English
35 WPM net, Times New Roman
Higher bar, but no keyboard layout to learn beyond QWERTY. Watch capitals and punctuation, since every slip is a mistake.
01About this test
BSF Head Constable (Ministerial) typing skill test. You type in one language, chosen on test day, and the test is qualifying.
02Rules
- 1Duration: 10 minutes.
- 2Speed: 35 WPM net in English or 30 WPM net in Hindi.
- 3Mistakes up to 5% of the words you type are free (rounded down); each one after that deducts 10 words.
- 4In the exam you type from a printed passage (paper to screen).
- 5Backspace is allowed.
- 6Hindi is typed in Mangal font only.
03How you are scored
Net WPM = (words typed - (mistakes - 5% of words typed) x 10) / 10 minutes.
04Important notes
- The typing test is qualifying - your merit comes from the Computer Based Test.
- There is no second attempt in the same recruitment.
About the BSF HCM typing test
One language, ten minutes, and a penalty that makes accuracy worth more than speed.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recruits Head Constable (Ministerial) staff for its offices. After the physical tests and the Computer Based Test, shortlisted candidates take a typing skill test: a single 10-minute passage in either English or Hindi, chosen on the day of the test.
The test is qualifying: it adds no marks to your merit position, which comes from the CBT alone. But a candidate who misses the required speed is not selected, whatever their CBT score, and there is no second attempt.
Exam at a glance
The full typing-test pattern in one table. Confirm it against the advertisement and admit card for your recruitment.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Border Security Force (BSF), Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Post | Head Constable (Ministerial) / Combatant Ministerial |
| Selection stages | PST and PET, then the Computer Based Test, then the typing skill test, then document verification and medical |
| Test type | Qualifying only - pass or fail, no marks added to the merit list |
| Language | English or Hindi - you choose one on the day of the test |
| Duration | 10 minutes, one attempt |
| English requirement | 35 WPM net (10,500 key depressions per hour) |
| Hindi requirement | 30 WPM net (9,000 key depressions per hour) |
| Passage length | At least 1,750 keystrokes in English and 1,500 in Hindi |
| Format | Paper-to-screen - you read a printed passage and type it on a computer |
| Fonts | Times New Roman for English; Mangal only for Hindi |
| Error allowance | Mistakes up to 5% of the words you type are free; each one after that deducts 10 words |
| Backspace | Allowed in the BSF test |
Where typing fits in the selection
Typing comes after the CBT. Your rank is already set; the typing test decides whether you keep it.
- PST and PETStage 1Physical standard and physical efficiency tests. Qualifying only.
- Computer Based TestStage 2100 objective questions. Your merit position comes from here alone.
- Typing skill testStage 310 minutes in English or Hindi. Qualifying - miss the speed and you are not selected.
- DV and medicalStage 4Only candidates who clear the typing test go on to document verification and the medical examination.
How the typing test runs
One passage, one language, one attempt. You read from paper and type on screen.
- Choose your languageTest dayPick English or Hindi when you report. You only type in the one you choose.
- Get the printed passageOn paperThe passage is handed to you on paper. Nothing to copy is shown on screen, so your eyes move between the page and the monitor.
- Type for 10 minutes10 minType into the test software. Backspace works, so you can correct a mistake you notice, but every correction costs time.
- ResultPass / failNet speed after the 5% allowance and the 10-word penalty. 35 WPM in English or 30 WPM in Hindi clears it.
Practise from a printed passage
This page runs in Print Mode: download the passages as a PDF, print them, and type from the paper exactly as you will in the BSF test. Marked with the 5% allowance and 10-word penalty.
Which mistakes count
Every one of these counts as a mistake. Mistakes past your 5% allowance each cost 10 words.
| Mistake | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Omission | A word or punctuation mark in the passage that you left out | Skipping "border" in "the border districts" |
| Substitution | A different word from the one in the passage | Typing "force" where the passage reads "forces" |
| Addition | An extra word that is not in the passage | Typing "the security the force" |
| Spelling | A misspelt word | Typing "goverment" for "government" |
| Repetition | A word typed twice | Typing "of of" |
| Wrong order | Words typed out of sequence | Typing "Force Security Border" |
The BSF notification lists the mistakes but does not split them into full and half mistakes. This practice test counts every mistake as a full one, the stricter reading, so your result here will not flatter you.
