How the CPS test works
CPS stands for clicks per second. This click test, which some people call a click speed test, counts how many times you can press the mouse button before the timer runs out. Press the pad above and the 5 second timer starts on that first click, which also counts. Keep clicking until the pad shows “Time!”. Your score is the number of clicks divided by the length of the test, so 37 clicks in 5 seconds is 7.40 clicks per second.
The pad counts the moment you press the button down, not when you release it, because that is when a game would register the click. On a touchscreen every tap counts, including taps from more than one finger. After each run the pad locks for about a second so a few extra clicks after the bell do not start a new test by accident.
Reading your result
You get three things besides the headline number.
- Pace bars show how many clicks landed in each second. A tall first bar followed by a slide means you started fast and tired quickly. Flat bars mean a rhythm you can hold.
- Ink marks stay on the pad, one for every click, exactly where it landed. A tight cluster means a steady hand. Marks that drift across the pad mean the mouse was moving, and movement costs speed.
- Your best is saved in this browser for each test length, so you always have a score to beat.
The rank names are this site’s own labels. They make a score easier to remember and are not a statement about how fast other people click.
| Rank | Clicks per second | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Sloth | under 4 | A relaxed, everyday pace. |
| Turtle | 4 to 5.99 | Deliberate clicking with one finger. |
| Rabbit | 6 to 7.99 | Quick single-finger clicking with a light grip. |
| Fox | 8 to 9.99 | Close to the ceiling for ordinary clicking. |
| Cheetah | 10 to 13.99 | Usually needs a technique such as jitter or butterfly clicking. |
| Falcon | 14 and over | Drag clicking, or a very well practised butterfly click. |
Clicking techniques
Regular clicking
One finger, pressing as fast as it can. It is the most accurate method and the easiest on your hand. Keep the finger close to the button so it travels less between clicks.
Jitter clicking
You tense the forearm and wrist until the hand vibrates, and let that vibration drive the finger. It is fast but tiring, and aiming while you do it takes practice. Stop if your arm starts to ache.
Butterfly clicking
Two fingers take turns on the same button, so each finger only does half the work. It depends on a mouse that registers both presses cleanly.
Drag clicking
You drag a fingertip across the button so that friction makes the switch fire many times in one stroke. It only works on certain mice and surfaces, and it wears the switch faster.
Click speed matters most in games such as Minecraft PvP, and many multiplayer servers limit click speed or ban particular techniques and mice that double-click. Check the rules of the server before you rely on any of them.
Getting a score you can compare
- Use the same mouse and the same surface each time. A different switch can change your result more than practice does.
- Warm up with one or two runs, then take the best of the next three.
- Compare like with like. A 1 second burst will always score higher than a 60 second run, because nobody holds their top speed for a minute.
- Keep sessions short. Fast clicking strains the tendons in the hand and forearm, and a rested hand is quicker anyway.
Other click tests
Every test below has its own page and keeps its own personal best.
- 1 second CPS test: burst speed, scored as the best of five runs.
- 10 second CPS test: adds a check on whether your pace held in the second half.
- Clicks per minute test: a full minute with a fatigue chart.
- 100 second CPS test: the endurance run.
- Right click CPS test: only the right mouse button counts.
- Spacebar counter: a spacebar speed test and an untimed press counter.
To raise your score, read how to click faster.
Why the same person gets different numbers
A trackpad is slower than a mouse because the press travels further. A touchscreen can be much faster because several fingers can tap at once. Some mice also ignore presses that arrive too close together, which is a setting called debounce time, and that puts a ceiling on the score whatever your hand can do. If your result seems stuck at one number, the mouse may be the limit.