About this practice test
Practise the SSC CGL Data Entry Speed Test on the official 15-minute timer. The notice sets a passage of about 2,000 key depressions and allows a maximum error percentage that depends on your category: 20% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 30% for all other categories. DEST is mandatory for every CGL post but qualifying only.
Test settings
| Time | 15 minutes (official) |
|---|---|
| Passage | About 2,000 key depressions (official) |
| Language | English only |
| Maximum errors | UR 20%, OBC / EWS 25%, all other categories 30% (official, section 16.2) |
| Scoring | Net speed after full and half mistakes |
| Status | Mandatory for all posts, but qualifying only (official) |
| Editing | Backspace within the current word only; Delete and navigation keys disabled. Simulator setting; confirm regional test instructions. |
How the score works
In SSC CGL DEST practice, a full mistake counts as one and a half mistake counts as half. Those are taken off before your speed is worked out. Missed and repeated words are counted in groups. The result screen shows you the counted mistakes and the deductions behind your score. The score cannot fall below zero.
SSC's evaluation guidelines cover DEST scripts too; how SSC counts typing test mistakes goes through the six full and five half mistakes. For unfamiliar passages to copy, see the SSC typing test passages.
Typing tips
A wrong word is not worth going back for. Correction keys behave the way the table above describes, so stopping to fight one word costs you more than the word is worth. Check the result screen afterwards to see what actually went wrong.
- The app's correction restriction and error options are practice settings. Check them against your regional instructions.
- A 2025 cutoff does not confirm the cutoff for a later recruitment cycle.
How to practise for the SSC CGL DEST typing test
SSC's 2026 notice describes a passage of about 2,000 key depressions over fifteen minutes, and DEST is mandatory for all posts subject to the stated exemptions. As a planning calculation, that is roughly 133 key depressions a minute, or about 26.7 WPM on the five-characters-per-word convention. It is not permission to swap SSC's requirement for an ordinary word-list score.
Copy an unfamiliar passage for the full duration, then inspect omitted words, repeated phrases and punctuation. If a long section is missing, practise tracking the source line before you spend another session on faster key presses.
Keep the result even when it disappoints you. Restarting whenever the first line goes badly leaves you with a collection of good openings rather than evidence that you can finish an ordinary attempt. Use repeat passages for drills and unfamiliar ones to check whether the improvement transfers.
Some posts require higher DEST standards, so read the exemption, compensatory-time and evaluation provisions in the 2026 SSC CGL notice at section 13.9.10, pages 29 to 30. A cutoff from the 2025 results does not establish the cutoff for another cycle. The preset's current-word correction is an app setting, and browser KDPH is derived from typed text, so it can differ from a physical-key count.
The scoring guide explains the speed and error figures shown in your practice result.
Keyboard layouts
This test is English only, on a normal QWERTY keyboard. Check your own exam notice before you settle on a layout.
Related typing tests
Common questions
Is DEST compulsory in SSC CGL?
The 2026 notice makes DEST mandatory for all posts, subject to specified exemptions. It is qualifying. Some posts have higher standards. Read the notice for eligibility and accommodations.
What targets does this practice test use?
The 15-minute timer and the category error limits come from the CGL 2026 notice: 20% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 30% for all other categories. The speed shown as 8,000 key depressions an hour is arithmetic from the notice's 2,000 depressions in 15 minutes rather than a figure the notice states.
How do correction keys work here?
Backspace only reaches into the word you are typing. Delete and the navigation keys do nothing. This is the simulator's editing rule. It is not a claim about what the DEST terminal allows.
Does this result establish official qualification?
No. This is a practice attempt scored by the app's own formula. The source note above records what was checked and when. Your recruitment cycle's own evaluation instructions govern the real skill test.
How many errors are allowed in SSC CGL DEST?
Section 16.2 of the CGL 2026 notice sets the maximum percentage of errors allowed at 20% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 30% for all other categories. These limits apply to the CGL 2026 notice; other SSC examinations have their own instructions and result cutoffs.
Is DEST the same as the SSC CHSL typing test?
No. DEST is measured by a passage of about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes, in English only, and has published error limits by category. The CHSL typing test for LDC and JSA is measured in words per minute over 10 minutes, in Hindi or English, and the notice sets no error percentage for it.
Which CGL posts need a higher DEST standard?
The notice names Tax Assistant in CBIC, Tax Assistant in CBDT, and UDC or SSA in the Central Bureau of Narcotics, plus the Computer Proficiency posts listed at paragraph 13.9.9. It says the standard for these is higher than for other posts without publishing the number.
Do DEST marks count towards the CGL merit list?
No. The notice makes DEST mandatory for all posts but qualifying in nature, so you have to pass it and it does not add to your merit score.
Practice tool, not an official result — always check the current notification. Full disclaimer.