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Touch Typing Certification — Is It Worth It?

Touch Typing Certification — Is It Worth It?

· 3 min read · by Robin Érsek-Obádovics

Touch typing certification — is it worth it? Mostly NO for general professionals, YES for specific career paths (court reporting, medical transcription, data entry). Most employers care about demonstrated speed, not certifications. Here's when paper credentials matter.

When certification matters

Yes, get certified for

  • Court reporting (NCRA - mandatory)
  • Medical transcription (AHDI - common)
  • Data entry positions (employer-specific)
  • Government / military roles (formal credentials)
  • Educational programs (academic completion)

Maybe certify for

  • Resume signal (junior roles)
  • Career switch demonstration
  • Personal achievement

Don't bother if

  • General office work (employer tests anyway)
  • Tech/creative careers (skill > paper)
  • Self-employed (clients care about output)

Major certifications

NCRA (National Court Reporters Association)

  • For court reporters
  • RPR: Registered Professional Reporter (225 WPM)
  • RMR: Merit Reporter (260 WPM)
  • RDR: Diplomate Reporter (top-tier)
  • Certification = required for career
  • Years of training + exam

AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity)

  • For medical transcriptionists
  • CHDS: Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist
  • Industry-recognized
  • Required by some employers

Typing.com Certificate

  • Online completion certificate
  • Various WPM levels
  • Free
  • Resume signal for junior roles
  • Not enterprise-recognized

Brainbench Typing Certification

  • Online typing test
  • WPM verified
  • Was popular, now declining
  • Resume signal

State / Country specific

  • Various government typing tests
  • For civil service positions
  • Required for specific government roles

What employers really check

Typing-heavy roles

  • Trial typing test during interview
  • Verifiable real-time speed
  • Beats any certificate

Office roles

  • Implicit through work samples
  • First few weeks of probation reveals
  • Resume claims tested by reality

Tech roles

  • Touch typing assumed
  • Coding test reveals typing skill
  • No certificate required

Cost comparison

Free certifications

  • Typing.com completion certificate
  • Typing Hero App level milestones (informal)
  • Monkeytype screenshots (informal)
  • Various OnlineTypingTest sites

Suitable for resume but not credentialing.

  • Brainbench Typing: ~$25
  • AHDI CHDS: $200-400
  • NCRA RPR exam: $200-500 + years of training
  • State exams: $50-200

Pay only for required career credentials.

Resume strategy

If you have 70+ WPM

Include on resume:

  • "Touch typing: 80 WPM verified (Monkeytype)"
  • Or "Typing speed: 75 WPM"
  • For typing-relevant roles

Don't include if

  • Below 60 WPM (looks slow)
  • Irrelevant to role
  • No formal verification

Verification options

  • Monkeytype screenshot (free, recent)
  • 10fastfingers rank (free)
  • Brainbench certificate ($25)

When formal certification is worth $$

Court reporting

  • Career REQUIRES NCRA cert
  • No way around it
  • Years of training + exam

Medical transcription

  • Many employers require AHDI
  • $200-400 worth it for career

Government typing pools

  • State/federal employment
  • Civil service exams
  • Required for hiring

Specific industry roles

  • Insurance claims processing
  • Legal transcription
  • Specialized typing pools

When skill > certification

Tech industry

  • Show, don't tell
  • Coding tests reveal
  • GitHub portfolio matters more

Creative careers

  • Writing samples
  • Published work
  • Portfolio shows ability

Self-employment

  • Clients care about output
  • No certificate needed
  • Reviews and reputation matter

Frequently Asked Questions

Will certification get me hired?

For typing-specific roles: helps. For general roles: minimal impact.

Best certification ROI?

NCRA RPR for court reporting (career foundation).

Online certifications taken seriously?

Limited recognition. Better than nothing for entry roles.

Should I cert if I'm 50 WPM?

Probably not — show skill instead, then cert if needed for career.

Where to test for honest WPM?

Monkeytype, 10fastfingers, Brainbench (paid verified).

Will employers test me anyway?

Often yes — be ready to type at claimed speed.

Get certified strategically

For specific careers: yes. For general use: skill demonstration matters more. Typing Hero App — build the speed first, then decide on credentials.

For more: Does typing speed matter for jobs, Touch typing for court reporters, How to test typing speed.