State Of California Typing Certification

State of California Typing Test

For certain State of California Job classifications, a typing certificate is required. Most commonly, you'll need these certificates for the Office Technician and Office Assistant classifications. For both the Office Technician and Office Assistant classifications you'll find 2 forms, (Typing) or (General). If you search for either of these classifications from Jobs.ca.gov, you should see postings for both in your search results.

For Office Technician, the class code will also tell you whether the position is (Typing) or not. For Office Technician (Typing) the class code is -1139. For Office Technician (General) it is -1138. You'll see that for (Typing) positions the monthly pay difference is $60 more than for (General).

For Office Assistant (General) the class code is -1441 and for Office Assistant (Typing) the class code is -1379. For Office Assistant the (Typing) positions make $92 more per month than for (General).

For both OT and OA jobs designated as (Typing), you'll have to provide your typing certificate before being appointed. You can send in a copy when you apply, but you'll have to provide the original for verification at some point in the hiring process.

Where to Take the Typing Test

For typing certificates recognized by the State of California including the Office Technician and Office Assistant classifications, candidates should begin their search on the State’s EDD website.

Search for America's Job Center of California locations by zip code to get started. You'll then see a list of job centers near you that offer State of California approved typing certificates.

Also, local school districts, adult education centers and community colleges sometimes offer the State-approved typing certificate. Double-check that they meet the State's criteria, though.

The Human Resources department at a lot of larger State agencies will sometimes offer the test for incoming employees. However, it is always the applicant's responsibility get a typing certificate if it is required for the position. There is sometimes a small cost for getting the certificate. Usually about $10. There are some free options if you look hard enough. Remember not to go to temp or employment agencies to get a certificate. The State will no longer accept certificates issued by these types of offices.

You can start applying for (Typing) jobs before you've gotten your certification. But, you should still get it soon. The department you're applying to may not accept your application if you don't include a typing certificate.

In addition to including your typing certificate in application packet, you should indicate the speed you are certified to type on your State Application (STD 678). It is question 6 on the first page and should match the speed indicated on the typing certificate you're sending in.

Typing Test Requirements

There are a lot of places promising a typing certification. For California state jobs however, job seekers must make sure the test they are taking meets certain requirements.

The State of California does not recognize typing certificates obtained on the internet or through private-sector employment agencies. Typing tests must be 5 minutes long and candidates must achieve a speed of at least 40 words per minute.

In addition to speed requirements, there is a maximum number of errors applicants are allowed to make. Unacceptable errors include spelling, formatting and punctuation. If you type at 40 words per minute you can make a maximum of 3 errors. For 50 words per minute it's 4, and for anything 60 and above it's 5.

Candidates must meet both the minimum speed and maximum error conditions to pass to pass the test. This means that even if you type 90 words per minute (Great Job!) but make 6 mistakes, you wouldn't pass.

Certificates are valid for 4 years. Once you're in a typing designated position, you shouldn't have to worry about re-testing. Your certificate should be provided in your hiring packet when you apply for jobs that require it. We have an article for more information on this and other documents for your application package, including how to upload them to your CalCareer account.

Other classifications that require a typing certificate include Office Services Supervisor and Dispatcher Clerk.

Read more about the State's typing test requirements on CalHR's website. Follow the link for current Office Technician opportunities with the State of California, or for current Office Assistant opportunities.

Thanks for reading!

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