PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

Is typing fast important or is better to be slower with more accuracy?

Do you know your typing speed?

Well according to recruitment agencies, speed is more important.  Having done a recent typing test for a vacancy with a recruitment agency, the post required a speed of 55 wpm which I surpassed.

But I have to ask, in this modern era of a PA, who actually sits all day and types documents to maintain that speed?

I would go for accuracy every time - I have only ever done one keyboard test for an agency; I was borderline on straight typing speed but 100% accurate; however when they tested application skills as opposed to just typing I more than made up for speed with knowing my way round the shortcut keys and menu/toolbars.

In my role I do little straightforward typing, I do a great deal of creating documents from scratch where I have the control of layout, design, etc.  Although there are deadlines to get these to press, it is attention to accuracy and detail that makes the difference to the finished document.  My motto is "right first time" because there is nothing more tedious than reproofing documents over and over again.

Cathy

Susan,

If my reply to your post in the other thread on this top is more relevant here, please would you be kind enough to move it?

Many thanks.

Raindance

Accuracy is always more important than speed.

Being able to type accurately and quickly is a bonus.  I learned how to type when I was very young and it's helped me a lot of the years.  I range somewhere around 60wpm in the typing tests I've done.  It's especially helpful when my boss wants to dictate a message for me to send out on his behalf, I type much faster than I write so I try to capture as much as I can of what he's saying and then fill in the holes at the end.

I read somewhere that Bill Gates thinks keyboards will be obsolute in ten years.  I can't imagine having to hand write as I type so much quicker than I write and my handwriting has only gotten worse in the last few years.
I'm on the fence with this question.  Spell check in word auto-corrects mistyped words (even my iPhone auto corrects in emails) so I'm not sure that accuracy is my top priority.  I have to spell check a document before sending it out.  My keyboarding classes taught me to type as fast as possible, do not format and then spell check and format last.
On a very good day I can type approximately 70 wpm - but I also do not sit and straight type documents, so my speed fluxuates.

Second that my handwriting has declined over the years.  I rarely write notes to coworkers anymore, since I can email.  If I do need to write something (like a thank you note), I actually write it on scrap paper a few times to "practice" my handwriting!

I'll go with accuracy.  Fast is great but correct is better.

If Bill Gates thinks keyboards will be obsolute, what does he think will replace them??  Are we going to be using speech-recognition and end up talking to our pc's.....heaven forbid.

Gee,

Them sort of people don't have no admins!  And probably no friends either.

R.

That deserves a conga, even on a Monday...

Accuracy trumps speed, always!

In my typing heyday (!) I was tested at 75wpm with 100% accuracy but those days are long gone!  I don't do so much straightforward typing anymore so the speed (but not the accuracy) will have dropped considerably, I expect.

I would say speed is less of an issue for me, as I'm not sitting typing documents all day.  If I was, clearly the more I got done, the better.  As it is, however, typing documents is only a fragment of what I do, so my 50 wpm vs. any other speed makes little difference in the overall time I contribute to documents.  Accuracy is my objective--I can't stand sending anything out with errors.

Speed and accuracy used to be important.  When I was going full-tilt at secretarial work, my speed was 120 wpm with 100% accuracy.  I haven't done straight typing like that in a long time, so I know my speed has decreased tremendously.  However, my accuracy has not.  When you are typing numbers, you better make sure you get them correct!

Speed or accuracy is going to depend on the type of work you're doing.

If you're an administrative assistant, you probably don't do a great deal of straight typing anymore, so in the long run, it's more efficient to type accurately the first time.

However, if you're a transcriptionist, speed is of the utmost importance.  You'll correct mistakes when you proof the final document, but you need to be able to keep up with the person dictating as much as possible in order not to lose time constantly rewinding and playing again.

In testing circumstances, if I've had a few minutes of practice first, I generally type around 70 net.  I do data entry at around 13000 kph net.

Remember, when you take a typing test, they will usually factor in your mistakes to give you a "net" figure.  So even if you type 80, if you have a bunch of mistakes, it'll drastically take your score downwards.  On a test, type as fast as you can accurately.

I would say accuracy is more important. For one thing, I've found that when I slow down and focus on doing it right, it really doesn't affect my speed as much as I think. And it certainly is a lot faster in the long-run to not have to proof and re-proof everything (and of course as we all know, you can't always depend on spell check!)

I have several questions arising from this post which are -

- are we all trained typists?  
- who learnt wordprocessing?  
- who learnt on a manual or electric typewriter?
- what are students being taught today?  
- is it more important to be taught to type properly eg. certain fingers for certain keys and to know where and what the home keys are?

