Typing Speed for Secretaries and PAs
Secretarial roles care about typing speed but in different ways to data entry jobs. The right target depends on what the role actually involves day to day.
"Fast typing" means something very different for a general office administrator than it does for a legal secretary transcribing dictation, and the two roles are tested completely differently. Here's how requirements break down by role, and what to actually practise for the one you're targeting.
Quick answer: General admin needs 40-50 WPM, executive PA roles 55-65, legal/medical secretarial 65-80, and audio typing 70-90+. Most roles measure WPM since the work is text-based; KPH only matters if the role includes significant numeric data entry alongside correspondence.
What Is the Range of Requirements?
Secretarial and PA roles vary enormously in how much typing speed actually matters. A general office administrator who mostly handles emails and diary management has different needs from a legal secretary transcribing documents or a PA drafting board papers.
These are working benchmarks rather than hard industry standards. A legal firm advertising for a secretary will typically state a minimum (often 65 WPM); a general admin role rarely mentions a speed at all. If no WPM requirement is in the job description, assume the bar is lower but that basic competence is still expected.
WPM or KPH - Which Applies to Secretarial Roles?
Most secretarial roles measure typing in WPM because the work is primarily text-based: correspondence, minutes, reports, and documents. WPM measures prose typing well.
KPH becomes relevant if the role includes significant numeric input - for example, a PA in a finance department who also enters purchase orders, or a secretary in accounts payable who processes invoices alongside correspondence. In these roles, employers may specify both a WPM requirement for general typing and a KPH requirement for the numeric component.
If a job listing specifies KPH rather than WPM, it is a signal that numeric data entry is a meaningful part of the role, not just an afterthought.
What Is Audio Typing and Dictation?
Audio typing - transcribing dictated audio recordings - is a distinct skill from standard typing. It is most common in legal firms, medical practices, and insurance companies. Secretaries and PAs in these sectors may be expected to transcribe solicitor or doctor dictation as a core part of the role.
Audio typing requires higher base typing speed because you are listening and typing simultaneously, without the ability to read ahead. The cognitive load is higher. Most employers who advertise audio typing roles specify 70+ WPM at 98% accuracy as a minimum, and many prefer 80+.
If you are targeting roles that include audio typing, practise passage copying at pace rather than just word-based tests. The skill of transcribing from a source document is closer to what you will actually do than typing randomly generated words.
What Do Employers Actually Test?
Many general secretarial and admin roles do not formally test typing speed at interview. The expectation is built into the role description, and employers assess it through work samples or during a probationary period. If a minimum WPM is stated in a job listing, a formal test is more likely.
How Should You Prepare?
For general secretarial roles targeting 50-65 WPM, consistent typing practice on standard word or passage tests is the most efficient preparation. Focus on accuracy first - most secretarial work involves documents that need to be correct, and a high error rate is more noticeable in professional correspondence than in a speed test score.
For legal or medical roles, practise with longer passage tests. Real dictation transcription involves sustained concentration over 5-20 minutes, not one-minute bursts. Building endurance at pace matters as much as peak speed.
If the role involves financial data entry, add numpad practice alongside passage typing. The two skills are largely separate and need to be developed independently.