Computer & office
Typing Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for Typing
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Shorthand
Fast note-taking, used by stenographers and in office work.
Suits: Students and job seekers above 12 years of age
Duration, fees and batch timings are quoted by the head office or your centre.
3 study books in this course
- Shorthand
- English Grammar and Communication
- Typing
- Lessons
- 21
- Practice questions
- 90
- Free ebooks
- 5
About the course
What the shorthand course is about
Fast note-taking, used by stenographers and in office work. The course explains what shorthand and stenography are and how Pitman-style shorthand writes by sound, with strokes, vowel signs, outlines, short forms and phrases.
Speed comes from graded dictation and accuracy from careful transcription, which is why English grammar and typing are part of the course too.
What you will practise
Drawn from the lessons of the study books below.
- 01
Explain what shorthand and stenography are
- 02
Write by sound, not by spelling
- 03
Form strokes, vowel signs and outlines
- 04
Use short forms and phrasing to write faster
- 05
Build speed with graded dictation and transcribe accurately
- 06
Follow a daily practice plan for typing and shorthand together
What you will learn
3 subjects, 21 lessons
Every lesson of the study books that come with this course in the student portal, with the key points of each lesson and exercises to try. Your centre gives you the syllabus, the duration and the fee.
Subject 1 of 3
Shorthand
Learn what shorthand and stenography are, how Pitman-style shorthand writes by sound with strokes, vowel signs, short forms and phrases, and how graded dictation, careful transcription and daily typing practice build real speed and accuracy.
1What Shorthand and Stenography Are4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Shorthand uses signs and abbreviations so that speech can be written as fast as it is spoken.
- A stenographer takes down dictation in shorthand and transcribes it into typed text.
- Shorthand is used in courts, offices, legislatures, meetings and reporting.
- Pitman shorthand is a phonetic system widely taught for English in India; Hindi shorthand systems also exist.
- Learning has two stages: theory first, then speed through regular dictation.
Try this
- Ask a friend to read a short newspaper paragraph aloud at normal speed while you write it in longhand. Count how many words you managed, and note why longhand cannot keep up.
- Make a list of five workplaces in your town or district where a stenographer might work, and write one line on what they would take down in each.
- Prepare your kit: a ruled shorthand notebook, a smooth pen or two sharpened pencils, and a folder for dictation passages.
2Writing by Sound4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Shorthand writes the sounds you hear, not the spelling of the word.
- Silent letters are ignored; words that begin with the same sound begin with the same stroke.
- Pitman gives each consonant sound a stroke and shows vowels with small signs.
- Paired sounds such as p and b share one stroke shape, written light or thick.
- Correct spelling returns when you type the transcript.
Try this
- Write twenty common words (for example knife, phone, school, honest, thought) and, beside each, list only the sounds you hear.
- Say these pairs aloud with your fingers on your throat and mark which sound of each pair is voiced: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, s/z, ch/j.
- Find ten words in a newspaper that contain a silent letter and underline the silent letter in each.
3Strokes, Vowel Signs and Outlines4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Each consonant sound has a stroke that differs in shape, direction, thickness and length.
- Vowels are small dots and dashes; their type, weight and place tell you which vowel it is.
- In Pitman, writing an outline above, on or through the line indicates its first vowel sound.
- An outline is the complete shorthand form of a word: joined strokes plus any signs.
- Accurate, proportionate and legible outlines come before speed.
Try this
- Copy each stroke from your current textbook chapter in three neat rows, saying its sound aloud as you write.
- Write ten simple words from your textbook twice: once with all vowel signs and once without. Ask a classmate to read both versions back.
- Spend ten minutes reading a page of printed shorthand aloud, and mark any outline you cannot recognise to ask your teacher about.
4Short Forms and Phrasing4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Short forms are brief signs for very common words; Pitman calls many of them grammalogues.
- Learn short forms in small sets, test yourself both ways and revise them daily.
- Phrasing joins the outlines of words that naturally go together, saving pen lifts.
- Never phrase across a full stop, and keep every phrase easy to read.
Try this
- Make flash cards for the short forms in your current textbook chapter and test yourself in both directions until you get every card right twice in a row.
