KPH explained: how data-entry speed is measured

Typing tests measure words per minute. Data-entry tests measure keystrokes per hour, written KPH, because the work is codes, numbers and short fields rather than sentences. One keystroke is one character, including spaces, hyphens and the Enter key that moves to the next field.

The conversion

KPH = (characters typed ÷ minutes) × 60. A typist at 40 WPM produces about 200 characters a minute, which is 12,000 KPH on text. On real data-entry work the number is lower, because reading each code takes time. Entry-level screenings commonly ask for 8,000 KPH at 95 percent accuracy; numeric 10-key work often expects 10,000 or more. Use the converter to see where your typing speed puts you.

What accuracy means here

A record is either right or wrong. One wrong character in a 12-character code is a wrong record, and in a real job it is a wrong invoice. Most screenings score accuracy per record, not per character, so 95 percent means 19 of 20 records entered exactly.

Three habits that raise KPH

1. Read the whole code before typing. Starting to type after reading half the code forces a pause in the middle, which costs more than the second it takes to read it fully.
2. Use the number pad for numbers. Ten-key entry with the right hand is roughly twice as fast as the number row for anyone who practises it for a week.
3. Move with Enter or Tab, not the mouse. Reaching for the mouse between fields can halve your KPH.

Take the alphanumeric test once a day and track the KPH figure. The accuracy figure should stay above 95 percent; if it drops, slow down until it recovers.