State and Local Government Typing Tests: How Requirements Differ
There is no single civil service typing test in the US: each government employer sets its own rule. The federal government, each state, and many counties and cities decide how fast you must type, how the test is scored, who may give it and how long a result stays valid. Many clerical jobs ask for around 40 net words per minute on a five-minute test, but the details change from one employer to the next, and several of them say plainly that typing certificates from the internet are not acceptable.
Who sets the typing requirement for a government job?
Government hiring is split across levels, and each level runs its own merit system. Federal jobs follow qualification standards from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), applied by each hiring agency; we cover these in detail in our guide to the USAJOBS typing test. State jobs follow the state's civil service or HR department, such as CalHR in California or the Civil Service Commission in New Jersey. County and city jobs follow their own HR or personnel departments, which may set different speeds and accept different proof than the state they sit in.
The practical consequence is that a typing result that works for one employer may not work for another, even in the same city. Always start with the job posting.
How do civil service typing requirements compare?
The table summarizes what each employer's own materials say. Rules change, so check the current posting before you apply.
| Employer | Typical minimum | Test length | Proof and validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (OPM), Clerk-Typist and Office Automation jobs | 40 WPM | Set by the agency; some postings describe a 5-minute sample | Agency test, a certificate from an organization authorized by OPM, or self-certification; test results and certificates acceptable for 3 years |
| State of California (CalHR) | 40 WPM | 5 minutes | Proctored certificate issued within the last 4 years; internet certificates not acceptable |
| Los Angeles County | 40 net WPM unless the posting says otherwise | Timed test given by the County | County score banking; a passing results notice does not expire |
| City of Los Angeles, Police Service Representative | 32 net WPM | 5 minutes | Certificate from an agency or school, issued within 12 months |
| San Diego County | Depends on the recruitment | 5 minutes minimum | Certificate issued within 2 years, no more than 5 errors; internet certificates not acceptable |
| State of New Jersey, Clerk Typist | 25 net WPM | 5 minutes | Qualifying test during the hiring process; a prior passing CSC score may be accepted |
California state jobs: the CalHR typing certificate
For California state jobs that require typing, CalCareers sets out the typing certification requirements. State departments honor typing certificates issued within the last four years, from a five-minute typing test that meets CalHR requirements, with a minimum of 40 WPM. The test must be proctored, either in person or virtually, and the certificate must show your name, the test date, its duration and the words per minute. Certificates issued over the internet or by employment agencies, and certificates from tests shorter than five minutes, are not acceptable, although any state department, including the one you are applying to, may also give you a typing test. Adult education centers, business schools and community colleges are common places to ask about a proctored test, but confirm that the issuer meets CalHR's rules. Postings for titles such as Office Technician (Typing) say when a certificate is required, so read the posting first.
Los Angeles County: the typing test and score banking
Los Angeles County runs its own typing test. Its "Typing Test, Score-Banking Only" listing on the County's jobs site explains that the test measures speed and accuracy and that your score is kept on record, so when you later apply for a County exam that requires typing, a score that meets that exam's minimum is transferred automatically. Once you have passed at 40 words per minute, no further testing is needed.
The County's typing proficiency policy (PPG 124) sets the minimum at 40 net words per minute unless the job posting or class specification says otherwise, and adds that a notice verifying a passing score is valid from the date it is issued and does not expire. For test dates and format, follow the current listing and the County's Department of Human Resources.
Other examples: the City of Los Angeles, San Diego County and New Jersey
The City of Los Angeles is a separate employer from the County, and its rules show how much neighbors can differ. For the Police Service Representative (911 dispatcher) exam, the City's typing certification requirements, last revised in 2017, ask for at least 32 net words per minute on a five-minute timed test, documented by a certificate issued by an agency or school within the last 12 months and uploaded with the online application.
San Diego County takes a different line again. Its typing certificate information asks for a certificate issued within the past two years, from a test of at least five minutes with no more than five errors, provided by a school, public agency or business that routinely issues typing verification. Certificates obtained from the internet are not acceptable.
New Jersey, by contrast, tests applicants itself. State postings for Clerk Typist, such as recent Department of Children and Families postings, describe a five-minute qualifying typing test required by the Civil Service Commission, scored pass/fail with 25 net words per minute as the passing mark and scheduled during the hiring process. Applicants who already hold a passing score report from a CSC-administered test are not required to test again, provided they submit proof.
How do you find the typing rule for your job?
A few checks, in this order, usually settle it:
- Read the posting and the class specification, looking for "typing," "keyboarding," "WPM" or a title such as Typist-Clerk or Office Technician (Typing). The posting usually states the speed and how to prove it.
- Identify the employer, since a state agency, a county and a city in the same place can have different rules.
- Check what proof is accepted: a test given by the employer, a proctored certificate from a school or agency, or self-certification. If the certificate must be proctored, an online test you take alone will not count.
- Check the dates. Validity windows in our examples range from 12 months to no expiry.
- Ask HR if anything is unclear; the contact on the posting can confirm where to test before you pay for a certificate.
How should you prepare for a civil service typing test?
Most of the tests above are five minutes long and scored in net words per minute, so errors cost you. Prepare for that format, not for a 30-second sprint. Practicing at the real length on a 5-minute typing test shows you how your speed and accuracy hold up as you tire, and it is worth building a margin: if the bar is 40 net WPM, aim to reach the mid-40s reliably, because nerves and an unfamiliar keyboard can cost a few words.
Cut errors before chasing speed. Net scoring deducts errors and some employers also cap them, so slowing down slightly often raises your result. If you still look at the keys, a few weeks of technique work through a structured free typing course will pay off more than repeated tests. And since most tests ask you to reproduce a passage, practice copying text with its capitals and punctuation intact.
Once you have passed, list the result accurately; our guide to typing speed on a resume explains how.
Where Kluppy fits
Kluppy is one way to practice for these tests. It runs in the browser, needs nothing installed and has no ads. The typing test (1, 3 or 5 minutes) and the typing exercises are free and work without signing up, and a free account covers the finger-placement level and levels 1 to 7 with no card required. Paid plans, from level 8, add AI-generated exercises built from your own errors. Kluppy also offers a typing speed certificate that gives you a verifiable record of a result. It is not a substitute for a test given or proctored under a government employer's rules: where a posting requires a proctored test, an agency test or a certificate from a specific type of issuer, follow that requirement.
FAQ
Can I use an online typing certificate for a government job?
Often not. California state jobs, for example, do not accept certificates issued over the internet, and San Diego County says the same. Some employers give their own test instead. Follow the posting and use online tests for practice.
What is the typing speed for most civil service jobs?
Many clerical postings use 40 WPM, including federal Office Automation jobs, California state jobs and many Los Angeles County jobs. But it varies: the examples in this article range from 25 net WPM for New Jersey Clerk Typists to 40 WPM, depending on the job.
Does a passing typing score expire?
It depends on the employer. OPM accepts federal results for 3 years, CalHR honors certificates issued in the last 4 years, San Diego County asks for 2 years, the City of Los Angeles 12 months for its Police Service Representative exam, and Los Angeles County says a passing results notice does not expire.
Where can I get a proctored typing certificate?
Look at the posting first. Adult education centers, business schools and community colleges are common places to ask, and some counties, such as San Diego, publish their own lists of testing locations. Confirm with the employer that the issuer meets its rules before you test.