TYPINGTESTEXAM.COMWhat is the PSSSB Typing Test?
The Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) requires shortlisted candidates for Clerk and related posts to clear a computer-based typing test in both English and Punjabi before final selection. It is evaluated by typing software on the spot, with results — including every typing error — shown instantly. The instructions below reflect the board's own published document for Clerk (I.T.), Advertisement No. 11/2025, whose test was held on 16 August 2026.
Latest verified typing-test pattern
| Requirement | English | Punjabi |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 30 WPM Gross | 30 WPM Gross |
| Duration | 10 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Accuracy | Minimum 92% | Minimum 92% |
| Max mistakes | 8% | 8% |
| Font | Standard English | Raavi Unicode |
| Keyboard | QWERTY | INSCRIPT |
A 5-minute gap is provided between the English and Punjabi tests. Source: official PSSSB instructions, cited in full at the bottom of this page.
English typing test
The English passage is typed on a standard QWERTY layout. Candidates must reproduce the given text exactly, including punctuation and spacing — nothing about the English test differs structurally from the Punjabi one beyond the script and font.
Punjabi typing test
The Punjabi passage is composed from Gurmukhi alphabet characters, Gurmukhi and English numbers, and punctuation marks, and must be typed exactly as shown. It uses the Unicode-compliant Raavi font specifically — not a legacy non-Unicode font.
30 WPM gross-speed requirement
Both languages require a minimum gross typing speed of 30 words per minute — gross speed counts everything typed, not just what ends up correct. A "word" here is standardized to 5 characters, including spaces and punctuation, so 30 WPM means 1,500 gross characters across the full 10-minute test.
92% accuracy requirement
Accuracy is calculated as net characters divided by gross characters, and must reach at least 92% to pass — alongside the speed requirement, not instead of it. Both conditions have to be met in the same attempt.
8% mistake limit
The flip side of 92% accuracy: no more than 8% of your gross characters can be counted as errors. Errors are counted in whole "words" (5 characters each) per mistake, not per individual letter.
5-character word calculation
PSSSB standardizes a "word" to exactly 5 characters for scoring purposes — this includes spaces and punctuation, not just letters. This is why gross speed is calculated from total characters typed, divided by 5, divided by the test duration in minutes.
Raavi Unicode font
Raavi is a Unicode-compliant Gurmukhi font, meaning the underlying text is standard Unicode Gurmukhi — the same encoding used across modern Windows, browsers and word processors — displayed in the Raavi typeface specifically for this test.
INSCRIPT keyboard
Punjabi is typed using the INSCRIPT keyboard layout — the Government of India's standardized layout for Brahmic scripts, built into Windows as "Punjabi (India)" or accessed via the Gurmukhi INSCRIPT layout. Vowels are typed as single key combinations (for example Shift+E for ਆ), not as a base letter followed by a separate matra keystroke — the practice interface below includes a reference table for this.
Chunk-based test system
The passage is not shown all at once. It is delivered in chunks of about 3 lines, roughly 32–34 words per chunk, with 10 chunks making up the full passage — all 10 must be typed to be eligible to clear the test.
Navigation behaviour
Per the official instructions: after typing about 80% of the current chunk, Enter or the Down arrow key moves you to the next chunk. Up arrow moves to the previous line for editing, and Page Up / Page Down move between chunks. Candidates who finish all 10 chunks early can use the remaining time to correct mistakes — the timer runs for the full 10 minutes regardless of when you finish typing.
How PSSSB calculates speed
Gross speed (WPM) = gross characters typed ÷ (5 × test duration in minutes). The result is always truncated to a whole number, not rounded — 29.8 WPM is reported as 29, not 30.
How accuracy is calculated
Net characters = gross characters − error characters (mistakes × 5). Accuracy % = 100 × net characters ÷ gross characters. A word typed with extra characters beyond the reference word's length has those extra characters ignored for the gross count, per the official instructions.
Preparation strategy
- Practise both languages separately first, then combine them once each clears 30 WPM comfortably on its own.
- Confirm your Punjabi keyboard is set to INSCRIPT in your own operating system before practising — typing Raavi-displayed Unicode Gurmukhi assumes InScript input, not a phonetic converter.
- Practise the full 10-minute duration, not just short bursts — pacing across all 10 chunks is part of what's being tested.
- Use extra time to correct, not to relax — finishing early and reviewing is exactly what the official instructions expect.
Common mistakes
- Typing on a phonetic Punjabi layout instead of InScript — this produces wrong key mappings even when the displayed script looks correct.
- Skipping words to keep up with the passage — omitted words are a full mistake each and directly reduce accuracy.
- Ignoring punctuation and spacing — both are scored, not just letters.
- Stopping as soon as all 10 chunks are typed instead of using the remaining time to fix errors.
PSSSB practice interface
Choose English, Punjabi, or the Full PSSSB Simulation (English → 5-minute gap → Punjabi) below.
