Number typing practice for the top row and the 10-key pad
Numbers slow most typists down because the top row is a long reach from the home row. This lesson drills digits on their own, then mixes them into the kind of values you type at work: prices, quantities, dates and short sums. You can type them on the number row or on a numeric keypad; the drill accepts both.
Number row: which finger for each digit
Keep your hands on the home row and reach up two rows. The usual assignment is: 1 left pinky, 2 left ring, 3 left middle, 4 and 5 left index, 6 and 7 right index, 8 right middle, 9 right ring, 0 right pinky. The keyboard above highlights the key and finger for each character as you go.
10 key typing practice (numeric keypad)
On the 10-key pad your right index finger rests on 4, middle on 5 and ring on 6, with 5 usually marked by a bump. Index covers 1, 4, 7; middle covers 2, 5, 8 and the slash; ring covers 3, 6, 9, the decimal point and the asterisk; the thumb presses 0. If you have a full-size keyboard, try the whole lesson on the keypad: accounting, payroll and data-entry jobs often test 10-key speed separately.
What the drill contains
- Digit groups such as
4207to build the reach. - Short sums like
12+7and36/4for the symbol keys. - Prices and amounts like
482.75, and dates like14/6/2019. - Five and six digit codes, similar to invoice or order numbers.
Number typing test: how to measure progress
Switch to Time mode and run 60 seconds to get a number typing test score. For numbers, accuracy matters more than speed: a wrong digit in a price or an account number is worse than a slow one, so aim for 98% before pushing speed. Keystrokes per minute on the results screen is the figure 10-key job tests usually quote (multiply by 60 for keystrokes per hour).
Next: punctuation typing practice, or test your general speed on the 5 minute typing test.