TypeGear Store: keyboards, mice and typing gear for SSC and RRB typing test practice

SSC does not name a keyboard brand or model. You type on the exam centre's computer with its standard wired, full-size QWERTY keyboard set to the English (US) layout, and you cannot bring your own. Candidates usually describe plain office-style membrane keyboards. In recent SSC skill tests a short mock passage comes first so you can check the keyboard, with a few minutes to report a faulty key or mouse.

A wired, full-size membrane keyboard with a number pad, because it is closest to what you will type on in the exam hall. The Dell KB216, Logitech K120, HP K100, HP K120 and Lenovo 110 all fit this description and usually cost about ₹500–₹650. Practise on the same keyboard every day so your speed and accuracy carry over to the test.

Full-size wired keyboards such as the Zebronics ZEB-K20, Ant Value FKBRI01, Portronics Ki-Pad 3 and HP K120 usually sell for about ₹200–₹500 and are fine for daily practice. Spending ₹500–₹650 mostly buys a smoother key feel and a longer warranty. Prices on Amazon and Flipkart change often, so check the listing before you buy.

Not necessarily. Mechanical switches give clear feedback and last longer, and many people enjoy them for home practice, but they do not guarantee a better score. Exam centres normally provide membrane keyboards, so if you practise on a mechanical board, switch to a membrane keyboard for the last few weeks before your test. Tenkeyless mechanical boards also have no number pad.

Yes, but laptop keys are flatter with shorter travel, and many laptops have no number pad, so the feel is different from an exam-centre keyboard. An inexpensive full-size USB keyboard plugged into the laptop, with the laptop raised on a stand, gives you exam-style practice and a better sitting posture.

Typing practice runs on almost any recent laptop. Look for a full-size keyboard with a number pad, at least 8GB of RAM, an SSD and a 15.6-inch screen. If the laptop is mainly for practice and online classes, a budget model with an external keyboard is better value than an expensive one.

No. In the test the mouse is only used to start the passage, move the keyboard-layout panel and submit. Any basic wired optical mouse, such as the Dell MS116 or Logitech M90, is enough; a mouse pad keeps it tracking smoothly.

Books give you passages for untimed accuracy drills, but speed comes from timed practice that counts errors the way the exam does. Use a book for drills and free online mock tests for exam-style timing and error reports.