Gee,

In response to your questions:

I received touch-typing training whilst I was at business college
I learned word-processing
Trained on an electric typewriter, electronic typewriter and word-processor (this, however, will be an age-thing)
I don't know what students are being taught today, but my college was the first secretarial/business college to be established in England and its curriculum has always been traditionally thorough and forward-looking at the same time
Learning to type accurately and at speed using the correct fingers is most important.  I know there may be an avalanche of "admins" who say "I type at 100 wpm using two fingers", but there is only one way to type "properly".  Using correct fingering facilitates speed and reduces stress on the joints and muscles.  Ask anyone who plays the piano.

Well I learnt piano and am also a trained typist - when people see me type without looking at the keyboard they are amazed - it's so funny to see their faces.

I learnt to touch type at school and obtained Stage I Typing.  I then progressed to college and achieved Stage II and III.  I learnt on both a manual and electronic typewriter before I had even seen or learnt about computers.  

 

- are we all trained typists?

trained to type in "Office Practice" waaaay back at school.

- who learnt wordprocessing?

picked that up as I went along - never formally trained.

- who learnt on a manual or electric typewriter?

manual typewriter - hell on the nails and didn't we all love it when the keys got locked together?!

- what are students being taught today?

Lord - no idea.

- is it more important to be taught to type properly eg. certain fingers for certain keys and to know where and what the home keys are?

I think so - others may well differ.

Like you, Gee, I get strange looks and comments when I don't look at the keyboard when typing!  It's a dieing artform, I guess.  

My 60-year-old brother (lord that makes me sound old - he is my older brother!) has in the last year bought his first PC and so is learning as he goes along.  At the beginning I would get phone calls at very odd times asking where this or that was on the keyboard, and what did I mean by "tab" or "shift" - but he's getting there!

Loved that Gem - made me laugh!

I was trained in touch typing in high school.  Graduated with a certificate for 100 wpm with 0 errors.

Wordprocessing was "on-the-job-training" since computers weren't common in a business setting at the time I started.

I started on a manual typewriter of which my fondest memories are:  trying to make my small fingers reach the top row of keys and getting my fingers caught between the keys!!!!  Electric typewriters were only used in our second year of typing class.

I have no idea what students are being taught today but it would be interesting to find out.

I think it is very important to be taught to type properly.  I think you can get more speed and accuracy by using all of your fingers.

I learned to type in high school typing class--they had electric typewriters (the old-fashioned kind with "balls"!) but I had to use a manual typewriter at home. Let me tell you, there was no such thing as "speed" with that thing! I got an electric typewriter as a graduation gift. I didn't learn to use a computer or do "word processing" until my college senior year. (Ah! what an epiphany--no more whiteout!)
I learned most word processing on the job, though.
I have no idea what students are being taught today...
Learning how to type properly and where your fingers should go is certainly useful--although people tend to develop their own methods (e.g., my husband, who likes to write stories and scripts, basically types with 2 fingers, and does amazingly well that way!)

I took a year of typing in high school.  I had one semester on manuals and one on electrics.  We didn't have any of the typewriters that used the ball.  They were still among the first generation of electric typewriters, and if you typed too fast, the keys still got all jammed together, the same as on the manuals.

I taught myself wordprocessing in the early 90s.  First WordPerfect and then Word.  When I learned to type (1979) there wasn't even a PC yet, much less a word processor as we know it today.

Most kids taking classes today don't take "typing".  They take "keyboarding".  They are taught on PCs from the beginning and most of them have never even seen a typewriter except on old TV shows.

I think it's very important to be taught proper typing technique.  As someone else said it helps to prevent wear and tear on the joints, and it requires less energy because you are just moving your finger sand not your whole arm as you are if you're a two finger typist.  It also allows you to type without looking at the keyboard, which two finger types  have to do.  I always amaze my boss by continuing to bype while I hold a conversation with him.

There are interesting spin-offs from the different ways in which people were/are taught typing.

Those who learned on manual or electric (as opposed to electronic) typewriters probably also learned the traditional methods of line-spacing, how many characters per line, how many lines per inch/page etc.  These days, it is just so easy to, for example, centre text on a page.

At the time I went to business college, new technology was just coming in to general use so I had the advantage of having a traditional training and learning to use the most up-to-date equipment.  I do remember, with some amusement now, how great it was to use tippex PAPER instead of fiddling with horrible tippex liquid, and then there were corrector ribbons which were absolutely splendid, not to mention typewriter ribbons in cassettes instead of cloth ribbons on spools.  Hahaha!  That ages me!  And don't even get me started on carbon paper.  

I would never wish to go back to the "old days", but I do appreciate what I learned.  

It's been interesting reading all your replies.  

