Express Employment Professionals does not publish a single national typing test. Each locally owned Express office decides which skills it checks, so the keyboarding test you get depends on your branch and the job you are being matched to. Some offices run a timed passage and report net words per minute, some add data entry or 10-key, and some offices also certify typing tests for state and city job applications, usually in person for a small cash fee. Ask the office three things before you go: how long the test runs, whether it includes numbers, and whether you need a certificate or just a score.

That uncertainty is the whole problem. People search "Express typing test" hoping for a fixed format and find the agency's certification page, which is about something else. This guide separates the two things the name covers, explains how agencies like Kelly handle the same step, and ends with a checklist for the day before your appointment.

Does Express Employment give a typing test?

Often, yes, but there is no one test behind the name. Express's own hiring process page describes four steps: apply, interview with an employment specialist, get matched to openings, and ongoing support while you are on assignment. It does not list a standard typing assessment as a step, and it states that job seekers never pay a fee for Express to place them. Skills testing happens at the local office, at the specialist's discretion, because the specialist is matching you to specific client jobs.

Do not confuse that with the certifications on the Express site. The Express certifications page covers a Business Office Technology Certification and a Career Preparedness Certification. Both are 100-question exams, and the office technology one is weighted across word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, desktop publishing, workplace communication and ethics. Typing speed is not one of the listed standards. If a recruiter tells you to "get the Express certification," ask whether they mean one of those exams or a timed typing certificate, because they are different things.

The second case is where Express shows up in typing searches. Several Express offices certify typing tests for people who need one for a government application. The state of Washington's typing test locations list names Express offices in Bremerton, Spokane and Vancouver as places that certify typing, with fees listed at $10, paid in cash at the Spokane and Vancouver offices, and a note that 10-key is available for an additional fee. Arrow Staffing, a different agency, publishes the same kind of service on its typing certification page: bring ID, a working email address and $20 in cash, type three 5-minute passages, and leave with a certificate showing your best score. Fees, hours and formats vary by office, so treat any figure here as a snapshot and call ahead.

What do staffing agency skills tests usually cover?

Agencies place people into office, light industrial and skilled trade roles, and the test follows the role. For office work, expect some mix of the following.

Skill checked	What it looks like	Why the agency cares
Typing speed and accuracy	A timed passage, scored in net WPM with errors counted	Client jobs list a minimum, and the agency screens before sending you
Data entry	Account numbers, names and addresses keyed from a screen or sheet	Billing, claims and order entry roles
10-key	Numbers only, on the numeric keypad	Accounting, payroll and banking support
Word processing	Format a letter or fix a document	Administrative and reception work
Spreadsheet basics	Enter formulas, sort, build a simple table	Clerical and reporting roles
Proofreading	Spot errors in a short block of text	Customer-facing documents

The typing piece is usually the shortest. A passage of one to five minutes is common, and what the recruiter reads is the report, not only the headline number. Our guide to pre-employment typing tests explains how net WPM is calculated and why a clean 60 can beat a messy 70 on the same sheet. If you want the vendor-platform side of agency testing, the Prove It typing test guide covers the module types agencies commonly send by email link.

One more difference between agencies and ordinary employers: the agency is selling you to a client. A test result is not only pass or fail. It also decides which listings the specialist can honestly put you forward for. A strong accuracy figure opens up the data entry and records jobs even if your speed is ordinary.

How do Kelly and other agencies test typing?

Kelly, Manpower, Robert Half, local firms like Arrow and a long list of independents all test, and they do it differently. Kelly does not publish a fixed typing format for candidates, so what you get can depend on the branch, the job family and the assessment vendor in use that year. That matches the Express picture: the agency name tells you less than the role you applied for.

What stays consistent across agencies is the shape of the process.

Where it happens. Some agencies test in the branch on a lobby computer, others email a link to take at home, and a few do both. Arrow, for instance, sends the test by email during the appointment, so a working address is part of what you bring.
What gets reported. Speed, errors and some form of adjusted or net speed. Agencies that issue certificates print the score and often the date and the agency's details.
Whether you can repeat it. Arrow's package of three passages gives you three attempts within one visit. Many email-link tests allow one attempt. Do not assume a retake, and read our note on that further down.
Whether it counts elsewhere. An agency certificate is typically accepted by public employers that accept in-person certificates, but acceptance is the employer's decision, not the agency's.

If your goal is a Kelly job specifically, do not look for a Kelly typing test to simulate. Ask the recruiter what they will test, then rehearse that format on a free timed test with the same length and the same kind of text.

How should you prepare the day before?

Use this as a literal checklist. It is built from the things that actually cost people points at agency appointments: the wrong format, the wrong keys, and avoidable setup problems.

Speed baseline

Take a 3-minute typing test today and write down your net WPM and your error count, not only the headline number.
Take a second one tomorrow morning at the time your appointment is booked. The gap between the two tells you how steady you are.
If the agency said five minutes, run one 5-minute test instead. Stamina is its own skill.

Accuracy target

Set the target before the test, not during it. A common, safe aim is to finish every practice run with very few uncorrected errors, even if that costs a few WPM.
Check which errors you repeat. Most people have two or three favorite slips, usually transposed letters in common words or a wrong key on punctuation.
Our typing accuracy test is useful here because it focuses on error patterns rather than raw pace.