The 5% allowance and the 10-word penalty
Your free mistakes are 5% of the words you actually type, rounded down: type 400 words and 20 mistakes cost nothing; type 300 and only 15 do. Every mistake past that deducts 10 words, and the rest is divided by 10 minutes. So each extra mistake costs exactly 1 WPM of net speed, and typing more words also buys you a slightly bigger allowance.
Worked example: an English attempt that qualifies
The formula
Allowance = 5% of words typed (rounded down)
Penalty = mistakes - allowance (never below 0)
Net words = words typed - penalty x 10
Net WPM = net words / 10 minutes
The attempt
- Test length
- 10 minutes
- Words typed
- 412
- Mistakes
- 23
Working it out
- Allowance412 x 5% = 20.6, rounded down= 20
- Penalty mistakes23 - 20= 3
- Words deducted3 x 10= 30 words
- Net words412 - 30= 382
- Net speed382 / 10= 38.2 WPM
- Speed check38.2 against 35= clears
QualifiedTwenty of the 23 mistakes were free, so only 30 words were lost. 38.2 WPM net clears the 35 WPM bar.
TipFour more mistakes would have cost 40 more words and left 34.2 WPM - a fail. Each mistake past the allowance is a full WPM.
Worked example: a Hindi attempt that falls short
The formula
Allowance = 5% of words typed (rounded down)
Penalty = mistakes - allowance (never below 0)
Net words = words typed - penalty x 10
Net WPM = net words / 10 minutes
The attempt
- Test length
- 10 minutes
- Words typed
- 340 (34 WPM gross)
- Mistakes
- 22
Working it out
- Allowance340 x 5%= 17
- Penalty mistakes22 - 17= 5
- Words deducted5 x 10= 50 words
- Net words340 - 50= 290
- Net speed290 / 10= 29.0 WPM
- Speed check29.0 against 30= falls short
Not qualifiedA 34 WPM gross speed looks comfortable, but five mistakes past the allowance cost 50 words and left 29.0 WPM net.
TipFour fewer mistakes would have qualified: 18 mistakes, 1 penalty, 10 words deducted, 33.0 WPM. In this test, accuracy is worth more than raw speed.
The mistake that fails most candidates
Practising only on screen. In the real test the passage is on paper, so every glance between page and monitor costs time and makes it easy to skip a line or repeat one, and a skipped line is a burst of omissions. Most candidates type noticeably slower from paper than from a screen until they have practised it. Practise from printed passages and aim for 40+ WPM in English or 35+ in Hindi with mistakes under 3%.
English or Hindi: which should you choose?
You choose one language on the day. Pick the one where your net speed has the bigger margin, not the one with the lower bar.
Hindi
30 WPM net, Mangal font
Lower bar, but Mangal only - Kruti Dev is not offered. If you learned Hindi on Kruti Dev, budget two to three weeks to rebuild speed on Mangal InScript.
Practise Mangal InScriptA four-week preparation plan
Four weeks, accuracy first and speed second. Hit each week's targets before moving on.
| Week | Focus | English target | Hindi target | Mistakes per test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Choose your language. Untimed passages, typing without mistakes. | 22-25 WPM | 18-20 WPM | Any - learn the keys |
| Week 2 | Timed 10-minute tests on screen. Count your mistakes every time. | 28-31 WPM | 23-26 WPM | Under 5% |
| Week 3 | Switch to printed passages. Keep your place with a finger or ruler. | 33-36 WPM | 28-31 WPM | Under 4% |
| Week 4 | Daily full tests from paper, marked with the 5% rule. | 40+ WPM | 35+ WPM | Under 3% |
What to practise, and what to avoid
Small habits decide a qualifying test. Keep the left column; drop the right.
Do this
- Type from printed passages - download the PDF sheets on this page.
- Keep your place on the page with a finger, ruler or pencil.
- Count mistakes per test, not just WPM. Under 5% of the words you type is the minimum.
- Correct a mistake with backspace only when you notice it at once - going back further wastes time.
- Practise on current affairs, general knowledge and government text, the kind of language the passages use.
Avoid this
- Stopping at exactly 35 / 30 WPM - leave a margin for nerves and paper.