I agree Rain - would never go back to the old days but I too am glad I learned the traditional methods.  I think we tend to remember the "characters per line, how many lines per inch/page" for the simple reason that at the time, it was important to know these details.

Just thinking about tippex paper, carbon sheets, pencil rubbers makes me cringe!

I think accuracy is more important, but you must have a decent speed with it!  I remember learning to type on electric type writers in high school.  Everyone had to take one class, my first job though was computer based.  It was a green and white Wang!   My second computer was a Mac and that was like oohh ahhhh wow.   How times have changed!

Yes, voice recognition. It is fun and easy to learn. Instead of typing, use your voice. Saves on your hands, body, etc.

Can "voice" faster than you can type. Also, allows you to compose much more easily.

I have used voice for seven years using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Plan to use Windows Vista voice recognition.

Students are learning the keyboard, developing speed and accuracy, and  formatting documents. I prefer accuracy over speed as I have had brilliant typists that could not pass a timed writing. However, when I had them use voice recognition, they passed with high speeds and fewer errors using the keyboard.

Edited by jwarren on 05/03/08 09:10 PM.

Ribbons on spools...cringes....how I hated those things.  I was purely incapable of changing them without either twisting them all up or getting ink all over my hands...or usually both!  laughs

I remember the first typewriter I worked on that had the little balls that you could change in and out to be able to use different fonts.  We thought that was just the most awesome thing ever!  Most kids starting in the business these days have never seen a typewriter, much less used one.  In many ways, it was a very different world.

I remember the correction strips, not tape, you would backspace and put it in and I would use it all up at times trying to find a good spot of white to use.

Accuracy comes with experience, surely?  I prefer speed and then manual and automatic spell check.

As for the typing, I have used the lot - manual using ribbons, golfballs, electric, electronic, wp machines, semi-wp typewriters, macs, pcs, telex machines, the lot.  It makes me cringe when people I work with and for think I was born yesterday!

Ok, here's my 2p worth.

Speed is important, but so is accuracy.  Remember spell checkers aren't infallible!

I recently did a typing test with Office Team and was told accuracy was more important, so I slowed my speed down (still fast) and got 100% accuracy - which they had never seen!  Ever!

As for learning here are my answers:

Learnt to type on a manual typewriter and used all the old things - stencils, bandas, the lot.  I disagree about being able to reach speed on them though - I did my RSA III and got it certificated at 75 wpm using a manual typewriter.
Self taught on my PC, did one Word course which taught me a couple of things I still use, but was 96% useless.
No idea what students are learning now but they certainly can't spell and as for decent formatting of a document, they also seem to have no idea (I am generalising, before anyone jumps down my throat here!)
Current speed - a question Gee didn't ask, but fyi, my current speed (self tested online) is around 132 wpm.

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

My mother forced me to take typing in high school.  Typing 1 was taught by the male girls basketball coach and I had the team in my class - wonder why I flunked Typing II?  I learned on manual machines and remember the pain of centering, no white out (remember the eraser on a wheel with the little brush), yellow practice paper, and the ribbon replacement (who didn't get red and black fingers!).
I did take a keyboarding class in college.
No clue as to what kids are being taught.
I have watched many a two finger typist!
The latest I have heard to replace admins is off shoring typing.  Sending dication out over night and getting it back the next day and the cost was about $700 a month.  Supposedly it was very accurate - nice to know I do more than transcribe dictation.
Oh and the keyboard replacement is supposed to be that etch a sketch screen and a stylist that will transform your writing into a typed form.  I still say I can type faster than I write.

Both!  My typing speed is 120wpm on a keyboard and was 90wpm on an Olivetti manual.  I learned at school but speed/accuracy became second-nature when I worked in the typing pool of a large shipping office in Liverpool when I left school (1967).  The typing pool was supervised by two lovely ladies who, though strict, were a joy to work for and taught each of us to fine-tune our shorthand and typing skills.  

We were taught how to erase so that no mark was left on the paper - but this was such a time-consuming 'trick' we soon learned to type with one hundred percent accuracy!

I must say though, that with the onset of the keyboard, I have yet to come across a proper workstation where the keyboard is set at the correct angle and height like a typewriter keyboard used to be.  This is a pain in the neck - literally!  

You want it yesterday? Not a problem!

My hubby is an organist -- classically trained.  

He handles up to four keyboards, a pedalboard, and all the pistons and stops and couplers and expression shoes........

AND TYPES WITH TWO FINGERS..  

And doesn't see the irony.

with help from P, mine is getting faster, but accuracy does suffer, mine is about 86% accurate, typing faster more mistakes, practice I hope makes perfect......