Why this test matters
Transcriptionists type while listening, which means real-time, sustained WPM matters more than burst speed. Industry standards: general transcription roles want 60+ WPM; medical and legal transcription typically require 70–80 WPM with sub-1% error rates; specialized real-time captioning (CART, court reporting) demands 200+ WPM via stenotype. The test below defaults to the 5-minute format — the closest free analog to a real transcription assessment.