill tests run for ten to fifteen minutes, train at the duration you will be assessed on.
Reading your own numbers
- High raw, low net — you are fast but error-prone; slow down 10%.
- Raw and net close, both low — technique is clean; build speed with drills.
- Accuracy falls in the last third — an endurance problem, not a skill problem.
- Consistency low but accuracy fine — you are typing in bursts; work on rhythm.