Keyboard speed, measured
The mouse CPS test measures one finger on one button. On a keyboard, you can alternate fingers on different keys, which is how rhythm-game players reach very high tap rates. This test counts every separate key press for 10 seconds.
Ways to play
- Single key: pick one key and tap with one finger. Directly comparable to your mouse CPS.
- Two-key alternate: two neighbouring keys (like Z and X), one finger each. This is the classic osu! “streaming” technique.
- Rolling: three or four fingers rolling across keys. It’s the fastest, but harder to keep consistent.
Benchmarks (10 seconds)
| Presses/sec | One key | Two keys alternating |
|---|---|---|
| Average | 5–7 | 7–9 |
| Fast | 7–9 | 9–12 |
| Very fast | 9–11 | 12–15 |
| Exceptional | 11+ | 15+ |
Does the keyboard matter?
It does, a little. Switches with lower actuation force and shorter travel make fast tapping easier. Keyboards with high polling rates and low debounce times register taps more precisely. Membrane keyboards and some laptop keyboards can also drop presses when several keys are pressed at once (ghosting), which shows up as missing presses in this test.
If your count seems higher than the number of times you pressed, a switch may be chattering. Check it with the key chatter test.
Frequently asked questions
Which keys count?
Any key except Tab, Escape and the modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Cmd/Win). Held keys don't auto-repeat into extra presses, so only real taps count.
Last updated