A legal copy typing test measures how quickly and accurately someone can type legal documents, including drafts marked up with amendments. This guide explains how the test works, how speed and accuracy are calculated, why accuracy matters so much in legal work, and how firms can use the results.

Why typing accuracy matters in legal work

Legal secretaries, paralegals and legal administrators produce letters, contracts and court documents where one wrong word can change the meaning. A missed "not", a wrong date or a misspelled name is more than a cosmetic slip: it can cause delay, cost and embarrassment for the firm and its client. Fast typing is useful, but accurate typing is essential.

Legal typing also involves more than copying clean text. Much of the work is updating drafts that a fee earner has marked up by hand or with tracked changes, so the typist must follow the amendments correctly as well as type them.

How the Viewpoint Legal Copy Typing Test works

The Viewpoint Legal Copy Typing Test uses two solicitor's letters, with 5 minutes for each:

• Document 1 is a clean solicitor's letter to copy (186 words).

• Document 2 is a marked-up draft to type with the amendments made (160 words).

Candidates type into a box beneath the document. Copying and pasting are blocked, and many parallel versions are used, picked at random, so candidates cannot learn the documents in advance.

How speed and accuracy are calculated

Typing tests usually report three figures:

• Gross speed: all the words typed, divided by the minutes taken.

• Accuracy: the percentage of words typed correctly.

• Net speed: speed after taking errors into account, which is the more useful figure for employers.

The following is a generic illustration written for this article. Suppose someone types 250 words in 5 minutes, and 5 of those words contain errors. Gross speed is 250 ÷ 5 = 50 words per minute. Accuracy is 245 ÷ 250 = 98%. If each error word is deducted, net speed is 245 ÷ 5 = 49 words per minute.

Accuracy of 98% is the standard widely used in UK keyboarding qualifications, so the Viewpoint report compares each candidate's accuracy with that standard. Speed and accuracy are each shown with a score band from Very Low to Very High.

What the report shows, and what it doesn't

The report gives net typing speed and accuracy, the score band for each, and the comparison with the 98% standard. It shows scores and counts only: the letters and the candidate's typing are never included. It comes in two versions, an Assessor Report with interview questions and a Candidate Report with development suggestions.

Using a legal copy typing test well

For law firms and legal departments, the test gives an objective, consistent measure of a core skill for secretarial and support roles. It works well as an early stage before interview, or alongside a Legal Comprehension Test for roles that also involve checking documents. Look at speed and accuracy together: a slightly slower typist with very high accuracy may be more valuable than a faster one who makes more mistakes.

For candidates, accuracy comes first. Read the marked-up draft carefully before you start typing, make every amendment shown, and proofread if you have time left. Don't sacrifice accuracy for speed.

See the Legal Copy Typing Test page, our Paralegal SJT, or our guide to legal comprehension tests.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Viewpoint Legal Copy Typing Test take?

Two documents of 5 minutes each, so 10 minutes of typing in total.

Can I copy and paste?

No. Copying and pasting are blocked, so every word must be typed.

What accuracy should I aim for?

The report compares accuracy with the 98% standard widely used in UK keyboarding qualifications.

Will my typing appear in the report?

No. Reports show scores and counts only, never the letters or the typed text.