The government paper trail — exact, public numbers
Administrative typing is unusually well documented because civil-service systems publish their requirements. California’s CalHR spec for clerical classifications (Office Assistant–Typing and similar) requires a typing certificate from a proctored five-minute test at a minimum of 40 WPM, honored for four years. Pennsylvania’s Clerk Typist 1 & 2 examination states its standard in one line: a five-minute typing test with a passing score of “40 wpm (after deduction for errors).” Two details in those specs teach the whole field: the tests are five minutes (sustained pace, not sprint), and the number is net (errors deducted). Private-sector postings rarely write it out this precisely, but they test the same way.
What the private-sector bands look like
| Role | Posted range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General office / clerical | 40 WPM, 95% accuracy | The most common baseline in requirement text |
| Administrative assistant | 55–65 WPM | Document-production roles list the higher end |
| Executive assistant | 60–70 WPM | Often tested with formatting tasks attached |
| Legal secretary | 65–80 WPM, 98% accuracy | Precision weighted as heavily as speed; terminology tested separately |
Take the test the way the specs do — 5 minutes
Click the words and start typing — the timer starts on your first keystroke. space next word · Esc restart
Reading your result like a hiring screen
At 40 you meet the government floor exactly — pass, no margin. At 55 you’re on the administrative band’s floor; at 60 you clear essentially every general posting; at 65+ the legal-secretary tier opens. The resume line that works: tested net WPM with accuracy — “60 WPM, 97%” — because that’s the format the screen will verify. And if a specific government classification is your target, check its class specification directly: the numbers are public, exact, and non-negotiable.
Sources
- CalHR — Typing Certification Requirements (California state clerical classifications: 40 WPM, 5-minute proctored test).
- Pennsylvania Commonwealth Clerk Typist 1 & 2 examination announcement (5-minute test, 40 WPM after error deduction).
- Private-sector bands: aggregated requirement text from live administrative listings and published role guides (2026).