The five-character word
Real words vary in length, so typing tests use a standard word of five characters, spaces and punctuation included. Typing 250 characters in one minute is 50 WPM, whether those characters formed 40 long words or 70 short ones. This keeps results comparable between different texts.
WPM = (characters typed ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
Raw WPM vs. net WPM
Raw WPM (also called gross WPM) counts every character you typed, mistakes included. Net WPM only counts correct work. There are two common ways to get net WPM: subtract uncorrected errors per minute from gross WPM, or count only the characters of correctly typed words. Benchmark Lab uses the second method — a word with a mistake adds nothing.
If your raw and net WPM are far apart, you are typing faster than you can type accurately.
Accuracy
Accuracy is the percentage of keystrokes that were correct. Even corrected mistakes lower it, because each one cost you a keystroke and a Backspace. Aim for 97% or higher before pushing for more speed; below 95%, errors are costing you more time than you gain.
Why different tests give different scores
Scores depend on the text (common words are faster than prose with punctuation and capitals), the length (short tests measure burst speed), and whether errors must be corrected. Compare your results on the same test over time, and use our 1-minute typing test for a steady baseline.