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IELTS Typing Test

Short answer: aim for at least 30–40 words per minute, mostly accurate. The 400 words both Writing tasks require take 13 minutes to type at 30 WPM, out of a 60-minute paper. Test yours on real Band 8–9 model answers below.

Time

Text

Stop on errors

Typing speed → minutes

How much of the Writing hour typing takes

Minutes of pure typing for the 400-word minimum (150 for Task 1 + 250 for Task 2), and what is left of the 60 minutes. Writing more than the minimum — most Band 7+ answers do — moves every row down; the slider on your result does that arithmetic for the length you actually write.

Minutes of typing for 400 words of IELTS Writing, by typing speed
Typing speed	Minutes typing	Minutes left	Verdict
15 WPM	26.7	33.3	Tight
20 WPM	20.0	40.0	Tight
25 WPM	16.0	44.0	Workable
30 WPM	13.3	46.7	Workable
35 WPM	11.4	48.6	Comfortable
40 WPM	10.0	50.0	Comfortable
50 WPM	8.0	52.0	Comfortable
60 WPM	6.7	53.3	Comfortable

Verdicts are our rule of thumb, not an IELTS rule: typing that takes a fifth of the hour or less (34+ WPM here) is comfortable; up to 33% (21+ WPM) is workable; up to 45% is tight. Every number in the table is computed, not typed in.

Methodology

How this typing test works

The text is IELTS prose. The speed test and the model paragraphs come from the annotated Band 8–9 answers in our Band 8 Writing Trainer: Task 2 essays, Academic Task 1 reports and General Training letters. You build speed on the vocabulary and sentence shapes you will actually need — “whereas”, “consequently”, “approximately” — rather than on random common words.

Five measurements. WPM counts the characters you typed correctly, five to a word. Raw WPM counts everything. Accuracy is right keystrokes over all keystrokes, so a corrected mistake still counts. Consistency is how steady your pace was second to second. And a per-key map records which letters you miss, across every test you take.

Composing is measured separately. The Exam simulation gives you a real question on a replica of the test screen — question on the left, answer box on the right, live word count, no spellchecker — and reports words per minute with thinking included, typing speed with pauses of 3+ seconds removed, and your revision rate. It projects your pace onto the full task, keeping 5 minutes of Task 2 (and 3 of Task 1) back for planning and proofreading; that reserve is our assumption, stated so you can judge it.

Nothing leaves your browser. Results are stored on this device only. If you send a simulation answer to the Writing Checker, it is marked on the four official criteria like any other essay.

Five habits that save minutes on the computer-delivered test

Plan on paper first. Two minutes of notes before you type saves the deleting and retyping that eats time.
Type accurately before fast. Every typo is a spelling error to the examiner. Train with “Stop on errors” on if your accuracy is under 95%.
Practise on a full keyboard. The test is not taken on a phone or a laptop trackpad; get used to the key travel.
Keep one spelling system. British or American are both accepted, mixing them is not.
Proofread for typos specifically. Keep the last few minutes for reading what you typed, not what you meant.

IELTS typing — common questions

What typing speed do I need for IELTS?

IDP suggests aiming for at least 30–40 words per minute, mostly accurate. By our arithmetic, the 400 words both tasks require take 13 minutes of pure typing at 30 WPM, leaving 47 of the 60 minutes for planning and checking. From about 34 WPM, typing stops being the thing that limits you.

Does the computer-delivered IELTS have spellcheck?

No. There is no spellchecker or autocorrect on the test screen, and a typing error such as "teh" for "the" is marked as a spelling mistake. That is why this test turns spellcheck off and shows you every word you left wrong.

Is copy-typing speed the same as writing speed in the exam?

No. Copying a model answer measures your fingers; the exam asks you to compose an argument, which is much slower because you stop to think. Use the Exam simulation tab to measure composing speed on a real Task 2 or letter question — it separates thinking pauses from typing and projects your pace onto the full task.

How is WPM calculated here?

One word is five characters, spaces included — the standard measure. WPM counts only characters you typed correctly; raw WPM counts every character. Accuracy is right keystrokes divided by all keystrokes, so a mistake you fixed still counts against it.

Can I use a British or American keyboard in the IELTS test?

Test centres provide the keyboard, and the layout depends on the country. British and American spelling are both accepted as long as you stay consistent. Practise on a full-size keyboard if you can; phone typing speed does not carry over.

Is this IELTS typing test free?

Yes, with no sign-up. Your results, bests and key map are kept only in this browser. Nothing is sent to a server unless you choose to send an Exam simulation answer to the Writing Checker for marking.