More and more exams are typed. English tests like IELTS on computer, TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic; professional exams like ACCA's computer-based exams and the CFA; admissions tests like the GMAT and GRE; and school exams such as Finland's fully digital Matriculation Examination and many NCEA exams in New Zealand.
Why typing affects your marks
In a handwritten exam, everyone writes at roughly similar speeds. In a typed exam the range is wider: a student typing 30 words per minute and one typing 60 have very different amounts of time to think. Slow or error-prone typing also pulls attention away from the answer, toward the keyboard.
Accuracy first, then speed
Speed built on errors doesn't last. Train accuracy first, then let speed rise. Aim to type without looking at the keys; once that's automatic, speed follows with practice.
Practise on your own subject
Generic typing tests use common words. Exams use subject vocabulary: technical terms, names, formulas written out. Practising on your own material builds speed on the words you'll actually type, and revises the content at the same time.
- Type each lesson once in Copy mode for accuracy.
- Do the recall pass, as the exam won't show you the key terms.
- Type model answers to long questions against a timer.
- Track your words per minute and accuracy as they improve.
Type to Study records your speed and accuracy for every lesson, so you can see your progress across a whole course.