Working from 20 WPM towards 40 WPM
A 20 WPM result is a starting measurement. To work towards 40, find out how much of the attempt went into locating keys, correcting text or finding your place. The score alone cannot tell you how long that work will take.
Published 26 August 2026 · Updated 23 September 2026
First, make the two scores comparable
Use the same language, layout, duration and scoring model. A 20 WPM result on a punctuated passage and a 40 WPM result on a short familiar word list measure different attempts.
Record the date, passage, gross speed, net speed and mistakes. Keep several results, including ordinary attempts. Your fastest result alone is a poor description of what you can repeat.
Find what interrupts your typing
If you pause to find keys, use the relevant keyboard lesson. If you know the keys but repeatedly mistype a combination, practise that combination slowly and then put it back into a sentence. If you lose your place, practise reading and copying one phrase at a time.
After that focused work, try another unfamiliar passage. Look for fewer occurrences of the mistake you were working on before deciding whether to add pace.
When the number stops moving
Check whether the passage or settings changed. Then compare the mistakes: your speed may be similar while your typing becomes cleaner, or your gross speed may rise while deductions erase the gain. The scoring examples help separate these cases, and the speed improvement guide shows how to pick the right drill.
Use 40 WPM as a personal practice target if it suits you. For recruitment, use the speed and error conditions in your own notice; reaching 40 does not by itself establish a pass.
A log you can actually use
Keep a row for each comparable attempt: date, passage, duration, layout, gross WPM, net WPM and one observed problem. Beside it, write the next exercise and check that same problem in the following attempt. If the note says missed capitals
every time, change the exercise instead of adding another unchanged row. Mark repeated passages so a memorised text does not quietly become your progress test.
For example, “20 net WPM; paused on capitals” suggests a different next exercise from “20 net WPM; typed quickly but omitted a line”. These are illustrative notes, not learner outcomes. After focused practice, use a new passage and inspect that same problem. You may have a useful improvement to record even before the rounded WPM number changes.
A log you can fill in
Doubling a score is not one problem, and the log is what tells you which one you are on. Keep a row per comparable attempt. Two rows are shown filled in as examples:
Scroll the table to read all columns.
| Date | Passage | Duration / layout | Gross | Net | What went wrong | Next exercise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep | Unseen, office text | 10 min / QWERTY | 24 | 20 | Paused before every capital | Ten sentences starting with names |
| 14 Sep | Unseen, office text | 10 min / QWERTY | 25 | 23 | Capitals clean, dropped two short words | Copy phrases containing "of the" and "is on the" |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Two things make a log useless. Recording only your best attempt, which describes a session you cannot repeat; and writing the same problem in the "what went wrong" column three times running, which means the exercise beside it is not working and needs changing rather than repeating. Mark any repeated passage, so a text you have half memorised does not quietly become your progress test.
What moves between 20 and 40
The work changes as the number rises, and the exercise that got you out of the twenties is not the one that gets you past thirty-five.
Scroll the table to read all columns.
| Where you are | What is usually costing the time | What to practise |
|---|---|---|
| Around 20 net WPM | Finding keys. Much of the attempt goes on locating positions rather than typing | Keyboard lessons by key group, untimed, until you stop searching |
| Mid twenties | Mistakes, not speed. Gross and net are far apart | The specific recurring error, drilled in a word and then in a sentence |
| Around 30 | Losing your place, and pace you cannot hold for the full duration | Full-length attempts at your exam duration, copying one phrase at a time |
| Mid thirties towards 40 | Punctuation, numbers, capitals and unfamiliar names | Unseen text with dates, figures and proper nouns in it |
Do not use 40 as a pass mark unless your notice says so. Several exams qualify at 30 or 35, some check a separate error condition that a fast attempt can still fail, and the requirement for each profile is the number that matters.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to go from 20 WPM to 40 WPM?
With consistent daily practice (20-30 minutes), most learners can realistically reach 40 WPM in 8-12 weeks — the exact timeline depends heavily on your starting technique and practice consistency.
Why does typing speed improvement slow down over time?
Early gains come from fixing big inefficiencies like looking at the keyboard. Later gains come from fine-tuning muscle memory, which naturally improves more slowly and requires more consistent practice per WPM gained.
Is 40 WPM a good typing speed for government exams?
Yes — 40 WPM clears the speed requirement for most government exams on this site, including SSC CHSL, DSSSB LDC, and several court and police typing tests.