SSC CHSL typing test: format and free practice

The SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level exam fills Lower Division Clerk, Junior Secretariat Assistant and Data Entry Operator posts in central government offices. Every candidate who clears the written tiers faces a computer-based speed test, and it is the stage where many otherwise strong candidates go out. The rules below are widely published; always confirm them in the notification for your cycle.

Format

There are two different tests depending on the post you have opted for.

• DEO skill test: a data entry test measured in key depressions. The widely published standard is 8,000 key depressions per hour, run over 15 minutes, which comes to about 2,000 key depressions on a printed English passage. Some DEO posts carry a higher published figure, so check your specific post.
• LDC / JSA typing test: a 10-minute typing test in English at 35 words per minute or Hindi at 30 words per minute. You choose the language on the application form and cannot change it later.

The test is conducted on a computer with a standard keyboard. Candidates are given a printed passage and type it into a plain text box. Spell check and auto-correct are off.

How it is scored

The test is qualifying only. It does not add marks to your final score; you either meet the standard or you do not. Scoring works on net speed: the commission counts the words or key depressions you typed, deducts for errors, and compares the result with the qualifying figure. The published instructions describe a permissible error percentage, and candidates whose errors exceed it are not qualified regardless of raw speed. Omitted words, added words, wrong spelling and incorrect capitalisation are all commonly counted as mistakes.

Common mistakes

• Practising on one-minute online tests and never typing for a full 10 or 15 minutes.
• Training on simple prose when the actual passage carries numbers, commas and capital letters.
• Reading the passage from the screen instead of a printed sheet, which is how it is given on the day.
• Rushing in the first two minutes, building errors, then slowing down to fix them.
• Skipping a line of the passage while glancing between the paper and the screen.

Two-week practice plan

Our government-exam typing format runs for a full 10 minutes on exam-style passages and reports net WPM, key depressions and error percentage together.

1. Days 1 to 3: one 10-minute test a day at a comfortable pace. Record net speed and error percentage. Do not chase speed yet.
2. Days 4 to 7: two 10-minute tests a day. Between them, five minutes on number-row and punctuation drills. Target: errors under 3 percent.
3. Days 8 to 11: type from a printed sheet, not the screen. Add one 15-minute session if you are a DEO candidate.
4. Days 12 to 14: one test a day under exam conditions, sitting upright, no breaks, at the time of day your test is scheduled. Aim for 5 WPM above the qualifying figure.

Note: the figures on this page are the widely published rules; verify every one of them in the current official notification before you sit the test.