- Practising Hindi on Kruti Dev - only Mangal is offered.
- Skipping a hard word - an omission costs the same as a wrong word.
- Practising only on screen until the last week.
Practising on 91Typing
Practise under the rules you will be marked on, not on random text.
Paper-to-screen
Print Mode is on for this exam
Download the passages as a PDF, print them and type from the page. The screen hides the passage, just like the real test.
Same 10-minute marking
Scored the moment you submit
Every run uses the 10-minute clock, the 5% allowance and the 10-word penalty, and shows the deduction step by step on the result.
History, weak keys, replay
All on the exam dashboard
Your attempt history, weak keys and a replay of any past attempt are on the exam dashboard.
Open the dashboardFrequently asked questions
What typing speed is required for BSF Head Constable Ministerial?
35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi, as net speed after mistakes are deducted. That is 10,500 or 9,000 key depressions per hour.
How long is the BSF HCM typing test?
10 minutes, in one attempt. You type a single passage in the language you choose.
Do I have to type in both English and Hindi?
No. You choose either English or Hindi on the day of the test and are tested in that language only.
Is the BSF HCM typing test qualifying, or are marks added to the merit list?
It is qualifying only. Your merit position comes from the Computer Based Test; the typing test decides only whether you continue to document verification and the medical.
How many mistakes are allowed in the BSF HCM typing test?
Mistakes up to 5% of the words you type are free, rounded down. Type 400 words and the first 20 mistakes cost nothing. Every mistake after that deducts 10 words from your total.
How is net speed calculated in the BSF HCM typing test?
Work out 5% of the words you typed, take that from your mistakes, multiply what is left by 10 and subtract it from the words typed. Divide by 10 minutes. Example: 412 words with 23 mistakes = 20 free, 3 penalty, 30 words deducted, 382 / 10 = 38.2 WPM.
How much does one extra mistake cost?
Exactly 1 WPM. Each mistake past the 5% allowance deducts 10 words, and 10 words over 10 minutes is 1 WPM of net speed.
What counts as a mistake?
Omitted words or punctuation, wrong words, extra words, spelling mistakes, repeated words and words typed in the wrong order. Our practice test counts each as a full mistake.
Is backspace allowed in the BSF HCM typing test?
Yes, backspace works in the BSF test. Use it for a mistake you notice straight away; going back several words costs more time than the mistake. (The CRPF HCM test is different and disables backspace.)
Is the passage shown on screen or on paper?
On paper. The BSF test is paper-to-screen: you read a printed passage and type it on a computer. This page runs in Print Mode, so you can download the passages as a PDF and practise the same way.
Which Hindi font is used in the BSF HCM typing test?
Mangal only. The notification says the Hindi skill test is conducted only in Mangal font; Kruti Dev is not offered. English is typed in Times New Roman.
How long is the passage?
At least 1,750 keystrokes in English (about 350 words) and 1,500 in Hindi (about 300 words), counting 5 keystrokes as one word.
Should I choose English or Hindi?
Choose the language where your net speed is furthest above its bar. Hindi needs only 30 WPM but must be typed in Mangal; English needs 35 WPM on a standard QWERTY keyboard.
Which BSF posts need the typing test?
Head Constable (Ministerial / Combatant Ministerial). The Assistant Sub-Inspector (Stenographer) post takes a shorthand test instead.
What is the BSF HCM selection process?
PST and PET, then the Computer Based Test, then the typing skill test, then document verification and the medical examination. Only the CBT score counts towards merit.
What happens if I fail the BSF HCM typing test?
You are not selected for the post, whatever your CBT score. There is no retest in the same recruitment.
What speed should I practise at?
Aim for 40+ WPM in English or 35+ WPM in Hindi from a printed passage, with mistakes under 3% of the words you type. Paper and nerves usually cost a few WPM on the day.
Is this the official BSF typing software?
No. 91Typing is an independent practice platform. It follows the published BSF rules - 10 minutes, the 5% allowance, the 10-word penalty and paper-to-screen passages - so your practice result reads the way the real one will.
Official source: Border Security Force (BSF), Ministry of Home Affairs
Ready to practise?
Your speed, accuracy and mistakes are scored the moment you finish.