Data entry tests check that you copy information exactly, at a steady pace. Accuracy comes first: a fast entry with one wrong character is a wrong entry.
The traps are predictable:
- Leading zeros. A customer ID of 000417 has six characters; typing 417 loses three of them. ZIP codes starting with 0 do the same.
- Capitals and punctuation in names: McKay, O'Neill, van Dijk.
- Look-alike characters in codes: a lowercase b isn't a 6, and a capital O isn't a zero.
- Format changes. When a field asks for YYYY-MM-DD, "7 March 2026" becomes 2026-03-07: month and day each take two digits. An amount entered as digits drops the $ sign and the comma but keeps the decimal point.
Read the instruction for each field before you type, then glance back at the source once more before you press Enter.