- Write a short business letter of about 80 words in longhand, underline every phrase you could join in shorthand, and check the outlines with your teacher.
- Keep a phrase list for one week: note every phrase that appears more than once in your dictation passages.
5Building Speed with Graded Dictation4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Speed is measured in words per minute: 80 wpm for 5 minutes is 400 words.
- Graded dictation raises the speed step by step, about 10 wpm at a time.
- Stretch with a faster passage, then settle with an accurate one at your comfortable speed.
- If you miss a word, leave a gap and keep writing; never stop mid-dictation.
Try this
- Mark a 300-word passage every 15 words and ask a classmate to read it to you at 60 wpm, reaching each mark every 15 seconds.
- Take one passage three times, at your normal speed, then 10 wpm faster, then 20 wpm faster, and note how your outlines change.
- Record yourself reading a business letter at a steady 50 wpm and use the recording for dictation practice at home.
6Accuracy and Transcription4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Transcription turns shorthand notes into correct, complete and well laid-out typed text.
- Read the whole passage first and use the context to decide unclear outlines.
- Common errors are omissions, substitutions, additions, spellings and figures.
- Spell check can miss correctly spelt wrong words, so always proofread.
- Error percentage = mistakes divided by total words, multiplied by 100.
Try this
- Take a 200-word dictation, transcribe it on the computer, and calculate your error percentage by comparing it with the printed passage.
- Type ten sentences that each contain a confusing pair (their/there, affect/effect, form/from, principal/principle) and check which ones spell check would not flag.
- Start a names-and-terms list for one type of matter (office letters, court work or accounts) and add five correct spellings to it every day for a week.
7A Daily Practice Plan: Typing and Shorthand Together4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Transcription is done on a computer, so typing speed and accuracy matter as much as shorthand.
- A balanced daily plan covers warm-up, reading, theory, dictation, transcription and error drill.
- An error notebook catches the outlines you get wrong again and again.
- Track your speed and error percentage weekly in a progress register.
- Steady daily practice beats occasional long sessions.
Try this
- Follow the sample daily plan for one full week and record your speed and error percentage on the last day.
- Start an error notebook today: write five outlines you got wrong this week and practise each in a row of ten.
- Time yourself typing a 300-word printed passage on the computer, then type it again from your own shorthand notes of the same passage and compare the times.
Glossary: 25 key terms of Shorthand
- Consonant stroke
- The basic straight or curved line that stands for a consonant sound in shorthand.
- Contraction
- In Pitman shorthand, a shortened outline used for a common longer word.
- Dictation
- Reading a passage aloud at a set speed for someone to take down.
- Diphthong
- A double vowel sound, such as the sound in "boy" or "now", which has its own sign in Pitman shorthand.
- Error percentage
- The number of mistakes divided by the number of words in a passage, multiplied by 100.
- Graded dictation
- Dictation practice at speeds that rise step by step.
- Grammalogue
- In Pitman shorthand, a frequent word that is written with a single sign.
- Halving
- In Pitman shorthand, writing a stroke at half its normal length to add a T or D sound.
- Logogram
- A single sign that stands for a whole word.
- Longhand
- Ordinary handwriting in which every word is spelt out in full.
- Omission
- A transcription error in which a dictated word or phrase is left out.
- Outline
- The complete shorthand form of a word.
- Phonetic
- Based on the sounds of speech rather than on spelling.
- Phrasing
- Joining the outlines of two or more words without lifting the pen.
- Pitman shorthand
- A phonetic shorthand system created by Sir Isaac Pitman and widely taught for English in India.
- Position writing
- In Pitman shorthand, writing an outline above, on or through the line to indicate its first vowel sound.
- Proofreading
- Checking a typed transcript carefully for mistakes against the notes.
- Short form
- A special brief sign for a very common word.
- Shorthand
- A fast writing method that uses signs and abbreviations for sounds, words and phrases.
- Stenographer
- A person who takes down speech in shorthand and transcribes it into typed text.
- Stenography
- The skill of writing in shorthand and transcribing the notes into ordinary text.
- Substitution
- A transcription error in which a wrong word is typed in place of the dictated one.
- Transcription
- Converting shorthand notes into ordinary text, usually typed on a computer.
