Prepare three texts of average difficulty, each up to 1,000 words long.
Set your countdown clock for one minute. You can use the countdown clock function on your cell phone or any other device.
Read the first text until your countdown clock rings. Count the number of words you have read. You can copy the text you have read into Microsoft Word and look up the word count that way.
Repeat Step 2 and 3 for all three texts. Calculate the average number of words you read in a minute by dividing the sum of the words you have read in all three texts by three.
Obtain three texts of average difficulty, each 500 words long.
Start the stopwatch and begin reading the first text immediately.
Stop the stopwatch after you are finished. Divide 500 by the number of seconds it took you to read the text. Multiply the result by 60. This is the number of words you read in one minute.
Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for all three texts. Add up your reading speed measurements, measured in wpm (words per minute). Divide the result by 3. This is your average reading speed.
Analyze your reading speed. If your wpm score is less than 200, your reading skills are very basic and correspond to the reading speed of an elementary or middle school student. A reading between 200 and 300 wpm is about average reading speed. Anything above that is considered an above-average result. A score of between 500 to 800 means you are a fast reader. If you read more than 800 words per minute, you belong to an elite group of really fast readers, which typically includes executives, university professors, scientists and other.intellectuals.
Assess your comprehension skills. Try to remember what the texts were about. If you cannot recall much, then you need to take the reading test once again, this time with different texts.
Improve your reading speed. The faster you read, the better. The easiest exercise you can do to learn to read faster is to read more.