Medical Scribe Typing Test: WPM Needed and Practice

Medical scribe employers ask for 45 to 70 WPM, with 60 WPM a common minimum and 70 WPM and more expected in emergency departments. ScribeAmerica's recruiting team names 40 to 70 WPM as the general range, ProScribe tests applicants at 45 WPM and up, and HealthScribe posts a 60 WPM minimum. Scribes type while the visit happens, so speed decides whether you keep up with the provider. Below: real requirements and a practice run with a visit note.

What scribe employers require

ScribeAmerica's own articles give different ranges, one says 40 to 70, another 60 to 80 on average. Read that as: 60 WPM gets you hired almost anywhere, 70 and more makes you competitive in busy departments.

Why scribes need speed

A scribe writes the note during the patient visit: history, exam findings, plan. The provider talks at speaking pace, which is far faster than typing. Every word you miss is a word you have to reconstruct later, or ask about. That's why emergency departments, with the fastest pace, ask for the highest numbers.

Here's the thing: scribes don't type every word. You summarize in medical shorthand while listening. Touch typing keeps your eyes on the screen and the patient, so your attention goes to what's said, not to finding keys.

Free medical scribe practice test

Load a visit summary into the speed test: practice with a scribe visit note (follow-up visit, readings, medication, plan). Fictional, but written like a real note. More medical paragraphs, from easy to hard, are in the medical practice paragraphs.

For dictation-based work, try the clinic note on the medical transcription typing test page as well.

A two-to-four-week practice plan

1. Baseline: run the visit note in 5-minute mode.
2. Weak spots: the per-key placement test shows which keys slow you down.
3. Technique: 15 minutes a day in the touch typing course.
4. Listen and type: play a medical lecture or podcast and type a running summary. That's the real job.
5. Rehearsal: in the last week, one timed run per day at your target speed.

Proof for your application

A typing certificate with date, speed and accuracy backs up the number on your application. It doesn't replace the employer's own typing test, but it shows you'll pass it. More on listing typing speed: typing speed for jobs.

FAQ

What WPM do you need to be a medical scribe?

Most employers ask for 45 to 60 WPM. 70 WPM and more is expected in emergency departments.

Do medical scribe jobs have a typing test?

Yes, many do. ProScribe, for example, lists a typing test with 45+ WPM in its job description.

Is 50 WPM enough for a medical scribe?

For many clinics, yes. For emergency medicine and high-volume practices, aim for 60 to 70.

How can I type faster for scribing?

Learn touch typing first, then practice summarizing spoken content in real time. Speed without looking at the keyboard is what keeps you up with the provider.

Sources

• HealthChannels (ScribeAmerica): Typing speed for medical scribes - 40 to 70 WPM, 70+ exemplary and for emergency departments.
• HealthChannels (ScribeAmerica): What is WPM speed in medical scribing - average 60 to 80 WPM.
• ProScribe: Clinical Medical Scribe job description (PDF, 2023) - typing speed 45+ WPM, typing test.
• HealthScribe: job posting on Workable - minimum typing speed of 60 WPM.