Government Exam Typing Test Guide: Hindi, Kruti Dev & WPM Benchmarks
Everything you need to know about typing tests for SSC, state secretariat, clerk and stenographer exams — required speed, font formats, and how to practice.
Most government job typing tests in India — for SSC, state secretariat, data entry operator and clerk posts — test both English and Hindi typing speed, usually measured in words per minute (WPM) with a minimum accuracy threshold. The exact requirement varies by exam, but the pattern is consistent enough to prepare for directly.
Typical WPM requirements by exam type
| Exam / role | English WPM | Hindi WPM |
|---|---|---|
| SSC CGL / CHSL (Data Entry Operator) | 35 WPM | 30 WPM |
| State secretariat / clerk exams | 30–35 WPM | 25–30 WPM |
| Stenographer (English/Hindi) | 80 WPM dictation | 80 WPM dictation |
| Court typist / junior assistant | 35–40 WPM | 30–35 WPM |
Always confirm the exact requirement on your specific exam's official notification — these figures are typical benchmarks, not universal rules, and exams periodically revise them.
Kruti Dev vs Mangal: which Hindi font should you practice in?
This is the single most common point of confusion for Hindi typing test candidates:
- Kruti Dev is a legacy, non-Unicode "remap" font where keys are mapped to visually resemble Devanagari but don't follow standard Unicode encoding. Many older government exam typing centers still use Kruti Dev-based software, so if your exam notification mentions it, you need to practice with that exact keyboard mapping.
- Mangal is a Unicode-compliant Devanagari font, which means the underlying text is standard Hindi Unicode — the same encoding used on modern computers, phones and the web. Most newer exams and all mainstream typing tools (including this one) use Unicode/Mangal-style input.
If your exam specifies Kruti Dev, you must practice on Kruti Dev-mapped software specifically, since the physical key layout differs from standard Hindi typing. If it doesn't specify, or if you're simply building general Hindi typing speed, practicing in Unicode Hindi (as on Workzly's Hindi typing test) is the right choice and transfers directly to real-world computer use.
How to practice for a Hindi typing test
- Start in transliteration mode if you don't know the Devanagari keyboard layout. Workzly lets you type phonetically in Latin letters (e.g. "namaste") and converts it to Hindi script live, which is a fast way to build comprehension before switching to native-layout typing.
- Switch to native mode once you're comfortable — real exams require typing directly in the target script, not transliteration.
- Practice with exam-style paragraphs, not just random words. Government exam passages tend to be formal, administrative language — use the Paragraph mode with medium-to-long length.
- Time yourself under real conditions. Use the Time mode set to match your exam's duration (commonly 10 or 15 minutes for a full passage) and track accuracy, not just speed — most exams disqualify candidates below a minimum accuracy percentage, regardless of WPM.
- Review your error pattern. If the same characters or conjuncts keep tripping you up, drill those specifically rather than repeating full passages blindly.
English typing tests for the same exams
Most exams that test Hindi typing also test English typing as a separate section. The fundamentals are identical to any other typing test — see our guide on how to improve your typing speed for the general technique, then apply it using our English typing speed test with Punctuation and Numbers enabled, since exam passages typically include both.
Quick checklist before exam day
- Confirm whether the exam uses Kruti Dev or Unicode/Mangal — this changes how you should practice.
- Know your target WPM and accuracy threshold from the official notification.
- Practice on a keyboard layout similar to what the exam center will provide.
- Do a timed, full-length mock test in the days before the exam, not just short drills.
- Warm up for 5–10 minutes before the actual test to avoid cold-start errors.