Improving typing skills can reduce mistakes, increase efficiency, and improve job prospects. Start by determining words per minute (WPM) and accuracy. Online tests can help. Typing exercises can be found online or through software programs. Practice proper finger placement and avoid looking at your hands. Start with basic exercises and progress to more difficult ones. Patience and persistence will lead to good results.
Improving your typing skills can help you make fewer mistakes, improve your efficiency at work, and even open up your job prospects. It will take some effort, but once you practice a few typing exercises regularly, typing quickly will become second nature. The first place to start is to determine your words per minute (WPM) and accuracy.
There are a number of online typing tests that will determine your WPM. Standards vary, but most statistics say that an average typist will type between 50 and 60 words per minute, while an expert typist will type between 80 and 95 words per minute. Some exceptional typists can type at 120 WPM. Some job applications will specify a number of words per minute that they want their applicants to be able to do.
These typing tests will also measure accuracy: how many mistakes you make, how many types you have to go back, etc. Accuracy above 90% is a good goal to achieve. Two-finger typists, also known as “hunt and peck” typists, generally cannot reach speeds above 35 WPM, so it is best to practice typing exercises using proper finger placement. It might be harder in the beginning, but it will definitely pay off in the end.
Once you’ve determined your WPM and accuracy, you can start finding typing exercises. Searching online reveals a number of free typing exercises. Some will even let you track your progress and see where you need improvement. There are also typing software programs available for purchase. These include more features, such as typing lessons and tutorials, tests and games.
A general tip when trying to improve your typing skills is not to look at your hands. You might also choose to tape a piece of paper to your hands. This too will make things a lot more difficult initially, but you’ll quickly learn the location of the keys and be able to look at the screen more often to catch mistakes rather than relying on staring at the keyboard.
Typing exercises generally start with the basics and get more difficult as the lessons progress, similar to learning any new skill. You might first learn the location of the frets on the “home row,” where your fingers will naturally return to rest. Once you’ve mastered those keys, you’ll learn the other rows and eventually numbers and the keyboard. Patience and persistence with your typing exercises will lead to good results.
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