SRS Stopwatch
- to time your reading!
Get Ready to Take Your Test
Donβt forget to complete your warm-up exercises beforehand to get the most accurate measure of your current reading speed and comprehension. - You can use this FREE Speed Reading Exercise - with a 60-second reading timer to warm up!
- On Paper: Download the PDF and print it out. I highly encourage you to do this for the best experience.
- On Screen: When taking the test on your PC, Mac, phone, or tablet, itβs important to create the best reading environment for accurate results. Use your browserβs reading mode for a focused, distraction-free experience:
- Press F9 in Edge or Firefox.
- In Opera, click 'Enter Reading Mode' in the address bar.
- In Vivaldi, select 'Reader View'.
- For more help on this, check out my blog: www.SRSTips.com/browser.
Timing Your Reading
Use the stopwatch above to time your reading session. Start the timer only when youβre ready, and have a pencil or pen handy to jot down your final time at the end of the reading.
Next Steps
Head to the comprehension quiz to answer the questions and discover how much of the information you retained.
How Fast Did You Read?
To find out how fast you read in the test you need to find the number beside the name of the test -Β Example: William Shakespeare (2045) - means that there are 2045 words in that test. Use this number, having your timing from the test written down, in minutes and seconds - and head to www.SRSTips.com/calcΒ where you can easily find out how fast you were reading.
By following these steps, youβll stay focused, accurately gauge your reading speed, and set a strong foundation for improving both speed and comprehension.
Have you tried this yet?
You now know your WPM speed in your test:Β The SRS Reading Skills Assessment & Diagnostic Test - tells you what to do with it β and whether speed is even the right thing to focus on first.
Not sure where your reading is right now? Five minutes, twelve questions. The diagnostic tells you exactly where you stand β and what to do next.
Already know your reading profile?Β
Jump straight to the path that fits you.
Free β Start Here
- β All Free SRS Reading Tools, Tests & Exercises β SRSTips.com
- β Free β 60-Second SRS Speed Reading Exercise
Ready to Go Further?
- β Speed Reading Simplified for Beginners β "Best if you want to understand the full methodology before you commit to anything" β $3.97 on Amazon
- β SRS Starter Kit β "Best if you want to start building the habit today, at your own pace" β $47
- β 1:1 Private Coaching β "Best if you've tried before and stalled, or if you need results within a specific timeframe"
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Β What is this stopwatch for β can't I just use my phone timer?
A: You can, but this one is built specifically for reading sessions. When you pause it, it automatically offers to send your time straight to the SRS Test Calculator, so you skip the mental arithmetic entirely. Your phone timer makes you write the number down, convert it yourself, and navigate off somewhere else to work out your WPM. For a serious reading test β or any longer timed session, like working through a full chapter β removing those small friction points gives you a cleaner, more accurate result and one less reason to put it off.
Q: How do I use this stopwatch to time my reading test?
A: Start the timer only when you are genuinely ready to read β not a moment before. Keep a pen or pencil within reach so you can mark where you finish the instant the reading ends. If you need to stop partway, use the Pause button rather than resetting; the stopwatch holds your accumulated time accurately rather than drifting, so your final number stays reliable. When you finish and pause, the "Send Time to Calculator" button appears automatically. Note the word count printed beside the test name β for example, Shakespeare (2,045) means the passage is 2,045 words β and then send your time across. One click carries your recorded time directly into the calculator, with no manual entry.
Q: Should I warm up before I start the stopwatch?
A: Yes β and it makes a real difference to your result. Cold reading understates your actual speed, because your eyes and attention have not yet settled into their reading rhythm. The free 60-Second Speed Reading Exercise linked on this page takes one minute and primes both your eye tracking and your focus before the clock starts. A warmed-up test gives you a number you can trust and build on. A cold test gives you a number that will quietly discourage you for no good reason β and I would rather you measured yourself honestly than walked away from a misleadingly low figure.
Q: What is a normal reading speed, and what does my result actually mean?
A: The research-cited average for an adult reading non-fiction silently sits around 200β250 words per minute. Engaged professional readers who have never done structured speed work usually land between 250 and 350. A trained reader holding above 400 WPM with stable comprehension is performing well above average. But what your number really tells you is where your reading is set right now β not where it is capable of going. Most of my students find their baseline is lower than they expected. That is useful information, not a verdict, and certainly not a ceiling. It is simply the starting line you measure everything else against.
Q: How do I calculate my words per minute from my stopwatch time?
A: Find the word count printed beside the name of the test you just completed β every SRS test shows this in brackets, for example Mark Twain (1,847). Note your time in minutes and seconds from the stopwatch. Then either click "Send Time to Calculator" when you pause β it pre-fills your time for you β or go directly to www.speedreadingsimplified.com/calc and enter both numbers yourself. The calculator does the arithmetic instantly and returns your WPM. The same method works for any timed reading, not only the SRS tests: if you know the word count of what you read, you can turn any stopwatch time into a speed.
Q: What should I do after I get my reading speed result?
A: Your WPM is the starting point, not the destination. The next step is the comprehension quiz β because reading speed without comprehension is page-turning, not reading, and I would never want you chasing a number that did not come with understanding attached. Once you have both your speed and your comprehension score, you have a real picture of where you actually stand. From there, the 10-Day SRS Starter Kit is the structured first step: one core exercise, four or five short sessions a day, a baseline test at the start and a re-test at the end β so you measure the change yourself rather than take my word for it.
Q: Does it matter whether I take the test on paper or on screen?
A: It matters more than most people expect. Paper removes every visual distraction the browser introduces and more closely matches the conditions under which your reading habits were formed β and in my experience, paper usually wins out, every time. But screen reading is a large part of modern professional life, and with the right settings you can get close to your paper number. If you are testing on screen, use your browser's reading mode β F9 in Edge or Firefox, Reader View in Opera or Vivaldi β to strip away the navigation and formatting clutter. What matters most is consistency: test the same way every time, so your results across sessions are genuinely comparable rather than quietly measuring the difference between your screen and your kitchen table. The exercise I actually recommend is to test both β once on paper, once on screen β so you know your two numbers and which surface you're being measured on.
Still not sure where to start?Β
$47Β ONLINE COURSE:
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Ten days, one exercise, a novel you already know. I take you through a pencil-paced reading drill in four or five short sessions a day β with a baseline test at the start and a re-test at the end, so you can measure the change yourself rather than take my word for it.
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