How to practise stenography for government exams
Stenographer skill tests have two parts. First, a passage is dictated for 10 minutes at a fixed speed and you take it down in shorthand (Pitman for English, Rishi Pranali or similar systems for Hindi). Then you transcribe your notes on a computer within a fixed time. The transcription is evaluated like a typing test, so both your shorthand and your typing speed matter.
- Build up speed in steps: master 60 wpm, then 70, then 80. Move up only when you can transcribe with fewer than 5% errors.
- Practise “over-speed”: once you are comfortable at 80 wpm, take a few dictations at 90 wpm – the exam speed will then feel easy.
- Transcribe the same day: cold notes are harder to read; train yourself to transcribe immediately, as in the exam.
- Typing matters: at 50 minutes for 800 words, you need a comfortable 25–30 wpm typing speed with high accuracy. Use the SSC Steno simulator and the typing test to build it.
Frequently asked questions
What dictation speed is used in the SSC Stenographer exam?
Grade C: 100 words per minute and Grade D: 80 words per minute, each for 10 minutes. CAPF ASI (Steno) and many state steno tests use 80 wpm.
How accurate is the dictation speed here?
Dictation is spoken in short phrases and paced so that each phrase starts on schedule for your chosen speed. The live counter shows the actual average speed.
Does steno dictation work offline?
Yes, in most browsers the speech voices are installed on your device. Chrome on Android, Edge and Safari include English (India) voices; Hindi voices may need to be installed in your system settings.