Typing tests for government recruitment (SSC CGL, CHSL, High Court Clerk, Stenographer, and State PSCs) follow strict error calculation formulas. Knowing how your mistakes are penalized helps you strategize speed vs accuracy.
1. Full Mistake vs Half Mistake
In standard evaluation guidelines:
🔴 Full Mistakes (100% Penalty)
- Omission of words: Skipping a word or sentence present in the master passage.
- Substitution: Replacing the master text word with an incorrect word.
- Addition / Insertion: Typing words that do not exist in the original text.
- Spelling errors: Incorrect spelling of any word.
🟡 Half Mistakes (50% Penalty)
- Spacing errors: Leaving unnecessary spaces between words or characters.
- Punctuation errors: Omitting commas, full stops, or hyphens.
- Capitalization: Typing lowercase where an uppercase letter was required (e.g.
delhiinstead ofDelhi).
2. Standard Evaluation Table
| Exam Agency | Language | Required WPM | Max Error Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC CHSL / CGL | English | 35 WPM | 5% - 7% |
| SSC CHSL / CGL | Hindi | 30 WPM | 5% - 7% |
| High Court Clerk | English | 40 WPM | 3% - 5% |
| Steno Dictation | English/Hindi | 80 - 100 WPM | 5% |
3. Calculation Formula for Net Speed
$$\text{Gross Speed (WPM)} = \frac{\text{Total Key Depressions} / 5}{\text{Test Duration (Minutes)}}$$
$$\text{Net Speed (WPM)} = \text{Gross Speed} - \left(\frac{\text{Total Errors} \times \text{Penalty Factor}}{\text{Duration}}\right)$$
Prepare daily on TypingWire software to practice on realistic exam-simulated passages.