This numpad test shows a number pad on its own at a large size: Num Lock, divide, multiply and minus across the top, 7 to 9, 4 to 6 and 1 to 3 below, a tall plus and Enter, and a wide 0 with the decimal point. Press a key and it lights yellow while held and green once it works. The panel beside the pad reads Num Lock from what your keyboard sends, shows a tape of everything the pad typed, and runs a 10 key speed check in keystrokes per hour. It works with the number pad on a full size keyboard, separate USB and Bluetooth number pads and the hidden pad on laptop keyboards, on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Linux.
How to test a number pad
- Press Num Lock and look at the panel. On means the pad types numbers. On a Mac it always types numbers.
- Press every key once: 0 to 9, the decimal point, divide, multiply, minus, plus and Enter. Each one should appear on the tape.
- Turn Num Lock off and press the keys again. The pad now sends arrows, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Insert and Delete, and the picture dims the legend the pad is not using.
- Look for keys that stayed dark and keys marked ×2 in orange.
- Press Start speed check, type each number shown and press Enter after it. After 20 numbers you get your speed and accuracy.
- Press Copy results to keep the list of keys, the Num Lock state and your speed.
What the results mean
| Readout | What it tells you | Normal result |
|---|---|---|
| Keys tested | Keys that registered, out of the 17 on the pad | All 17 |
| Num Lock | Whether the pad types numbers or moves the cursor | On for typing numbers |
| Typed by the number pad | The characters the pad produced, newest on the right | Exactly the keys you pressed |
| Last key | The key's code and what it sent | Numpad 8 types "8" with Num Lock on |
| Press time | How long the last key stayed down | 60 to 150 ms for a quick tap |
| Typed twice | Keys that sent a second press within 35 ms | 0 |
| 10 key speed | Keystrokes per hour and numbers typed right | Every number right before you chase speed |
Number keys move the cursor instead of typing
Every key on the pad has two jobs. With Num Lock off it acts as a navigation key, and the test shows a hint naming the key it sent instead of a number:
| Key | Num Lock on | Num Lock off |
|---|---|---|
| 8, 2, 4, 6 | 8, 2, 4, 6 | Up, Down, Left, Right |
| 7 and 1 | 7 and 1 | Home and End |
| 9 and 3 | 9 and 3 | Page Up and Page Down |
| 0 and the point | 0 and . | Insert and Delete |
| 5 | 5 | Nothing on most systems |
Press Num Lock to get numbers back. On Windows, holding Shift also makes the pad act as arrows while Num Lock is on, so a Shift key that is stuck down gives the same symptom. If Shift stays yellow on the picture after you let go, it is stuck.
Num Lock turns off after every restart
The BIOS sets Num Lock while the computer starts. Look in the BIOS setup for an option such as NumLock State or Boot Up NumLock Status and set it to on. If Windows switches it off again at the sign in screen, Fast Startup is often involved: turn it off under Control Panel, Power Options, Choose what the power buttons do. Advanced users can also set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 2 under HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard in the registry.
The number pad moves the mouse pointer
That is Mouse Keys, a Windows accessibility feature that drives the pointer with the number pad. It switches on with left Alt, left Shift and Num Lock pressed together, which is easy to hit by accident. Press the same three keys to turn it off, or open Settings, Accessibility, Mouse and switch Mouse keys off.
Alt codes do not work
Windows Alt codes, such as Alt and 0233 for é, only work with the number pad and with Num Lock on. The number row above the letters does not work for them. On a laptop without a number pad, switch on the hidden pad on the letter keys first, then hold Alt and type the code on it.
One number key does not register
The number pad collects crumbs and spills more than most of the keyboard, because it sits where hands rest and cups stand. Blow out the key with compressed air while pressing it up and down. 0, plus and Enter are long keys with a stabilizer bar: if one sticks or only works at one end, the bar has slipped out of its clip. A key that types twice needs cleaning or, on a mechanical pad, a new switch. If several keys stopped together, check the cable or the battery of a separate pad before blaming the keys, and see the guide for when your keyboard not working.
Laptops without a number pad
Many laptops hide a number pad on the letters: U, I and O type 4, 5 and 6, J, K and L type 1, 2 and 3, and M types 0. It switches on with Num Lock, usually Fn plus F11, F12, Insert or Scroll Lock. When it is on and you press those letters, the keys appear on this pad as number pad keys, which confirms it. If letters type numbers when you do not want them to, that is the same feature left on, covered in the laptop keyboard tester page. A USB number pad is the easy fix for regular number entry.
Mac number pads
Macs have no Num Lock. The number pad on a Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad always types numbers, and the key in the Num Lock position is Clear. The rest of the Mac layout is covered by the mac keyboard test.
About the 10 key speed check
The speed check shows a number, you type it on the pad and press Enter. Numbers mix whole amounts and amounts with two decimals, like the figures in invoices and stock lists. The clock starts with your first key, and after 20 numbers you get keystrokes per hour, how many numbers were right and how much of your typing came from the pad. Your best speed is kept in this browser. Good 10 key technique keeps the middle finger on 5, which has a small bump, the index finger on 4, the ring finger on 6 and the thumb on 0, with the little finger on Enter.
What a numpad test cannot see
The browser learns the Num Lock state only when a key is pressed, so the panel waits for the first key. Calculator and other extra keys on some pads appear under Other keys below the picture. To check the whole board, open the keyboard tester, and if a numpad shortcut fails only when combined with other keys, the keyboard rollover test shows which combinations your keyboard blocks.
Numpad test questions
How do I test my numpad?
Press Num Lock, then press every key on the pad: 0 to 9, the point, the four maths keys and Enter. Each key turns green when it works, and the panel beside the pad shows what it typed. Then turn Num Lock off and press the keys again to check their arrow and Home and End jobs.
Why is my numpad not typing numbers?
Num Lock is off, so the keys act as arrows, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Insert and Delete. Press Num Lock once. If the pad still moves the mouse pointer, Mouse Keys is on: press left Alt, left Shift and Num Lock together to turn it off.
How do I turn on Num Lock on a laptop without a Num Lock key?
On Windows, press Win + Ctrl + O to open the On-Screen Keyboard, choose Options, tick Turn on numeric key pad and click NumLock on screen. Many laptops also hide Num Lock on F11, F12, Insert or Scroll Lock, pressed together with Fn.
What does KPH mean in a 10 key test?
Keystrokes per hour: how many keys you would press in an hour at the speed you just typed. The speed check counts every digit, decimal point and Enter, divides by the time you took and multiplies by 3,600. Accuracy is shown next to it, and for data entry it matters more than speed.
Does a Mac keyboard have Num Lock?
No. On a Mac the number pad always types numbers, and the key where Num Lock sits on a PC is Clear. A Windows keyboard with a number pad also types numbers on a Mac whatever its Num Lock light shows.