FastFingerRace

For teachers

A typing contest for your class

FastFingerRace is free and runs in the browser. Your class practises touch typing as a competition – on the projector or on their own devices, without students needing an account or an email address.

Cost
Free
Student accounts
Not needed
Round length
30 s to 5 min
Word lists
13, 6 of them German

Three ways to use it in class

Party mode on the projector

One device, up to 8 people type the same text one after another. A podium shows the winners at the end.

  • No account, nothing to install
  • Larger classes play in groups; the group winners race the final
  • Good for warm-ups and the end of a lesson
Open party mode

Private tournament with a QR code

You create a tournament, show the QR code and everyone plays on their own device. The table shows each person’s best round.

  • Students join with a nickname, no account (setting “Allow guests without an account”)
  • Same text for everyone, optionally only one attempt
  • You need a free account to create it
  • You can remove unsuitable entries and download the results as a CSV file
Create a tournament

Live races in small groups

Up to 10 people type at the same time, with a countdown and live lanes. Join with a code or link, also as a guest.

  • Good for group work or as a final
  • Rematch with one click
Open live races

Lesson plan: a class typing race in 10 minutes

A suggestion for a lesson with devices for everyone (computer room, laptops or tablets with a keyboard). Without devices, use party mode.

  1. 2 min

    Prepare

    Create a tournament: a name (e.g. “7b – Umlauts”), mode Standard, word list “German – Umlauts and ß”, 60 seconds, 3 hours. Keep “Everyone types the same text” and “Allow guests without an account” ticked.

  2. 1 min

    Invite

    Show the QR code or link on the projector. Everyone opens the page, enters a nickname and clicks “Play as a guest”. Ask for nicknames without full names.

  3. 1 min

    Home position

    Index fingers on F and J – the keys with the small bumps. The other fingers rest next to them, thumbs on the space bar.

  4. 5 min

    Play

    Each round lasts one minute. Whoever is done starts the next one – the table counts the best round.

  5. 1 min

    Review

    Show the table on the projector. Talk about accuracy too: typing cleanly makes you faster in the long run.

For more accuracy: mode “Sudden Death” – one typo ends the round.

Source: https://fastfingerrace.com/en/teachers

Word lists for lessons

Try each list right away. In a tournament you choose the list when you create it.

  • Home row – BasicsHome-row keys only – for the very first lessons.
    Try it
  • German – Top 200The 200 most common German words – a good start.
    Try it
  • German – Top 1000More variety for advanced learners.
    Try it
  • German – CapitalisationCommon words with correct capitalisation – practises the Shift key.
    Try it
  • German – Umlauts and ßWords with ä, ö, ü and ß.
    Try it
  • German – Spelling trapsEasily confused German words such as das/dass, seit/seid or wider/wieder.
    Try it
  • German – Long wordsLong German compound words such as “Bedienungsanleitung”.
    Try it
  • Numbers and symbolsNumbers, decimals and symbols.
    Try it
  • English – Top 200The 200 most common English words.
    Try it
  • English – HomophonesEnglish homophones such as their/there.
    Try it
  • Code – KeywordsProgramming keywords – for computer science lessons.
    Try it

What is measured

WPM
Words per minute. A word counts as five correctly typed characters, so results are comparable regardless of word length.
Keystrokes per minute
The count common in German-speaking countries, e.g. in vocational schools. It appears in the result after every round.
Accuracy
The share of correct keystrokes in per cent.
Streak
The longest run without a mistake.
Fair results
Every run is recalculated on the server from the recorded keystrokes. Implausible results do not count.
Keystrokes per minute explained

Privacy and advertising

Playing without an account
In free play and party mode we do not store results on the server. Settings and party-mode names stay in this device’s browser.
Guests in tournaments and race rooms
We store the nickname and a random guest ID (cookie) for 12 hours. We delete guests’ tournament results 30 days after the tournament ends. No email address or real name is needed.
Your account
To create a tournament you need an account with an email address. The privacy policy explains what is stored.
Advertising
The site is funded by Google AdSense ads on the home page and in the blog; personalised ads only with consent. Party mode, race rooms and tournament pages show no ads – tournament rounds, however, are played on the home page.
Statistics
Google Analytics runs only with consent.

Please check whether using it fits your school’s rules.

Privacy policy

Questions from teachers

What does FastFingerRace cost?

Nothing. The site is funded by ads on the home page and in the blog.

Do students need an account?

No. In party mode nobody needs an account, and in tournaments with guest access and in race rooms a nickname is enough. Only whoever creates a tournament needs a free account.

Does it work on tablets and phones?

Yes, in the browser. For practising touch typing a real keyboard is much better, e.g. a computer or a tablet with a keyboard.

How long is a round?

You choose 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Some modes, such as Sprint, end after a fixed number of words.

Can students cheat?

Every run is recalculated on the server; implausibly fast or inconsistent recordings do not count. The settings “Everyone types the same text” and “Only one attempt” make the contest even fairer.

Can I see my class’s results?

Yes. The tournament table shows each person’s best round with score, accuracy and streak. As the organiser you can download the table as a CSV file (for Excel or LibreOffice) and remove individual entries.

Feedback

Are you using FastFingerRace in class or missing something? We are happy to hear from you.

Send an email