- Vowel sign
- A small dot or dash written beside a stroke to show a vowel sound.
- Words per minute (wpm)
- The usual measure of shorthand and typing speed.
Subject 2 of 3
English Grammar and Communication
Build correct, confident English: parts of speech, tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, voice and reported speech, the common errors Hindi speakers make, and phrases for interviews and the office.
1Parts of Speech4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- English has eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
- Uncountable nouns such as advice and information have no plural.
- Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
- Good is an adjective; well is its adverb.
- A word's part of speech depends on its job in the sentence.
Try this
- Type five sentences about your daily routine in a word processor and colour every noun blue, every verb red and every adjective green using the font colour tool.
- Make a table of the eight parts of speech with three examples of each taken from a newspaper article or a story, and write one sentence of your own for each part of speech.
- Write pairs of sentences in which the same word does two different jobs, such as email as a verb and as a noun, for five words including after, fast and work.
2The Twelve Tenses4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Present, past and future each have simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous forms.
- Do not use a definite past time, such as yesterday, with the present perfect.
- After do, does or did, use the base form of the verb.
- State verbs such as know and own are not normally used in continuous forms.
- After when, before and as soon as, use a present tense for the future.
Try this
- Write one sentence about your own life in each of the 12 tenses using the same verb, such as study, and arrange them in a table like the one in the lesson.
- Make a list of 20 irregular verbs with their three forms, such as go, went, gone, and test yourself with a partner until you can say all of them without looking.
- Write ten incorrect sentences that break the lesson's rules that save marks, swap them with a partner, and correct each other's sentences, naming the rule each one broke.
3Articles and Prepositions4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Choose a or an by the sound that follows: an hour, a university.
- Use the for things already known, unique things, superlatives and rivers.
- At for clock times, on for days and dates, in for months and years.
- Since marks a starting point; for marks a length of time.
- Some verbs take no preposition: discuss the plan, reach Delhi.
Try this
- Write a or an before 20 words that test the sound rule, such as hour, university, MBA, European and honest, saying each word aloud to check its first sound.
- Describe your classroom or room in eight sentences using at, on and in for place, then write five sentences about your weekly timetable using at, on and in for time.
- Make flashcards for the fixed pairs in the lesson and ten more of your own, such as afraid of and proud of, and write a sentence using each one.
4Subject-Verb Agreement3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Words between the subject and the verb do not change the subject.
- With either ... or and neither ... nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- A number of takes a plural verb; the number of takes a singular verb.
- News and mathematics are singular; trousers and scissors are plural.
Try this
- Write one sentence for each rule in the lesson's table about people and things at your centre or home, and underline the subject and its verb in each.
- Write five sentences with a long phrase between the subject and the verb, such as The box of old files is in the store, and check each one by covering the middle words.
- Write a short paragraph about a cricket team, your family and a school committee, using each collective noun with a singular verb where the group acts as one unit.
5Active and Passive Voice4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- In the passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject.
- The passive uses a form of be plus the past participle.
- Only transitive verbs, which take an object, can be made passive.
- Use the passive when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
- Prefer the active voice for clear, direct writing.
Try this
- Write one active sentence for each tense in the lesson's table, such as Sunita types the letter, and change each one into the passive voice.
- Change five questions and three commands into the passive voice, such as Who wrote this letter and Switch off the fan, checking the form of be in each answer.
- Collect five passive sentences that leave out the doer from notices, newspapers or forms, such as Mobile phones are not allowed, and write why the doer has been left out of each one.
6Direct and Indirect Speech3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- After a past reporting verb, tenses usually move one step back.
- Will becomes would, can becomes could and may becomes might.
- Universal truths keep their present tense.
- Reported questions use statement word order and if or whether for yes/no questions.
- Commands use told or requested with to; negatives use not to.
Try this
- Write ten statements a friend made to you in direct speech, then report each one in indirect speech after said, changing the pronouns, tenses and time words.
- Write five yes/no questions and five wh-questions in direct speech and change them into reported questions using asked with if, whether or the question word.
- Turn five commands and requests you hear at home or in class, such as Close the window and Please give me a pen, into indirect speech using told, requested and not to.
