Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Typing speed impacts performance whether you’re a blogger or writing for content mills. The faster you are, the more you can get done. But, you also have to deliver accuracy. This is where using a typing test can be of great benefit.
Today, I’ll take a look at TypingTest.com to see if it’s worth the time and effort to hone your skills.
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What is TypingTest.com?
TypingTest.com is a site dedicated to honing your keyboard skills. There are a lot of ways you can use the site to practice while getting a fairly accurate portrayal of your overall typing abilities.
You can choose between a traditional typing test, or explore the different games the developer, Typing Master, Inc., has included.
The best part is that you don’t need to sign up for an account or log into the system to take a test.
What Can You Expect with TypingTest.com?
This is one of those sites I wish I utilized back when I started freelance writing. Not that I felt I was too slow, but because I am a fan of keeping in practice during downtime.
At any rate, the site is packed full of different activities and features that may be of use to you.
Free Tests Available
From what I can gather, everything on TypingTest.com is free to use. Well, except the “Typing for Recruiters” area that I’ll go into in a moment.
I was able to take a variety of different tests without creating an account. Simply choose what you want to do and start typing.
As the site does seem to center around advertising for income, I am guessing this is how the developer can keep everything free. With enough traffic, ads and affiliates can easily cover expenses for the development of a typing test site.
Gamifying Typing Tests
I’m a big fan of gamification. It’s the process in which you turn a normally mundane chore into something fun. This boosts morale, productivity, and keeps people engaged. And TypingTest.com provides quite a bit of this aspect.
From the competitive TypeRush site to a myriad of titles under TypingGames.zone, there is a lot to explore for entertainment while practicing your skills.
In fact, I might just spend a bit of time in TypeRush. Essentially, it’s a free competitive game where you pit your skills against others on the road or in a boat. There are even leagues and leader boards!
I wonder if anyone would watch those during a live stream on Twitch?
Free Typing Lessons
I come across a lot of potential freelance writers who often do the hunt-and-peck thing on a keyboard. In reality, this isn’t very conducive to being productive and making money as a writer.
TypingTest.com has a long list of free courses you can take right now to help develop those skills. Everything from touch typing to the 10-key number pad is available on the site.
These lessons come with activities, videos, and reports to show you how well you progress. And, it does all this in quite a visually pleasing aesthetic.
TypeTastic for School Students
Now, most of my readers are most likely out of school and looking to make a full-time income as a writer or blogger. However, I simply like the idea of a free typing test and platform for students of all ages.
With over 700 free activities, students can dive in and start immediately. From kindergarten throughout high school, students can improve over time.
You also have access to TypeTastic School Edition for educators.
Custom Online Typing Test for Recruiters
I remember taking many a typing test from recruitment offices when looking for work. In fact, I think I’ve taken more than 20 across the many temp services I’ve signed up with over the years.
None of them were online, though. That’s how old I am.
At any rate, TypingTest.com has a recruiter plan where you can customize the test for potential job applicants. The Typing Test Pro platform lets you set up the test duration, provides performance reports, and keeps track of all testers.
This service isn’t free, and the base startup is around $50 per month. But for a recruitment office or other freelance writing business owner, this is probably a good investment.
Tricky Keys to Analyze Usage per Letter
One test I found to be a bit intriguing was the “Tricky Keys” analyzer. Essentially, you take a typing test, but the system keeps track of any mistakes you make based on specific keys.
Apparently, I have an issue when it comes to typing out, “b.”
Anyway, this shows you specific keystrokes you need to work on to improve your overall skill. Then, you can take tests focused on those letters you missed during the Tricky Keys analysis.
Tests Don’t Count Fixing Errors as You Go
The only real negative aspect I could find in TypingTest.com is how it runs its tests. Back in the day, any time you missed a keystroke, a typing test would prevent fixing. This meant you needed to just keep going and the error is counted against you.
Nowadays, systems will let you fix the error to reach a 100% accuracy rating. And I suppose in today’s backspace, autocorrect world, this is more realistic of someone’s typing abilities.
I mean, you’re still docked time since it takes a fraction of a second to hit backspace to fix an error. And if you make a lot of errors, this will reflect on your overall time.
But, this is probably just nit-picking. In fact, I really don’t see it as a negative. As an editor, I’m just thrilled when my writers turn in work that I don’t have to correct.
Why is Improving Typing Speed Important?
Whether you’re a freelance writer or blogger, speed and accuracy play a major role in performance. Although you still need to write content people can easily read, the production value is crucial.
Boosting Productivity
Obviously, the faster and more accurate you type, the better. In the fast-paced world we live in, getting out content as quickly as possible gets it in front of more eyes quicker.
And if your content centers around something from the news, you want to get that audience before your competitors.
At any rate, honing your skills with a typing test every so often can do wonders for productivity. Especially when it comes to…
Making More Money Overall
If you’re into content mills like Textbroker, typing speed and accuracy leads to making more money. This is because the more jobs you complete in a day, the more money you make from clients.
If you’re a blogger, being able to get more posts up helps you generate traffic and income from the different ways you monetize. Depending on your niche, seven blog posts per week is better than one.
And if you write for private clients, getting more work done means you have time to look for additional clients.
As you can see, if you’re career path has anything to do with creating text content, speed and accuracy matter. In fact, this is what’s helping me achieve one million words in 2021.
Would I Recommend TypingTest.com?
To be perfectly honest, I really can’t see much of a downside to using TypingTest.com. It’s a free system that is rich with all kinds of materials to help you hone your skills.
If you don’t care to take a typing test today, take a few moments to explore the free games. Perhaps you want to work on keystrokes for specific keys or words.
The sheer amount of what you can do on the site is staggering. And since the company has been around since 1992, you can rest assured they’re doing something right.
It’s one of those gems that I wish I would have come across a lot sooner.
An Occasional Typing Test is Always Worthwhile
When I started as a freelance writer, I did everything I could to practice while waiting for work. This included blogging, writing on other platforms, writing up fake orders, and more. A typing test would definitely be on that list.
Unfortunately, I didn’t know about TypingTest.com. But, that’s also assuming the site was a fraction of what it is today back in 2012.
But since it’s free to use and doesn’t require a login, you don’t really lose anything by playing around with the site periodically to hone your skills.
What typing test platform do you find valuable?
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