Anxiety & Timing

Does writing or typing speed affect timed test results?

Many timed multiplication checks, on paper or on a screen, ask children to read the question, remember the answer and write it down. So the score depends on two things at once: how well your child remembers and how fast they write or type.

What the research says

Most timed fact checks give a fixed time per question, or a set number of minutes for the whole page, covering the full cycle: read, remember, write. Writing and remembering share the same time, and the test measures them together.

What this means in practice

If your child practices out loud, they’re training memory on its own, which is useful for building it. On test day, though, the task is different: remembering and writing, together. Practicing in the test format as well closes that gap.

Try this

Ask the teacher what format the test will use, paper or screen, and if possible have your child practice in that same format.
If writing or typing speed is an issue, add some practice in that format in the weeks before the test: not as the main method, but to get used to the test.
Answering out loud is the simplest way to train memory and measure its speed; practicing in the test format matters mostly at the end. They’re two different things, both useful at the right time.

→ With TabTabTab, children practice out loud, keeping remembering separate from writing. Some written practice can be added later, closer to the test.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-01