7Common Errors and English for Interviews and the Office4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Remember the article: He is an engineer.
- Use the right question tag: You are coming, aren't you?
- Introduce yourself with My name is ..., not Myself ...
- Polite requests start with Could you please ... or May I ...
- Say exactly what you need and by when, instead of Kindly do the needful.
Try this
- Type an answer to Tell me about yourself in four parts, covering your name and qualification, your skills, any experience and what you want to do next, then record yourself reading it aloud and listen back.
- Write a formal email to an imaginary manager asking for a day's leave, with Dear Mr or Ms and the name, a first line saying why you are writing, a specific request and a polite closing.
- Write down ten sentences you hear around you that contain errors from the lesson's table, such as Myself Pooja or Explain me this, and rewrite each one correctly.
Glossary: 25 key terms of English Grammar and Communication
- Active voice
- A sentence form in which the subject does the action, as in Anita wrote the report.
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun or pronoun, such as new, tall or careful.
- Adverb
- A word that describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb, such as quickly, very or always.
- Article
- One of the words a, an and the, which come before a noun and are classed by modern grammars as determiners.
- Auxiliary verb
- A helping verb such as be, do or have that works with a main verb to form tenses, questions and negatives.
- Collective noun
- A noun such as team, staff, family or committee that names a group of people or things.
- Conjunction
- A word that joins words, phrases or clauses, such as and, but, or, because or although.
- Direct speech
- The exact words of a speaker, written inside quotation marks.
- Indirect speech
- A report of what someone said that gives the meaning without quotation marks, usually with changed pronouns and tenses, also called reported speech.
- Interjection
- A word that expresses a sudden feeling, such as oh, wow or alas.
- Irregular verb
- A verb whose past forms do not follow the usual -ed pattern, such as go, went, gone.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb such as can, should, must, may or will that adds a meaning like ability, duty or possibility to a main verb.
- Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as Priya, Delhi, laptop or honesty.
- Passive voice
- A sentence form in which the subject receives the action, made with a form of be and the past participle, as in The report was written by Anita.
- Past participle
- The third form of a verb, such as written, taken or cleaned, used in the perfect tenses and the passive voice.
- Preposition
- A word that shows how a noun relates to another word, such as in, on, at, under or with.
- Pronoun
- A word that takes the place of a noun, such as he, she, it, they or someone.
- Question tag
- A short question added to the end of a statement to check or confirm it, using the statement's own helping verb and subject, as in You are coming, aren't you? or It is cold, isn't it?
- Reporting verb
- The verb, such as said, told or asked, that introduces the words someone spoke in direct or indirect speech.
- State verb
- A verb such as know, believe, like or own that describes a state rather than an action and is not normally used in continuous forms.
- Subject
- The person or thing a sentence is about, which usually comes before the verb and decides whether the verb is singular or plural.
- Tense
- The form of a verb that shows the time of an action, such as present, past or future.
- Transitive verb
- A verb that takes an object, such as write or clean, and can therefore be made passive.
- Uncountable noun
- A noun that has no plural form, such as advice, information, water or furniture.
- Verb
- A word that shows an action or a state, such as write, run, is or seem.
Subject 3 of 3
Typing
Learn touch typing the right way: posture, the home row, which finger presses which key, accuracy before speed, measuring WPM, a daily practice plan and the basics of Hindi typing.
1Touch Typing and Correct Posture3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Touch typing uses all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard.
- Sit upright with feet flat, elbows at about 90 degrees and wrists straight.
- Keep the monitor about an arm's length away, top of screen at or below eye level.
- Press keys lightly and take short breaks to protect your hands and eyes.
Try this
- Check your seat against the seven posture points in this lesson and adjust your chair, monitor and keyboard; then ask a classmate or family member to watch your feet, elbows and wrists while you type for five minutes.
- Write down your present typing habits honestly, such as how many fingers you use, how often you look down and whether your neck or wrists ache, so that you can compare them after one month of practice.
- During a 30-minute practice session, set a timer to remind you of the 20-20-20 rule every 20 minutes, and finish with one minute of finger, wrist and shoulder stretches.
2The Home Row3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- The home row keys are A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right.
