Long Duration Typing Strategy

Transitioning from a 2-minute to a 5-minute typing test is a huge jump. It’s the difference between a sprint and a middle-distance run. When there is a shorter test, you can “force” your way through with pure speed, but when it is a 5-minute session, you will need long duration typing strategy. This type of test truly reveals your skills because all of your inefficient, bad habits will become magnified in a 5-minute test.

The 3-Minute Wall

Most typists encounter something called the “3-minute wall.” Around the 180-second mark, your initial burst of energy fades, and your brain’s processing speed starts to dip. This is usually when your fingers start to feel “heavy” or “mushy.” In order to overcome this wall, instead of trying to “run” through the test, try to “glide.” Stop fighting the keyboard and try to think about the lightness of your touch as you type. If you feel fatigue setting in, intentionally slow down your speed by 5% for a single sentence. This will serve as an “active rest” to allow your muscles to recover just enough to finish the final two minutes strong.

Energy Conservation Strategies

During a 5-minute test, every movement that isn’t necessary is wasting your energy. Those of you who tend to lift their fingers too high, or especially “bang” their space bar, will tire out before the 4-minute mark. To typing long tests out like this, your strategy here needs to be “Minimalist Movement”. Keeping fingers really close to the keycaps greatly reduces the amount of physical work your hands will need to do, and will allow your heart rate to stay more stable. Remember, the aim of the 5-minute test isn’t to get a high peak speed, but rather, a high consistent speed. Government jobs rely upon consistency.

Mental Pacing and the Last 60 Seconds

If you have successfully mental paced, the last 60 seconds of the five-minute test will be the most productive. An un-paced typist will be making a lot of errors, but an adequately paced typist will be able to speed up further. In the last minute of the test, whilst other typists will be making a lot of errors, you will be able to speed up a lot. Use the last minute to “empty your tank.” This strategy will ensure that your net WPM is still high, and your accuracy will be well above 95% which is the threshold that most exam boards look for.