How to Increase Your Typing Speed: A 30-Day Plan

Most people type between 30 and 40 words per minute (WPM), often using just two or three fingers and glancing down at the keyboard. The good news is that typing speed is a skill, not a talent. With 15–20 minutes of the right practice a day, most people can reach 40–50 WPM within a month, and keep improving after that. This guide gives you a simple 30-day plan, the posture and technique that make the biggest difference, and the mistakes that hold people back.

Step 1: Learn the home row

Touch typing means typing without looking at the keys, using all ten fingers. Every finger has a "home" key where it rests between key presses:

• Left hand: little finger on A, ring finger on S, middle finger on D, index finger on F.
• Right hand: index finger on J, middle finger on K, ring finger on L, little finger on ;.
• Thumbs rest on the space bar.

Feel the small bumps on F and J. They are there so you can find the home row without looking. Each finger is responsible for the keys directly above and below its home key. For example, the left index finger also types R, T, G, V and B.

Step 2: Sit properly

Good posture is not just about comfort – it makes your fingers faster and prevents wrist pain during long exams and work days.

• Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor.
• Keep your elbows at roughly 90 degrees, close to your body.
• Keep your wrists straight and slightly raised – don't rest them heavily on the desk while typing.
• Place the screen at eye level, about an arm's length away, so you are not bending your neck.
• Curve your fingers gently, as if holding a small ball.

Step 3: Follow the 30-day plan

Practise every day for 15–20 minutes. Short daily sessions work far better than one long session a week, because your muscle memory builds a little each day.

In weeks 1 and 2 it will feel slower than your old way of typing. That is normal – you are replacing an old habit. Most people "cross over" and become faster than before somewhere in week 2 or 3.

Step 4: Accuracy first, then speed

It is tempting to rush, but every mistake costs you time: you have to notice it, press Backspace, and retype. In most typing tests – including government exams – errors also reduce your final score. A useful rule is: only try to go faster when your accuracy is above 95%. If accuracy drops, slow down again for a few days.

A steady rhythm is faster than bursts. Try to press keys at an even pace, like a metronome, rather than typing easy words very fast and then stopping at hard ones.

Step 5: Practise what you actually type

Once the basics are in place, practise with the kind of text you really need:

• Students: type out your notes or a chapter summary – you revise and practise at the same time.
• Exam aspirants: practise with newspaper editorials or passages similar to your exam, for the exact time limit. Our SSC typing test guide explains the rules.
• Office workers: practise emails, reports and numbers.

Pasting your practice text into a word counter is an easy way to check how much you typed in a session.

Common mistakes that slow you down

• Looking at the keyboard. Even quick glances break your rhythm. If needed, cover your hands with a cloth for a few practice sessions.
• Using the wrong finger. It may work at 25 WPM but becomes a hard limit later. Fix it early.
• Practising only when tired. Short, focused sessions when you are fresh give better results.
• Only taking tests. Tests measure progress; drills and real typing build it. Do both.
• Giving up in week 2. The slow-down is temporary. Keep going.

What is a good typing speed?

For most jobs and exams, 40 WPM with high accuracy is plenty. Beyond that, speed is a bonus rather than a requirement.

Frequently asked questions