Typing test
SSC CGL Data Entry Speed Test (DEST)
Official notice ↗- Time
- 15 min
- To pass
- 2,000 key depressions
- Mistakes
- Up to 20% (UR)
- Backspace
- Allowed
All rules for this test
- The test lasts 15 minutes. The timer starts when the test screen opens.
- Backspace, Delete and the arrow keys work, so you can correct mistakes.
- Typing stops at the last word of the passage: the space bar does nothing after it.
- Start each paragraph with one press of the Tab key, not spaces.
- To pass: about 2,000 key depressions (8,000 per hour) with errors within your category's limit: UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 30%.
- In this tool, wrong, missing, extra or incomplete words are full mistakes; capital letters, punctuation, spacing and swapped words are half mistakes.
- Paste, copy, right-click and spell-check are switched off. The test submits itself at 00:00.
- About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes (8,000 per hour).
- Maximum errors (¶16.2): UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, others 30%. Some posts, such as Tax Assistant, have a higher cut-off.
- The notice does not state the language; English is assumed.
- Error % is taken over the words in the passage, and words not typed count as omissions (assumed: SSC caps typing at the passage length; no notice states the base).
- Key depressions are counted as the characters of your final text, including spaces.
Source: SSC CGL 2026 notice, ¶13.9.10 and ¶16.2. Checked 2026-10-11.
Or pick a passage 0 passages
Settings this practice test applies
| Rule | SSC CGL DEST |
|---|---|
| Test time | 15 min; 20 min with scribe |
| Speed needed | 8,000 key depressions/hour (2,000 in the test) |
| Mistake rule | Error % = (full + half ÷ 2) ÷ passage words; limits UR 20%, OBC/EWS 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 30% |
| Backspace and arrows | Enabled in this tool |
| Passage end | Space bar stops at the last word |
| Practice passage length | 2,000–2,200 key depressions |
| Source | SSC CGL 2026 notice, ¶13.9.10 and ¶16.2. Checked 2026-10-11. |
SSC CGL typing test at a glance
- Duration: 15 minutes (20 minutes with a scribe).
- Speed required: about 2,000 key depressions, which is 8,000 per hour.
- Maximum errors: 20% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 30% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.
- Nature: mandatory for all posts and qualifying only (2026 notice, paragraph 13.9.10).
- Editing: Backspace and arrow keys allowed; the space bar stops at the passage's last word.
How the SSC CGL typing test is scored
- Speed: key depressions are the characters you type, including spaces. You need about 2,000 in 15 minutes.
- Mistakes = full mistakes + half mistakes ÷ 2.
- Error % = mistakes ÷ words in the passage × 100, to two decimal places.
- Qualify when the error % is within the limit for your category.
Worked example
A 340-word DEST passage of 2,080 key depressions typed in full, with 40 full and 30 half mistakes. Mistakes = 40 + 15 = 55. Error % = 55 ÷ 340 × 100 = 16.18%, within the 20% limit for unreserved candidates. A candidate who stops 60 words short has those 60 words counted as omissions: 115 ÷ 340 = 33.82%, over the limit for every category.
After every attempt the result screen prints this arithmetic with your own numbers, shows whether you would qualify for your category, and marks each mistake on the passage.
SSC CGL typing speed in words per minute
SSC measures speed in key depressions rather than words, because a passage full of figures such as 1,21,48,350 or abbreviations such as GST and UPI takes far more keystrokes per word than ordinary prose. Taking five key depressions as one word, 2,000 in 15 minutes is about 27 words per minute. In practice, aim for 32 to 35 words per minute on data-heavy text so that you finish with two or three minutes to spare.
Why finishing the passage matters most
Because the error percentage is taken over the whole passage, every word you do not reach is an omission. The CGL limits look generous, but an unfinished passage uses them up quickly: stopping 15% short already costs an unreserved candidate most of the 20% allowance before a single typing slip is counted.
What DEST passages look like
DEST passages read like a government report or press note: dates, figures in Indian number format, percentages, amounts in rupees and abbreviations such as GDP, RBI or UPI. Numbers and capitals slow most typists down, so the practice paragraphs below are written in the same style, with three paragraphs each that you start with the Tab key.
