Short answer: aim for at least ~30 words per minute (WPM). At 30+ WPM, typing a full 250-word Task 2 answer takes under 10 minutes, leaving most of the 40-minute limit to plan and check. Below ~20 WPM you risk running out of time before you even reach the 250-word minimum.
⏱ Test your typing speed in 60 seconds — see your exam verdict →On the computer-based IELTS, Writing Task 2 gives you 40 minutes and requires a 250-word minimum. A sensible time split is roughly:
That is only about 9–10 net words per minute of finished output. So why does typing speed matter? Because you don't type continuously — you stop to think, reread and rephrase. Your raw typing speed therefore has to be well above 10 WPM to leave room for all that pausing. The rule of thumb below accounts for it.
| Your typing speed | Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 40+ WPM | Non-issue | Typing is not your bottleneck. Work on ideas and structure instead. |
| 30–40 WPM | Comfortable | Around average adult typing speed. You'll finish with time to plan and check. |
| 20–30 WPM | Cutting it close | You'll finish, but you'll feel the clock and have little slack to proofread. |
| Under ~20 WPM | Danger zone | Usually hunt-and-peck typing. This is where people genuinely run out of time or miss the word count. |
This is the part most guides skip. IELTS penalises a Task 2 answer that is unfinished or under 250 words under Task Response, no matter how strong the English is. You can know exactly what to write and still lose the band because you ran out of clock. If you keep scoring lower on Writing than you expect, a slow, over-careful typing pace is a common and completely fixable cause.
1. The word counter is on screen. No more guessing whether you've hit 250 — a huge stress reducer.
2. Copy, paste and delete are instant. Restructuring a paragraph costs seconds, not a rewrite. For most people this makes the computer test faster than paper.
Task 1 gives you 20 minutes for 150 words — the same WPM logic applies, with even more slack, so if your speed is fine for Task 2 it's fine for Task 1.
Any typing test gives you a WPM number, but a generic one won't tell you what it means for your exam. Our free 60-second IELTS speed test gives you your WPM and an exam verdict — whether you'd finish a 250-word Task 2 in the 40-minute limit — so you know instantly whether typing is actually your problem.
Typing speed responds fast to practice: most people add 10–15 WPM in one to two weeks. The highest-ROI method is to type full high-band Task 2 model essays under exam pacing — you build speed and absorb strong Band 6–8 phrasing at the same time, instead of drilling random words. That is exactly what Typehush is built for: 156 Cambridge model essays with live WPM, accuracy and a real-time "will you finish" pacing meter.
⏱ Find your number now — take the free speed test →Aim for at least ~30 WPM. At that speed a 250-word Task 2 takes under 10 minutes, leaving plenty of the 40-minute limit to plan and check. 20–27 WPM is finishable but tight; under ~20 WPM is the danger zone.
English sets your ceiling, but slow typing can stop you reaching it by leaving Task 2 unfinished. Above ~30 WPM, typing is no longer the bottleneck — focus on ideas and structure.
Yes — most people gain 10–15 WPM in one to two weeks of daily practice, especially by typing real Task 2 essays under exam pacing.
Around 30–40 WPM is comfortable for the computer-based test.
Typehush — practise typing high-band IELTS model essays for the computer-based Writing test. Take the speed test · Browse the model-essay library