Free typing certificate, verifiable by any employer

What a typing certificate is

A typing certificate is a document stating that a named person completed a timed typing test and reached a particular speed and accuracy. A useful one shows at least: the person's name, the date, the duration of the test (1, 3 or 5 minutes), gross and net words per minute, the number of errors or the accuracy percentage, and who issued it. Ours also shows the test type and a verification URL.

Employers ask for one for two reasons. Some simply want evidence that you can type at the speed the job description lists. Others, mostly public agencies, have a written policy that an application for a clerical class must include a certificate that meets specific rules. Those two groups treat online certificates very differently.

Who accepts an online typing certificate

Private employers

Most private employers that ask for a certificate will accept one from a reputable online test, especially when they can verify it with a link rather than take a PDF on trust. Typical roles are data entry, administrative assistant, customer support, transcription and medical scribe. If the posting does not name a specific issuer, an online certificate is usually fine. Many of these employers also run their own test later in the process, so treat the certificate as a way to get past screening rather than as the final word.

Staffing and temp agencies

Staffing agencies usually test candidates themselves during onboarding, but a verifiable certificate can shorten that step or substitute for it. Bring the verification link, not just the printout, so the recruiter can confirm it in a few seconds.

Employers using TechTypo directly

If an employer sent you a TechTypo invite link, they see your result on their dashboard automatically and do not need a certificate from you at all.

Who does not accept online certificates

Many government bodies require a proctored test, meaning one administered in person or by an approved agency with someone watching. The reasoning is simple: an unproctored browser test cannot prove who was at the keyboard.

• California state jobs. As of 2026, CalHR guidance for classes with a typing requirement calls for a certificate from a proctored 5-minute test, and lists what the certificate must contain. An online self-administered test does not meet that. Check the current CalHR policy and the job bulletin.
• County and city HR departments. Some, including large city personnel departments, require their own typing certificate or one from a short list of approved providers, and some run the test on site as part of the exam. Rules change, so check the exact posting.
• Courts, police and 911 dispatch. These frequently use a proctored test and may test on their own software.

Read the job bulletin carefully. If it says proctored, administered by, or approved agency, an online certificate will not count no matter how it is verified. Our page on what counts as an official typing test goes into the categories in more detail.

How our certificate is verified

Verification is the part that makes an online certificate worth something, so here is exactly how it works.

1. When your test ends, the result (name, test type, duration, gross WPM, net WPM, accuracy, timestamp) is stored on our server.
2. The record is signed. The signature is computed over those values, so changing any of them later breaks it.
3. Your certificate shows a verification URL under techtypo.com/verify/. It is a plain link, not a QR code, so it survives being pasted into an email, typed from paper, or entered into an applicant-tracking system.
4. Anyone who opens the link sees the stored values. If the certificate they are holding says something different, it has been altered.

What the certificate does not claim: that anyone watched you take the test, or that the person named is the person who typed. Employers who need that assurance should use a proctored test or run the test themselves with an invite link, which at least ties the attempt to a specific invitation and records integrity signals.

Steps to get your certificate

1. Use a desktop or laptop with a physical keyboard. Tablets and phones give unrepresentative results.
2. Choose the duration the employer asked for. If they did not say, five minutes is the safest choice because it is the most common HR requirement.
3. Take the test. Do one warm-up attempt first if you have not typed under a timer recently.
4. Enter your name as it appears on your application.
5. Save or print the certificate and copy the verification link into your application or email.

There is no limit on attempts. Only the certificate you choose to share is seen by anyone.