Are you looking for a way to test your proofreading skills? Proofreading tests are an excellent way to do this!
But there are a lot of proofreading tests out there, and it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we have put together a list of 10 different tests for you.
We also provide resources to help you start your own proofreading side hustle!
If you excel at the tests below, it could be time to start making money as a proofreader.
Learn How to Become a Proofreader and Start a Freelance Proofreading Business.
15,000+ Students. 7+ Years of Results.
Our Best Picks For Proofreading Tests
Here is a quick list of our top picks for proofreading tests:
- Best Multiple-Choice Test: Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
- Best Check For Errors Test: LoveToKnow
- Best Paid Test: EditingTests.com
- BONUS – Best Resource For Learning How To Become A Proofreader: Proofread Anywhere
How To Become A Proofreader
Proofreading is a perfect side hustle for people who love the written word, and it isn’t hard to become a proofreader.
Proofreaders are slightly different from editors since they are only supposed to catch errors, not suggest ways to re-write content.
The good news about this unique business idea is you don’t need to obtain certification or pay for a degree to become a professional proofreader.
You just need to practice and hone your proofreading skills. We have a few proofreading courses to check out, but we have one frontrunner to tell you about!
Caitlin Pyle’s e-course, Proofread Anywhere, is one of the best courses you can take to make your business successful.
Lucky for you, she offers a free excellent resource full of valuable information. Caitlin’s FREE workshop will introduce you to proofreading and how to create a business that attracts your ideal proofreading clients.
Sign up for the workshop below.
Learn How to Become a Proofreader and Start a Freelance Proofreading Business.
15,000+ Students. 7+ Years of Results.
Proofreading Jobs
There are many types of proofreading jobs out there, and the formatting of each will vary depending on the type of work you do and what services you offer to your clients.
For example, you could proofread college essays or do transcript proofreading.
As a transcript proofreader, you will review writing done by court transcriptionists. Your day-to-day activities will be opening a word document, checking the transcript for errors, and marking comments on the side of the page.
This work is simple to do anywhere as long as you have a laptop, and you can earn an extra $1,000 per month!
How To Improve Your Proofreading Skills
To be a proofreader, you should have a strong understanding of English grammar rules and spelling. You can find out if you’re well suited to this profession by taking the proofreading tests we list below.
Proofreading tests will help you assess your proofreading knowledge so you can figure out what areas you should study more. These tests are a good starting point for beginner proofreaders who are unfamiliar with proofreading.
If you don’t get a minimum of 80% of the questions right on the proofreading test you choose, you may need to improve your proofreading skills and understanding of English grammar and language.
Once you know what you need to get better at, study those topics on the English For Academic Purposes website. This webpage has many resources that explain different components of grammar that you may need to learn.
Then, you can practice those skills using the exercises on the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) site. There are exercises on grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and even using numbers in writing.
10 Proofreading Tests To Quiz Yourself
1. Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
For those considering becoming a proofreader, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading test is an opportunity to determine whether you’d like to take on the responsibilities of editors and professional proofreaders.
The CIEP proofreading test is a one-page PDF document with many common grammar mistakes, including punctuation, spelling, and language use. When you’re done, double-check the answer sheet to see if you caught all 20 errors.
CIEP also offers short multiple-choice proofreading tests on various language topics. While these tests are multiple-choice, they may have more than one correct answer, which you need to know as a good proofreader!
2. ProofreadNow.com
This proofreading test will help you see what your strongest proofreading skills are. It is perfect for keen people who can easily spot misspelled words and incorrect punctuation in written documents.
Take this multiple-choice proofreading test and challenge yourself on how much you know. The questions will test you on what types of common errors and how many typos you can find in ten different sentences.
If you found all of them, congratulations! You’re a good fit to be a proofreader.
3. Using English for Academic Purposes (UEfAP)
Besides having excellent free resources to polish and improve your proofreading skills, the UEfAP website also includes free proofreading tests on 11 different subjects for you to try.
These tests will help you assess your skills with different tenses, parts of speech, word order, and more!
The 11 subjects each offer more than one test, and some of the tests are very advanced. This is a great website to use if you want to challenge yourself and your proofreading skills.
4. Om Proofreading
The Om Proofreading test is a multiple-choice proofreading quiz that focuses on spelling mistakes. Most of the words are homophones, which are words that sound the same but are spelled differently.
The Om Proofreading test is quick and doesn’t take long, but the site is helpful since there are links to other proofreading quizzes on this page as well. These tests will help you identify proofreading areas that you need to improve.
5. Earn Smart Online Class
Earn Smart Online Class has a proofreading test that is an excellent way to improve your proofreading skills and see how keen your eyes are at picking out mistakes in writing.
You have the choice of filling out the quiz online or downloading a PDF and a sheet with the correct answers.
This website also offers excellent advice and resources on becoming a proofreader, such as getting familiar with different writing styles and the most common errors you’re likely to come across.
6. AuthorityPub
AuthorityPub is a next-level test that is more challenging than the other proofreading tests. It will measure your ability to find errors that have been overlooked in the editing process.
Take note of the missing or incorrect punctuation, particularly quotation marks and apostrophes. Having a good knowledge of spelling and homophones is also helpful for this test.
7. New York Times
The New York Times has put together a quiz to test how carefully you read published writing. It includes writing issues that test both your grammar and fact-checking skills.
While you won’t need to do fact-checking when proofreading typically, this is an excellent opportunity to examine news-style excerpts for issues. The answer key is located in a PDF linked at the bottom of the page.
8. Edit Republic
Take the Edit Republic quiz if you want a super quick way to test your proofreading skills. The ten multiple-choice questions will take you just a minute or two to answer.
You can even take it while watching TV!
Plus, this question and answer style test will help identify areas of grammar that you need to study further. Once you finish the quiz, you’ll have to enter your email to get the results.
Edit Republic is a good choice if you think that the other tests or quizzes were too challenging for your skills or took too long.
9. EditingTests.com
EditingTests.com is a fantastic option with great features, including personalized reports on each section of testing, like employee assessments as the site is primarily used by employers to test their employees aptitude.
Being able to take a test that employers would use to check on their company’s skills with writing is a great way for you to test your own proficiency.
You do pay $50 per test, but the tests are much more comprehensive and can give you a better idea of where your skills are at and how your skills will reflect in your proofreading business.
10. LoveToKnow
LoveToKnow has a printable proofreading test that entails viewing a document that has mistakes in it and marking them for correction. This PDF helps test your proofreading skills and your reading comprehension.
The test itself is on the first page of the printable document. The second page contains the answer key, which is annotated with information about each correct response.
The unique feature of this test is that it does not indicate how many errors you are supposed to find.
This will give you a taste of working as a proofreader, where your clients will not know how many mistakes they have made until you find them!
Key Takeaways
Since you can find so many free proofreading tests online, we have outlined the ten tests that are your best bet to figure out how good you are at finding mistakes in writing.
You don’t need a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or even certification to work in proofreading and editing. Just test your proofreading accuracy level by taking these proofreading tests and quizzes.
This free 76-minute workshop will teach you what it takes to become a good proofreader and help you earn money online by offering proofreading services.
Proofreading is one of the easiest ways to earn $100 a day. What are you waiting for? Take a few proofreading tests today!
Learn How to Become a Proofreader and Start a Freelance Proofreading Business.
15,000+ Students. 7+ Years of Results.
