Getting Used to Different Typing Settings

One of the most crucial difficulties candidates face in government typing exams is the uncontrollable typing exam environment. While taking the exam at home can be a very good experience with an ergonomic environment, exam centres will provide you with a small uncomfortable desk, along with an uncomfortable non-adjustable chair, and bad lighting. The ability to adjust to different typing settings is a professional typing skill. The main focus of this lesson is to be able to maintain your typing speed of 40+ WPM in spite of the your environment.

Any Desk Mentality

Professional stenographers and typists train themselves to be “hardware agnostic”. This means they are able to type anywhere as their skills are not reliant on the typing station. When you sit at an unfamiliar station, your first priority should be to do a “Tactile Scan”. Scan the keyboard, adjust your chair to an ideal height and if the monitor is at an uncomfortable height you can adjust your position. When the chair is too low, your feet can be tucked even to a point where they are further back to maintain proper posture. Adapting to typing settings means being able to maintain a good position with your arms, spine, and elbows regardless of the workstation setup.

Illumination and Screen Glaring

Illumination in examination rooms can unfortunately be too bright or produce too much glare on old computer screens. This can lead to eye strain and even headaches or cause one to lose focus anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes on a 5-minute test. To minimize the negative impact that lighting can have on you, “Visual Flexibility” is what you need. When doing your 5-minute practice session, adjust the lights in your room in different positions and different amounts. You can type in a much dimmer room or with a lamp positioned to create glare on your screen. You will not panic and lose focus when you are given poor lighting in the exam. You will have already built.

Control When Stressed

One of the biggest problems in busy exam halls is “Desk Vibration.” This is when a large number of people are typing and it creates a desk that vibrates. If your desk shakes, you can lose your “Home Row” anchor. When doing Lesson 51, pay attention to “Internal Stability.” You can lose external vibrations by keeping your core contracted. This means that the keyboard will not cause finger errors, and your body will need to be the stable platform. This is the kind of “control” level that is required in challenging examination environments to “pass” the exam.