4 ms·

I wonder how words per minute (WPM) is actually measured. For example, an illustration in the article seems to indicate that the speed of 1 minute of typing wi

I wonder how words per minute (WPM) is actually measured. For example, an illustration in the article seems to indicate that the speed of 1 minute of typing with 12 errors is a valid data point. I learned touch typing on a manual typewriter using Gregg book[0] (summer school prior to freshman year of high school), and seem to recall that the official WPM test involved something like 5 minutes of transcribing a provided text, and nothing you typed after the fifth error counted at all. So obviously a much stricter standard. My best at the end of the class was something like 42 WPM, and I haven't tested it since then, but I do think I'm pretty fast and with good accuracy. The errors mattered a lot more on a manual typewriter due to time needed to correct (or start over). And of course most typing nowadays is probably to generate original content rather than to transcribe an existing text. [0]https://archive.org/details/greggtyping191se00rowe/page/n9/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/greggtyping191se00rowe/page/n9/m...

PopAlongKid 3y ago
I found this at archive.org from a Gregg book circa 1960s. Items 1-16 not shown are about mistakes relating to pagination, margins, characters too light to be easily read, etc. There was a time when this test was a primary factor in certain job interviews. ------------------ Calculation of test results 17. Gross Strokes. Strokes are counted correctly by considering the entire copy as having been typed in one continuous line. Each character or space in such a line counts as one stroke. 18. Gross Words. The total gross words are the total gross strokes typed, divided by 5. Do not add strokes in repeated matter or subtract strokes in omitted matter. NOTE: The count given with most test copy is the cumulative gross word count (strokes/5). 19. Penalty. For each error charged under these rules, 10 words must be deducted from the gross words. 20. Net Words. After deducting the penalty from the gross words, the remainder represents the total net words. The typist’s net rate (words a minute— wam ) is computed by dividing his total net words by the number of minutes he typed. Fractions of .500 or less are discarded; fractions over .500 are credited to the next whole number. EXAMPLE: A typist writes 5,808 gross strokes with 8 errors in 15 minutes — 5,808/5=1,161.6 or 1,162 gross words 8(errors)X10=80 (penalty) 1,162 - 80=1,082 net words 1,082/15 (minutes) =72.1 net words a minute

PopAlongKid 3y ago

I found this at archive.org from a Gregg book circa 1960s. Items 1-16 not shown are about mistakes relating to pagination, margins, characters too light to be easily read, etc. There was a time when this test was a primary factor in certain job interviews. ------------------ Calculation of test results 17. Gross Strokes. Strokes are counted correctly by considering the entire copy as having been typed in one continuous line. Each character or space in such a line counts as one stroke. 18. Gross Words. The total gross words are the total gross strokes typed, divided by 5. Do not add strokes in repeated matter or subtract strokes in omitted matter. NOTE: The count given with most test copy is the cumulative gross word count (strokes/5). 19. Penalty. For each error charged under these rules, 10 words must be deducted from the gross words. 20. Net Words. After deducting the penalty from the gross words, the remainder represents the total net words. The typist’s net rate (words a minute— wam ) is computed by dividing his total net words by the number of minutes he typed. Fractions of .500 or less are discarded; fractions over .500 are credited to the next whole number. EXAMPLE: A typist writes 5,808 gross strokes with 8 errors in 15 minutes — 5,808/5=1,161.6 or 1,162 gross words 8(errors)X10=80 (penalty) 1,162 - 80=1,082 net words 1,082/15 (minutes) =72.1 net words a minute