Full and half mistakes
Following SSC's evaluation guidelines of June 2022, omitted, added, wrong, misspelt and incomplete words are full mistakes. Spacing, capitalisation, punctuation, swapped words and paragraphs indented with spaces instead of Tab are half mistakes. Two words typed without a space between them count as one half mistake, not two wrong words.
How to prepare for the SSC CGL typing test
- Practise the number row. Figures, dates and percentages are where DEST mistakes cluster.
- Take one full 15-minute attempt in exam mode each day and note your error percentage, not just your speed.
- Aim to finish the passage in 12 to 13 minutes so there is time left for a final check.
- Once you pass the CGL limits comfortably, try the stricter SSC CHSL DEO test.
SSC CGL DEST and CHSL DEO Part B practice paragraphs
10 original passages written in the exam's register, each checked for length so it can be scored fairly. Pick any of them in the test above; your best result on each is saved in your browser.
- State Budget Allocation Note hard, 2,077 key depressions (334 words)
- District Household Survey Findings hard, 2,103 key depressions (349 words)
- Railway Zone Performance Review hard, 2,068 key depressions (334 words)
- Kharif Crop Production Estimates hard, 2,095 key depressions (350 words)
- Earth Observation Satellite Launch hard, 2,088 key depressions (342 words)
- Regional Digital Payments Report hard, 2,056 key depressions (332 words)
- Health Assurance Scheme Update hard, 2,072 key depressions (335 words)
- Quarterly Merchandise Export Trends hard, 2,069 key depressions (351 words)
- School Enrolment and Infrastructure Data hard, 2,090 key depressions (347 words)
- Election Logistics Planning Note hard, 2,104 key depressions (343 words)
Frequently asked questions
What is the SSC CGL typing test?
It is the Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) in SSC CGL. The 2026 notice (paragraph 13.9.10) describes typing about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes on a computer, which is 8,000 key depressions per hour. It is a qualifying test: its marks are not added to your merit score.
Is the SSC CGL typing test compulsory?
The 2026 notice makes the DEST mandatory for all posts and qualifying in nature. Check the notice for your own cycle, because the list of posts and exemptions can change.
What typing speed is required for SSC CGL?
About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes. At SSC's five key depressions per word that is roughly 27 words per minute, but the real requirement is finishing the passage with your errors inside the limit for your category.
How many words are in the SSC CGL typing test passage?
SSC fixes the passage by key depressions, not words: about 2,000, which counts every letter, number, punctuation mark and space. Data-heavy passages full of figures usually come to 330 to 400 actual words. The practice passages here are 2,000 to 2,200 key depressions.
How many errors are allowed in SSC CGL DEST?
Paragraph 16.2 of the 2026 notice sets the maximum errors at 20% for unreserved candidates, 25% for OBC and EWS candidates, and 30% for other categories. Some posts, such as Tax Assistant, have a higher cut-off.
How is the error percentage calculated?
Error % = (full mistakes + half mistakes ÷ 2) ÷ words in the passage × 100. Words you do not reach count as omitted. The notice does not state whether the base is passage words or words typed; this tool uses passage words.
How long is the SSC CGL typing test?
15 minutes, or 20 minutes for candidates allowed a scribe.
Is Backspace allowed in the SSC CGL typing test?
SSC skill test notices from 2021 and 2022 allowed Backspace and the arrow keys, so they work in this test. Each correction costs time you may need to finish the passage.
Is the SSC CGL typing test in English or Hindi?
The 2026 notice does not state the language. This tool assumes English, as in previous cycles.
Are the CGL error limits the same as CHSL?
No. The 20%, 25% and 30% limits are for CGL DEST only. The CHSL typing and DEO tests have much stricter limits, so do not apply CGL figures to CHSL.
Typing tests for other exams
- 10-minute typing test (all exams) — Free practice and every exam profile in one place.
- SSC typing test — CHSL LDC/JSA, CHSL DEO and CGL DEST in one place, under SSC rules.
- RRB NTPC typing test — English practice with a 10-minute timer and net-speed feedback.
- SSC CHSL typing test — LDC/JSA at 35 wpm, and the DEO data entry test (Parts A and B).