- The bumps on F and J help you find the home row without looking.
- Every finger reaches, presses and returns to its home key.
- Use one thumb consistently for the space bar.
Try this
- Close your eyes, place your fingers on the home row by feeling the bumps on F and J, then open your eyes and check that every finger is on the right key; repeat this ten times.
- Type each home row drill line from this lesson three times in Notepad without looking at the keyboard, then type each home row word line three times as well and count your mistakes in the last round.
- Make up five words or short phrases of your own that use only the letters a, s, d, f, g, h, j, k and l, and type each one five times at a steady rhythm.
3The Finger-to-Key Map3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Each finger covers a slanting column of keys above and below its home key.
- The index fingers each cover two columns; the little fingers cover the edge keys.
- Use the Shift key on the opposite side from the letter you are typing.
- On the numeric keypad, rest on 4, 5 and 6; the 5 key has a bump.
Try this
- Draw the three letter rows of the keyboard in your notebook and colour each key according to the finger that presses it, using one colour per finger, then check your drawing against the table in this lesson.
- Type the reach drill lines from this lesson three times each, saying the name of the finger in your mind as it leaves its home key and comes back.
- Type the names of ten Indian cities with a capital first letter, using the Shift key on the opposite side every time; then, if your keyboard has a numeric keypad, turn on Num Lock and type a list of ten invoice amounts on it.
4Accuracy Before Speed3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Accuracy comes first; speed grows when correct movements become automatic.
- Never look at the keys; use the bumps on F and J to find your place.
- Type to a steady, even rhythm instead of in bursts.
- Practise your weak keys and letter pairs with short targeted drills.
Try this
- Type a short passage for five minutes at a slow, even pace; count your mistakes and the characters you typed (in Word, the Review tab, then Word Count, shows Characters (with spaces)), and work out your accuracy as correct characters divided by characters typed, times 100, to see whether it is 95 percent or higher.
- From your last practice passage, list the keys or letter pairs you got wrong most often, make a two-line drill of them, and type it slowly for ten minutes.
- Practise for one week with a light cloth or a cardboard cover over your hands, and note each day how many times you felt like looking down at the keys.
5Measuring Speed and Accuracy3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A standard word is 5 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
- Gross WPM is total characters divided by 5, divided by the minutes.
- Net WPM subtracts a penalty for uncorrected errors; accuracy is correct characters as a percentage.
- Different tests use different rules, so read the official instructions for yours.
Try this
- Work out on paper the gross WPM for 1,500 characters typed in 5 minutes, the net WPM if there were 10 uncorrected errors, and the accuracy if 1,440 of those characters were correct.
- Take a 5-minute test on a passage you have not practised, find the number of characters typed from the Characters (with spaces) figure in Word's Word Count box (Review tab, then Word Count), compare your text with the original to count the uncorrected errors, and calculate your gross WPM, net WPM and accuracy.
- Start a progress log in a notebook or an Excel sheet with columns for date, passage, gross WPM, net WPM and accuracy, and fill in one row after every practice session for two weeks.
6Building a Practice Plan3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Practise 20 to 30 minutes every day rather than in long, occasional sessions.
- Each session should include a warm-up, weak keys, word drills, passages and one timed test.
- Practise with real material that includes capitals, numbers and punctuation.
- Plateaus are normal; slow down, focus on accuracy and drill weak letter pairs.
Try this
- Follow the 30-minute daily session from this lesson for seven days in a row, ticking off each of its five parts in a notebook every day.
- Write your own four-week plan with a fixed daily practice time and one small goal for each week, and keep it beside your computer.
- For one week, type one piece of real material each day, such as a leave application, an address with a PIN code or the details of a short invoice, to practise capitals, numbers and punctuation.
7Hindi Typing Basics4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Unicode Hindi works everywhere; legacy-font text needs that exact font installed.
- Inscript is the standard layout, with vowels mostly on the left and consonants on the right.
- Remington comes from Hindi typewriters; skill on one layout does not transfer to the other.
- Windows key + Space switches between English and Hindi keyboards.
- In Unicode, matras follow the consonant, and the halant joins consonants into conjuncts.
