Processing Speed
Sentence Copy Speed Task
Also called: copy typing task, transcription typing, keystroke timing task
Measure copying speed, accuracy and key timing as participants type short sentences shown on screen.
4-11 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
Free to start: 10 free participants per account, then $0.99 per participant for academic research, or any yearly plan. Try it here first, with no account.
- Papers, 2021 to 2025
- 88
- Evidence grade
- C
- Registered clinical studies
- 5
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The blue cup is beside the window.
What it measures
Measures copying speed, accuracy and key timing. Participants type short sentences shown on screen, using their usual keyboard and input method. Only numeric performance data are saved.
Constructs
- Copying speed
- Typing accuracy
- Motor timing
Research uses
- Motor speed research
- Aging research
- Within-study comparisons of copying
How the paradigm works
Copy typing measures how quickly and accurately a person copies a visible sentence. The Sentence Copy Speed Task uses twelve original sentences in each of eight languages, with six selected without replacement in a seeded order by default. A separate practice sentence gives feedback. Researchers can choose 3 to 12 sentences and 30 to 180 seconds per sentence; the standard limit is 90 seconds. Participants correct errors and submit with Enter or Continue.
More about the paradigm
The main score is committed characters per minute, including reading and correction time from display to submission or timeout. Character accuracy uses edit distance after Unicode normalization. The task also reports exact copies, physical key-hold time, time between key presses, correction keys, composition use and timeouts. Only numeric counts and timing are saved; the entered text and key identities are discarded. Paste, drop and automatic replacement are blocked.
Japanese and Chinese input methods are supported. Enter first confirms composed characters; a later Enter submits. Physical key timing includes input-method activity and is not the time per committed character. Compare the same language, keyboard and input method. Norms are off for this implementation.
Bannard and colleagues used browser-based copy typing to study errors in Parkinson's disease. This version uses our own sentences and ordinary copying measures, with no habit-error model, disease classification or diagnostic score.
Scores
- Copying Speedcharacters/min
- Committed characters divided by the total time from sentence display to submission or timeout, including reading and corrections.
- Read speed with accuracy; compare the same language and input method
- Character Accuracy%
- One minus total character edit distance divided by the sum of the longer target or entered lengths. Case, accents, punctuation and spaces count.
- Higher means fewer final copying errors
- Exact Sentences%
- Share of scored sentences with zero character edits.
- Higher means more exact copies
- Key Hold Timems
- Mean physical key-down duration, pooled over scored sentences with recorded releases.
- Describes keyboard timing, including input-method keys
- Time Between Keysms
- Median interval between consecutive physical key presses within sentences, pooled over the run.
- Describes physical-key timing, not time per committed character
- Correction Keyscount
- Backspace and Delete key presses, excluding held repeats.
- Includes editing and input-method corrections
- Sentences with Compositioncount
- Sentences with at least one input-method composition event.
- Compare runs using the same input method
- Timed-out Sentencescount
- Sentences ending at the time limit; their committed text still contributes numeric accuracy.
- Shows how often the time limit was reached
- Early Submissionscount
- Sentence submissions under 100 ms, excluded from copying scores.
- Fast inter-key intervals are not anticipations
- Sentences Scoredcount
- Sentences with valid numeric data and at least 100 ms elapsed.
- Includes empty and timed-out sentences
- Planned Sentencescount
- Number of scored sentences selected before the session.
- Compare with sentences scored
- Focus Lossescount
- Window blur or document-hidden events during typing.
- Review interrupted sessions
- Blocked Insertionscount
- Blocked paste, drop or automatic replacement attempts.
- Review before interpreting
- Empty Sentencescount
- Sentences submitted or timed out without committed characters.
- These contribute zero copying speed and accuracy
- Malformed Rowscount
- Rows without a valid numeric accuracy record.
- Review missing data
Use and evidence
88 papers from 2021 to 2025 name this task in their title or abstract, up 38% compared with 2016 to 2020. That ranks it 263 of 582 test families in our census. See the counts for every test.
Show the numbers
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2011 | 11 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2000 | 3 |
Use grade D
30 to 99 papers from 2021 to 2025.
Evidence grade C
At least 2 test-retest papers, 30 reliability or validity papers or 3 registered clinical studies.
- Papers on test-retest reliability
- 3
- Papers on reliability or validity
- 42
- Registered clinical studies using it as an outcome
- 5
Measured on ConductCognition
Pooled across the studies that feed our platform norms, by device group. A figure needs 50 or more people.
No pooled figure yet.
Note on the counts: Original sentences in eight languages; desktop keyboard; no entered text saved; no diagnostic algorithm..
