WPM, short for words per minute, is a measure of your typing speed. It is typically used to gauge a person’s proficiency with a keyboard and their ability to quickly process information using the computer. Many jobs, particularly those that require heavy typing, include a test of your WPM in the hiring process to ensure that new hires can meet or exceed certain standards. Some people even boast about their WPM to their colleagues or use it as the basis for friendly office competitions.
In general, a higher WPM is better because it means you can type faster. However, there are a few things that need to be taken into account. Depending on the type of text you are typing, your WPM will be different. For example, if you are typing a very difficult, long-form piece of text, your WPM will be lower than if you were just typing a sentence or two.
Likewise, if you make mistakes when typing, your WPM will be lower than a clean, error-free text. A common way to calculate your typing speed is to divide the total number of characters you typed in a minute by 5. Each character or keystroke counts as one word, including white space. However, you also need to factor in the number of errors you made. To calculate net WPM, you subtract your gross WPM result from the number of errors you left in a minute (also known as your error rate).
For most office roles, an ideal typing speed is between 40 and 60 WPM. This allows workers to efficiently draft emails, documents, and reports in a timely manner. However, there are a few professions that may require an even higher speed, such as executive assistants and call center employees. wpm