10-key readiness

Ask whether numbers are included. If they are, practise on the keypad of the keyboard you will actually use. A laptop with no keypad changes the whole drill.
Do two or three short numbers-only runs, and aim for steady rhythm rather than bursts. Our 10-key typing test guide explains how those tests are scored.

Office software they may also test

Open a word processor and format a one-page letter from scratch: margins, a bulleted list, bold, a table with three rows.
Open a spreadsheet and enter a column of numbers, add a SUM formula, sort the column and save the file.
If the posting mentions a program by name, spend your last half hour inside that program, not in a general tutorial.

Logistics

Photo ID, a working email address you can open on the day, and the cash amount the office quoted. Several of the published agency fees above are cash only.
Confirm hours and whether you need an appointment. Walk-ins are accepted at some offices and not others.
Arrive early enough to settle in. A relaxed shoulder position, a chair at the right height and the keyboard where you expect it matter more than any last drill. If your posture falls apart in minute three, our posture guide is worth five minutes tonight.

On the morning itself, a single warm-up on the 3-minute test is enough. Do one run, look at the result, stop. Fatigue costs more than extra practice gives back.

What if your score comes in lower than your resume?

It happens, and it is less alarming than it feels. Resume numbers tend to come from a favorite practice site on a good day, while an agency test uses unfamiliar prose, a different keyboard and a stranger watching. The gap is normal, and the reasons your WPM differs between tests are mostly mechanical: text difficulty, scoring rules and nerves.

Here is how to handle it.

Do not argue the number. Take the score as measured and ask the specialist what jobs it qualifies you for. A 45 WPM result with high accuracy still fits many records, intake and front desk roles.
Ask whether a retake is possible. Some offices allow a second attempt after a day or a week, and some do not. If the answer is no, ask whether any other test the office uses would better reflect your skill.
Correct the resume, not the story. If your real net figure is 52, write 52 with the test length and date. A number you can reproduce is worth more than a bigger number you cannot, and our guide on putting typing speed on a resume shows the phrasing.
Work on the weakest link. If accuracy dragged the score, that is the fastest fix. If speed did, the plan in how to type faster is realistic over weeks, not days.

One rule of thumb about public job applications: if a posting says the certificate must be proctored, no online result will qualify, ours included. California's state rules are a clear example. The CalHR typing certification requirements say state departments honour certificates issued within the last four years from a five-minute test with a minimum of 40 WPM, proctored virtually or in person, and they list tests that were not proctored or ran under five minutes as unacceptable. For roles like that, an in-person test at a staffing office or workforce center is exactly the right route.

Where it can help is the other kind of application. When you apply directly to a private employer or send a recruiter your credentials, a certificate with a public lookup turns a claim into something checkable. Our verified certificate costs $4.99 and carries a code anyone can confirm at the verification page. It does not replace the test an agency runs on its own premises, and it does not satisfy a proctored requirement. If you are asked for a test the agency runs, take the agency's test. If you are applying elsewhere, our piece on whether employers verify typing speed explains what recruiters actually check.

If you ever need to raise a concern about how a test was administered, for example because a disability affects how you use a keyboard, the EEOC's guidance on employment tests and selection procedures is the federal starting point, and it is reasonable to ask the agency for an accommodation before the test day rather than after.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the Express typing test online?

Not as a single national Express test. Whether you test online or in the office depends on the local Express branch and the job. Some offices test on site, and some staffing firms email a link during the appointment, as Arrow Staffing describes on its certification page. Call the branch, ask for the format and ask whether the result is a score or a certificate. If a government job requires a certificate, check the agency's own page on which test it accepts, because online results do not satisfy a proctored requirement.

What WPM do staffing agencies want?

It depends on the client job, not the agency. The agency sets a number from what its client asked for, and that number is usually higher for dedicated keyboard work like data entry and lower for reception or general office roles. Public examples show the range of what is published for government jobs: California state departments require a minimum of 40 WPM on a five-minute proctored test, per CalHR. For a staffing role, ask the specialist what the client's minimum is and aim to clear it with clean accuracy.

Can I retake a staffing agency typing test?

Sometimes. A few agencies build retakes into the visit, like Arrow's three-passage package, and others allow a second attempt on another day. Many email-link tests allow only one attempt, so check your browser, keyboard and connection before you start, and treat the first run as final unless the office tells you otherwise. If your score is far below your practice results, say so politely and ask whether a retest is possible.

Do staffing agencies accept outside typing certificates?

Some do, some do not, and the agency decides. A certificate with a public verification code gives a recruiter something checkable, and it can be useful for your own records. But an agency that wants its own measurement, or a client job that requires a particular test, will ask you to sit that test regardless. Ask your recruiter before you pay for anything. If they say they run their own, take theirs. If they say they accept outside results, bring your certificate and your lookup code.

The easiest preparation is also the cheapest: warm up on the 3-minute typing test the morning of your appointment, free, and look at your net score and errors before you walk in. If you are also applying directly to private employers, you can get a verified certificate for $4.99 that they can check themselves.

Express Employment Typing Test: What to Expect