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SSC CGL · Tax Assistant (DEST) · Free, no sign-up

SSC CGL typing test (DEST) online

The SSC CGL typing test is the Data Entry Speed Test (DEST), required for Tax Assistant posts in CBIC and CBDT. You type an English passage of about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes, which is the standard of 8,000 key depressions per hour (roughly 27 words per minute). It is held with Tier-II and is qualifying only: it adds no marks, but you must clear it for a Tax Assistant post.

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Standard8,000Key depressions per hour
In the test2,000Key depressions in 15 min
Duration15 minEnglish passage
StatusQualifyingFor Tax Assistant posts
Duration
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15:000 wpm
Passage: Digital payments in small towns0 / 373 words

Over the last few years, the way people pay for everyday goods has changed in a manner that few would have predicted. A vegetable seller in a small town now displays a printed code on a piece of cardboard, and customers settle their bills by scanning it with a mobile phone. The money reaches the seller's bank account within seconds, and both sides receive a message confirming the payment. For many traders, this has removed the daily worry of keeping enough change and of carrying cash home late in the evening. The growth of such payments has been helped by the wide availability of low-cost smartphones and cheap mobile data. Banks and payment companies have also made it easy to open an account and link it to a phone number. As a result, people who had never used a bank card are now making several digital payments every day. However, the change has not been equally smooth for everyone. Older citizens and those who are not comfortable with technology often depend on family members to complete a payment. Network problems in rural areas can cause a payment to fail at the counter, which leaves both the buyer and the seller uncertain about whether the money has been transferred. There have also been cases of fraud, in which people were tricked into sharing a personal code or approving a request that took money out of their account. Experts suggest that the benefits of digital payments can be protected only if users are made aware of basic safety rules. A person should never share a password or a one-time code, even with someone who claims to be calling from a bank. Requests to receive money should never require the receiver to enter a code. Shopkeepers should check the confirmation message before handing over goods, rather than relying on the screen of the customer's phone. Training camps held by banks and local bodies have helped many people to learn these habits. It is likely that cash will remain in use for many years, particularly for small amounts and in areas with weak networks. Yet the steady rise of digital payments shows that convenience, when combined with trust, can change long-standing habits in a very short time.

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SSC CGL typing test at a glance

Test nameData Entry Speed Test (DEST)
PostsTax Assistant in CBIC and CBDT
WhenWith Tier-II: Module II of Section III of Paper I
Duration15 minutes
PassageEnglish, about 2,000 key depressions
Standard8,000 key depressions per hour (about 27 wpm)
StatusQualifying only. No marks are added to your merit.
ExemptionsSome PwD candidates get extra time or an exemption, as set out in the notification

How this test scores DEST

DEST counts key depressions, not words. Every letter, number, punctuation mark and space you type is one key depression. The standard of 8,000 per hour works out to 2,000 in the 15-minute test, or about 133 every minute.

This practice test shows your net key depressions per hour. It takes your total key depressions, removes five for every full mistake and two and a half for every half mistake, then scales the result to an hour. Compare that number with 8,000.

Minimum checkpoints for a 15-minute run

If you are below these totals at each point, you will end under 2,000. Note them during practice, not on exam day:

  • After 5 minutes: at least 667 key depressions.
  • After 10 minutes: at least 1,333 key depressions.
  • At 15 minutes: at least 2,000, ideally 2,300 or more to absorb mistakes.

Why 27 wpm is harder than it sounds

Most candidates can touch 27 wpm in a one-minute test. DEST asks you to hold that pace for 15 minutes on an unfamiliar passage, with accuracy, at a centre keyboard you have never used. Speed usually drops in the last five minutes, which is why this test defaults to the full 15 minutes.

If you are also preparing for SSC CHSL, train to its higher figure of 35 wpm. That comfortably covers the DEST standard as well.

DEST or CPT: which one is yours?

DEST applies to Tax Assistant posts. Assistant Section Officer and some other posts take the Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) instead, which checks word processing, spreadsheets and slides rather than typing speed alone. Check the post-wise skill test table in your notification before you start preparing.

Is your score enough for SSC CGL?

Take the full 15-minute test above, then find your result here.

Net key depressions in 15 minRisk on exam dayWhat to do next
Below 1,750HighBuild stamina: two full 15-minute runs a week, plus short daily drills.
1,750 to 1,999HighYou are close. Cut mistakes first, as each one costs about five key depressions.
2,000 to 2,249ModerateYou pass with no margin. Add 50 to 100 a week on fresh passages.
2,250 to 2,500LowKeep it with full-length runs in exam conditions.
Above 2,500Very lowProtect accuracy and practise unfamiliar topics.

How to practise for the SSC CGL typing test

  1. Run the full 15 minutesUse the exam duration. Short tests hide the slowdown that fails most candidates.
  2. Read net KDPH, not grossYour net key depressions per hour must stay above 8,000 after mistakes are removed.
  3. Check the checkpointsNote your totals at 5 and 10 minutes. A slow start rarely recovers later.
  4. Practise new topicsDEST passages are general English prose, so rotate topics instead of repeating one text.

SSC CGL typing test: questions

Can I practise the SSC CGL DEST online for free?

Yes. This page runs a free 15-minute DEST-style test in English, with no sign-up. It reports your net key depressions per hour and marks every full and half mistake.

When is DEST held in SSC CGL?

DEST is held with Tier-II as Module II of Section III of Paper I. Only candidates who have opted for or are being considered for Tax Assistant posts need to qualify in it.

Do spaces count as key depressions in DEST?

Yes. Spaces and punctuation are key depressions, just like letters. This practice test counts them the same way.

What result in this test means I am ready for DEST?

Aim for at least 2,300 net key depressions in 15 minutes, which is about 9,200 per hour, across several different passages. That leaves room for exam-day nerves and an unfamiliar keyboard.

Is any candidate exempt from DEST?

Some candidates with benchmark disabilities get compensatory time, and certain categories can be exempted on producing the certificate prescribed in the notification. Check the PwD provisions in your cycle's notice.

Figures follow the Staff Selection Commission's CGL notices. Skill test rules, posts and relaxations can change between cycles, so always confirm in your official notification and the instructions with your admit card.

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