Try this
- Add Hindi and its keyboard in Windows Settings, switch to it with Windows key + Space, and type the words कमल, घर, नमक and सरल in Notepad, finding each letter with an Inscript key chart or the Windows On-Screen Keyboard (Windows key + Ctrl + O), which shows the Hindi letter on every key.
- Type the words पानी, किताब, दूध, मेला and गुलाब, remembering that every matra, including the short i matra, is typed after its consonant.
- Type the conjuncts क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ using the halant, then copy your Hindi words into an email or chat message to check that the Unicode text appears correctly on another device.
Glossary: 25 key terms of Typing
- Accuracy
- The share of characters typed correctly, written as a percentage of all the characters typed.
- Backspace
- The key, pressed with the right little finger, that deletes the character to the left of the cursor.
- CPM
- Characters per minute, a speed measure in which 5 CPM equals 1 WPM because a standard word is 5 characters.
- Devanagari
- The script in which Hindi is written, also used for Marathi, Sanskrit and Nepali, with its own letters, matras and conjuncts.
- Gross WPM
- Typing speed counting every character typed, right or wrong, divided by 5 and then by the number of minutes.
- Halant
- The Devanagari sign that removes a consonant's built-in vowel so it can join the next consonant, as in क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ.
- Home row
- The middle row of letter keys, A S D F for the left hand and J K L semicolon for the right, where the fingers rest and return after every key.
- Hunt and peck
- A slow way of typing in which you look down to find each key and press it with one or two fingers.
- Inscript
- The standard keyboard layout for Indian scripts, included in Windows, with vowels and matras mostly on the left and consonants mostly on the right.
- Key depressions per hour
- A speed measure used in some data-entry tests that counts how many keys are pressed in an hour instead of words per minute.
- Keyboard layout
- The computer setting that decides which character each physical key produces, such as English or Hindi Inscript.
- Legacy font
- An older Hindi font, such as Kruti Dev, that draws Hindi shapes over the codes of English letters, so the text turns into meaningless characters without that exact font.
- Matra
- A vowel sign joined to a Devanagari consonant, such as the sign that turns क into का, which in Unicode is typed after the consonant.
- Net WPM
- Typing speed after a penalty for uncorrected errors has been subtracted from the gross speed.
- Numeric keypad
- The block of number keys on the right of a full keyboard, with home keys 4, 5 and 6, used for typing figures quickly when Num Lock is on.
- Phonetic typing
- A way of typing Hindi by writing words in English letters, such as namaste, which the software turns into Devanagari.
- Plateau
- A stretch of days or weeks during learning when typing speed seems to stop rising, which is a normal stage of practice.
- Posture
- The way you sit while typing, ideally upright with feet flat on the floor, elbows at about 90 degrees and wrists straight.
- Remington
- A Hindi keyboard layout that comes from mechanical Hindi typewriters and was long used with legacy fonts such as Kruti Dev.
- Shift key
- A key held down with the little finger of the opposite hand to type a capital letter or the upper symbol on a key.
- Space bar
- The long key at the bottom of the keyboard, pressed with the side of a thumb, that types a space.
- Standard word
- A group of 5 characters, including spaces and punctuation, counted as one word when typing speed is measured.
- Touch typing
- Typing with all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard, each finger looking after a fixed group of keys.
- Unicode
- The international standard that gives every character of every major script its own code, so Hindi typed in it shows correctly on any modern device.
- WPM
- Words per minute, the usual measure of typing speed, in which one word is counted as 5 characters.
Practice and study material
Study books and timed practice tests in the student portal
Students sign in to read the study books lesson by lesson, print them, mark lessons as done and test themselves with timed practice tests, every answer explained.
- 3study books
- 21lessons
- 90practice questions
- 75glossary terms
How the practice tests work
- Fresh questions each time
Up to 20 questions are picked at random from the subject’s question bank.
- One minute per question
A timer counts down. When it reaches zero, your answers are sent automatically.
- Move around freely
Skip a question, flag it, and come back to change your answer before you submit.
- Learn from every answer
At the end you see the right answer and an explanation for each question.
- Read, print and keep track
Each study book has its lessons, key points, exercises and a glossary. Print a lesson, or mark it as done.
