Why mistakes matter more than speed
In the SSC typing test (LDC/JSA — 35 wpm English or 30 wpm Hindi in 10 minutes) and the DEST (8,000 key depressions per hour over 15 minutes), your typed passage is checked word by word. SSC's evaluation guidelines of 20 June 2022 sort errors into full and half mistakes.
Full mistakes
- Omission — a word or figure from the passage is missing
- Substitution — a wrong word or figure in place of the right one
- Addition — a word or figure that isn't in the passage
- Spelling errors — letters repeated, added, left out or swapped
- Repetition — the same word typed twice
- Incomplete words — a half-typed word counts as a mistake
Half mistakes
- Spacing — no space between two words (e.g. "Ihope")
- Capitalisation — wrong capital letters (not applied to Hindi)
- Punctuation — a punctuation mark omitted, added or substituted
- Transposition — words typed in the wrong order (e.g. "hope I" for "I hope")
- Paragraph indentation done with spaces instead of the Tab key
Examples
| Passage | Typed | Counted as |
|---|---|---|
| I hope you are well | I hope you well | Full (omission) |
| the decision was final | the decison was final | Full (spelling) |
| I hope you are well | Ihope you are well | Half (spacing) |
| New Delhi | new Delhi | Half (capitalisation) |
| However, the court | However the court | Half (punctuation) |
How to cut mistakes
- Finish every word. An incomplete word is a full mistake — never stop mid-word to rush ahead.
- Watch spacing and capitals. Half mistakes add up fast in English.
- Practise without highlighting, as in the exam, so you don't lose your place.
Read the full exam pattern in our SSC CHSL typing test guide, then take an SSC DEST mock test. Always confirm details in the latest SSC notification.