Tamil Typewriter Typing Test

The Tamil Typewriter keyboard layout is a digital reproduction of the key arrangement used on traditional mechanical Tamil typewriters. Physical Tamil typewriters placed characters in a specific fixed pattern that was optimised for the typewriter mechanism — and this layout preserves that arrangement exactly.

The digital version, known as vm_tamil_typewriter, was developed by Visual Media and made available through SIL Keyman as a free keyboard driver for Windows and macOS. ^[1]

Unlike Tamil99 (which places vowels on the left, consonants on the right) or InScript (which follows a pan-India Indic standard), the Typewriter layout uses Shift + key combinations to produce extended vowel forms of consonants — directly mirroring how a typist would have engaged the Shift lever on a mechanical machine.

The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Technical Education (TNDTE) conducts government technical examinations in typewriting twice a year — in the months of April and October. ^[2] Both Junior Grade and Senior Grade examinations have historically been associated with the typewriter layout.

Junior Grade Tamil Typewriting: Minimum 25–30 WPM. This is a standalone qualification for basic clerical posts. ^[2]

Senior Grade Tamil Typewriting: Minimum 35–40 WPM. The Senior Grade certificate is the mandatory qualification for TNPSC Typist recruitment posts. ^[2]

Note: Always verify the keyboard layout specified in the most recent TNDTE or TNPSC recruitment notification, as some centres may use Tamil99 instead of the typewriter layout at digital exam stations.

The three layouts differ in origin, key placement, and exam usage:

Tamil Typewriter: Based on mechanical typewriter conventions (pre-digital). Uses Shift + key for extended vowel forms. Harder to learn from scratch but familiar to those trained on physical typewriters. Required for TNDTE and some legacy judicial tests.

Tamil99: Designed in 1999 by the Tamil Nadu government. Phonetically logical — vowels on the left, consonants on the right, pulli on F. The everyday standard in Tamil Nadu state government offices. Easier to learn for new typists.

Tamil InScript: The Government of India standard (BIS IS 13194). Built into all operating systems. Used at many TNPSC physical exam centres. Shares key positions across all 12 supported Indic scripts.

If your exam notification specifies the typewriter layout, only typewriter practice will prepare you — the key mappings are fundamentally different from Tamil99 and InScript.

TNDTE sets different speed requirements for Junior and Senior Grade typewriting examinations:

Junior Grade Tamil Typewriting: Minimum 25–30 WPM. Adequate for basic government clerical posts. ^[2]

Senior Grade Tamil Typewriting: Minimum 35–40 WPM. The Senior Grade certificate is mandatory for TNPSC Typist post recruitment. ^{[2] [3]}

Accuracy: Both grades require a minimum of 95% accuracy. With the typewriter layout, errors are harder to mask — so accuracy training is as important as speed.

Use this typing test's built-in timer and results panel to track your progress toward the target WPM and accuracy.

The Typewriter layout is considered harder for three reasons:

1. Shift-key combinations: Producing extended vowel forms (ஆ, ஈ, ஊ, ஏ, ஐ, ஓ, ஔ) requires holding Shift while pressing the consonant key — a two-hand coordination that is more complex than the separate keystroke approach in Tamil99 or InScript.

2. No phonetic logic: The key positions were determined by the mechanical typewriter's platen and basket arrangement, not by phonetic groupings. So vowels and consonants are not grouped left-right as in Tamil99.

3. More total keystrokes: Certain characters that are one key in Tamil99 or InScript require two keystrokes (Shift combination) in the Typewriter layout, increasing the total effort per Tamil word.

Despite this, typists who trained on mechanical typewriters find it the most natural layout. With regular practice using this test, you can build the required muscle memory.

Yes. You can paste any Tamil Unicode text into the Custom Text field to use as your practice passage. This is particularly useful for:

1. Practicing with official TNDTE exam passages retrieved from previous question papers
2. Rehearsing specific Tamil characters or Shift-combination vowel forms that you find challenging
3. Simulating real exam conditions with government letter or court document templates
4. Targeting difficult conjunct character combinations unique to the Typewriter layout

Simply paste your Tamil text into the "Custom Text" box in the settings panel and start the test.

The Tamil Typewriter layout is not bundled with any operating system — you must install it manually via the SIL Keyman keyboard manager:

Windows:
1. Visit keyman.com/keyboards/vm_tamil_typewriter and click Install Keyboard.
2. Keyman Desktop will open and install the vm_tamil_typewriter driver automatically.
3. After installation, click the Keyman icon in the system tray and select Tamil Typewriter to activate it.
4. You can now type in any application using the Typewriter key mappings.

Mac:
1. Install Keyman for macOS.
2. Inside Keyman, search for "vm_tamil_typewriter" and install it.
3. Select it from the Keyman menu bar icon when you want to type in Tamil using the Typewriter layout.

Keyman is free and open-source. The Tamil Typewriter keyboard is maintained by Visual Media and SIL Global.

Yes. After completing the test, click the "Certificate" button in the results panel to generate your Tamil Typewriter Typing Test Certificate. The certificate includes:

• Your name
• Typing speed (Net and Gross WPM)
• Accuracy percentage
• Total characters typed
• Test duration and date

Download as PDF or save as an image file. This certificate serves as a personal record of your Typewriter layout practice and progress — useful for self-monitoring as you work toward TNDTE or TNPSC speed targets.