Student login
Your centre gives you your login when you enrol.
Try 3 practice questions
Real questions from this course’s question banks. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
Which approach builds shorthand skill most reliably?
Show the answer
Answer: D. Short, regular daily practice of theory, dictation and transcription
Daily practice that covers every part of the skill builds speed and accuracy together.
Which sentence uses the correct possessive word?
Show the answer
Answer: A. My sister lost her phone.
In English the possessive agrees with the owner, and the owner here, "my sister", is female, so the word is "her".
Which finger presses the M key in touch typing?
Show the answer
Answer: B. Right index finger
M is in the right index finger's area, which covers Y, H, N, U, J and M.
Typing speed test
The student portal has a typing test with live highlighting as you type. It works out your net words per minute and your accuracy, and saves each result so you can watch your speed improve.
- 6 English passages
- हिन्दी: 4 Hindi passages
- Results saved to your account
Free ebooks
5 free ebooks for this course
Branded PDF books to read on your phone or print: the study books of this course and more. Free for anyone, no sign-in needed.
English & skills
English Grammar and Communication Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for English Grammar and Communication
English & skills
Shorthand Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for Shorthand
Computer & office
Typing Speed Practice Workbook
Daily drills and passages to build speed and accuracy in English typing
Careers
Careers this course leads towards
The kind of work these skills are used for. Each guide explains what the job involves, the skills it asks for and how to get started.
Data entry and office assistant
Typing records, letters and reports, keeping spreadsheets up to date, and handling email, files and printing in an office.
Free calculators
Useful calculators
Free tools that go with this course. They work in your browser, on a phone or a computer.
Typing speed test
Type a passage and see your speed in words per minute and your accuracy.
How admission works
From your first question to your certificate.
The usual steps, at the head office in Delhi or at an authorised member centre.
- Who can join
- Students above 12 years of age.
- Where
- The Delhi head office and authorised member centres.
- Fees and timings
- On WhatsApp at +91 97116 99511, or by phone on 011 2721 1512.
- 1
Ask about the course
Call or WhatsApp the head office, or visit your nearest member centre. Ask for the duration, the fee and the batch timings in writing.
- 2
Fill the admission form
Admission forms are supplied by the head office to every centre.
- 3
Learn in class
Attend your batch at the centre, with the course material and study notes, and sign in to the student portal for the study books and practice tests.
- 4
Take the exam
The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher.
- 5
Receive your certificate
Students who pass get a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet. Employers can verify it with the head office.
Who can join the shorthand course?
Students above 12 years of age can take admission, at the Delhi head office or at an authorised member centre. The course suits students and job seekers above 12 years of age. Tell the head office or your centre what you already know, and they will suggest where to start.
How long is the course and what is the fee?
Duration, fees and batch timings depend on the course and the centre. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre, and get the details in writing before you pay.
Where are the classes?
At the head office in Delhi (A-10, Chief Commissioner Colony, opposite Rana Pratap Bagh) and at authorised member centres. Call or WhatsApp the head office to find the nearest centre.
What do I need to use the study books and practice tests?
A phone or a computer with an internet connection, and the login your centre gives you at enrolment. The student portal opens in an ordinary web browser, so there is nothing to install. Student login.
How do the practice tests work?
Sign in to the student portal and choose a subject. Each test picks up to 20 questions at random from that subject’s question bank and gives you one minute per question, with a timer that sends your answers automatically when it reaches zero. You can skip a question, flag it and come back before you submit, and at the end you see the right answer and an explanation for every question. This course has 90 practice questions across 3 subjects, and you can take the tests as often as you like.
Is there an exam and a certificate?
Yes. The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher. Students who pass receive a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet.
How is a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate verified?
On the verify certificate page, anyone can enter a certificate number and check it against the institute’s online register, which covers certificates issued through the portal. For older certificates, or if there is any doubt, send a copy to the head office by email or WhatsApp; the reply comes within 2 working days.
Are the ebooks on this page really free?
Yes. The 5 ebooks for this course are free PDF downloads for anyone, whether or not you join. The whole library has 100 free ebooks: browse them all.
Ready to start the shorthand course?
Ask the head office for the duration, the fee, the batch timings and your nearest member centre.