How the grades work
Use: A is 1,000 or more papers from 2021 to 2025, B 300 to 999, C 100 to 299, D 30 to 99 and E fewer than 30. Evidence: A means at least 25 papers report its test-retest reliability and at least 25 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome; B, at least 8 test-retest papers, and either 5 registered clinical studies or 150 reliability or validity papers; C, at least 2 test-retest papers, 30 reliability or validity papers or 3 registered clinical studies; D, little published measurement evidence found. The counts measure use. They include every paper that names the task in its title or abstract. Grades describe the published research on this task, not ConductCognition's version of it.
Source: ConductCognition test census 0.39.0, counted 8 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
Task design
The trial sequence as the test runs in ConductCognition.
- Sentences
- 6 scored sentences (3 to 12), drawn without replacement from twelve original sentences in the session language.
- Time limit
- 90 seconds per sentence (30 to 180). Reading and correction time are included in copying speed.
- Practice
- 1 separate sentence with feedback on character errors.
- Answers
- Type with a desktop or laptop keyboard, correct mistakes, then press Enter or Continue.
- Input methods
- Chinese and Japanese composition is supported. Confirm characters before submitting. Compare the same language, keyboard and input method.
- Data
- Numeric character counts, edit distance, key timing and composition use. Entered text and key identities are never saved.
Our own sentences and copying scores adapt the published method. Key timing includes input-method activity; it is not a diagnostic measure.
Quality checks
Each session is marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason, before you see its scores.
Copying sentences has no chance baseline. Empty sentences exceeding the larger of 3 or 25% invalidate the run; any are flagged. Submissions under 100 ms are flagged and invalidate when they make up at least half of answered sentences. Incomplete runs, focus losses and blocked paste or replacement attempts are flagged.
Why these rules
There is no correct option to compare with chance, so accuracy is not judged against chance. This task measures copying speed and errors, not disease or typing expertise. Physical-key intervals below 100 ms can be normal typing; only sentence submissions under 100 ms are anticipations.
No percentile. Scores and quality flags only.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Sentences | 6 | 3 to 12 |
| Time per sentence (seconds) | 90 | 30 to 180 |
Yearly plans can change settings within these limits. Free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Need a setting this test does not have?
Devices and languages
- Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. Participant devices
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese.
- Available on: Every plan, including the free plan.
- No percentile. Scores and quality flags only. How norms work
- Recruiting online? See the setup guides for Prolific, Sona Systems, CloudResearch Connect and Qualtrics.
Cite and describe
Participants completed the Sentence Copy Speed Task in a web browser (ConductCognition task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0; Bannard et al., 2019), with the standard settings (sentences: 6; time per sentence (seconds): 90). The main score was copying speed (committed characters divided by the total time from sentence display to submission or timeout, including reading and corrections).
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Bannard, C., Leriche, M., Bandmann, O., Brown, C. H., Ferracane, E., Sánchez-Ferro, Á., Obeso, J., Redgrave, P., & Stafford, T. (2019). Reduced habit-driven errors in Parkinson’s Disease. Scientific Reports, 9, 3423. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39294-zBrowser-based copy typing; our sentences and summary measures differ.
Source papers
- Bannard C, Leriche M, Bandmann O, Brown CH, Ferracane E, Sánchez-Ferro Á, Obeso J, Redgrave P, Stafford T (2019). Reduced habit-driven errors in Parkinson’s Disease. Scientific Reports, 9:3423.Paradigm source, Adults
Questions
How long does the Sentence Copy Speed Task take?
About 4 to 11 minutes, as listed in the test library.
What device does a participant need?
Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. The browser must be Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
What scores does it produce?
Copying Speed, Character Accuracy, Exact Sentences, Key Hold Time, Time Between Keys, Correction Keys, Sentences with Composition, Timed-out Sentences, Early Submissions, Sentences Scored, Planned Sentences, Focus Losses, Blocked Insertions, Empty Sentences and Malformed Rows. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
How widely is the Sentence Copy Speed Task used in research?
88 papers from 2021 to 2025 name it in their title or abstract, up 38% compared with 2016 to 2020. That ranks it 263 of 582 test families in the ConductCognition test census (use grade D). Source: ConductCognition test census 0.39.0, counted 8 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
How much reliability evidence does the Sentence Copy Speed Task have?
In the published research, 3 papers report its test-retest reliability and 5 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome (evidence grade C in the ConductCognition test census).
Does it report a percentile?
No. Scores and quality flags only.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Sentences (3 to 12) and time per sentence (seconds) (30 to 180). Settings can be changed on yearly plans; free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Which languages can participants use?
Participants can take this test in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese, with its words in the same language. English is on every plan, and the other languages come with yearly plans. Have a native speaker read the machine-translated text before launch.
Is this a clinical test?
No. ConductCognition is for research use only. It runs, scores and exports the test; clinical interpretation is outside the platform.
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