So, you think you’re proficient enough to start a proofreading career. A free proofreading quiz or practice test will be beneficial for anyone who wants to measure their skills and look for areas of improvement.
Whether you want to be a copy editor or proofreader, the field of proofreading is vast, and you should try these free proofreading quizzes to test your level. But first, here is ours:
The Importance of Practicing Proofreading
Practicing proofreading will allow you to develop your skills in the activity and improve the quality of your work. Whether you’re submitting your paper to your professor or presenting a business proposal, you want to make sure there are no lingering mistakes.
A professional proofreader of someone from a proofreading business will check a piece of writing for common errors like spelling mistakes, proper components of grammar, and that everything follows English grammar rules.
Beginner proofreaders might start out as fact-checker or as beta proofers. This is a great way to dip your toe in the waters of being an experienced proofreader.
Being an excellent proofreader is also a fantastic way to start a side hustle. Many online clients look for a proficient proofreader or copy editor to check their works for writing mistakes.
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What Should I Look for in a Proofreading Test?
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a proofreading test.
Assessment Method
Many types of proofreading tests will challenge your skills. You’ll find multiple-choice quizzes that ask you about spelling, grammar, and punctuation methods. You’ll also find actual selections you can proofread with answer keys.
But no assessment method is better than the other. In fact, you can’t spot mistakes in an essay provided if you don’t know the basic grammar rules. That means you should start with beginner-level quizzes that address recall, then proceed with application quizzes.
I recommend starting with multiple-choice quizzes, such as GrammarPhile Blog and Freelance Writing’s quizzes. These tests will help you remember the standard of English.
Once you can perfect these easy tests, try practice tests like Michael Sellar’s proofreading exercises.
Type of English and Style Guide
If you’re a proofreader for British clients, it won’t make sense to take an American English proofreading test. Make sure to pick a test that adheres to your style guide and English variant.
Reputable Website
Ensure you’re testing your knowledge from reputable websites like ProofreadNow and ProofreadAnywhere. Look for a blogger or any English expert who has created a name in the industry.
These websites also offer proofreading courses and workshops you can enroll in before taking the quizzes. Check out their online programs so you can continue developing your skills in proofreading.
What is a Proofreading Technique?
A proofreading technique is a specific method a proofreader uses for different types of written documents. For example, business documents usually focus on the paper’s tone, voice, and format. Meanwhile, academic papers concentrate on citation styles.
Whatever your document is, one common technique among all papers is to read the paper aloud. Do it slowly so your brain can fill in the gaps and correct all errors. You also want to ensure each punctuation mark and word is correct.
Sentence structure is also an essential part of proofreading. Check the subject and verb if they are producing a complete thought. Remove any sentence fragment or run-on sentence in the paragraphs.
Where Can I Practice Proofreading?
There are a ton of online grammar and proofreading courses that will give you knowledge about grammar and spelling. But before leaping in with an actual course, test the basics of your English language skills with a few online language quizzes.
Writing tests, quizzes, and self-assessments are a great way to see your own skills with writing issues and if you’re good at spotting mistakes in writing. Take grammar tests, learn about writing styles, play with proofreading worksheets, and even proofreading games.
These platforms are where you can practice and get on your way to starting a proofreading side hustle.
GrammarPhile Blog
Now known as ProofreadNow, GrammarPhile Blog has a quiz on style guides. A style guide keeps your brand identity consistent, reliable, and ownable even if many writers produce these documents.
A consistent style guide is essential not only among businesses. Even universities and colleges observe specific styles and citation guides.
Answer GrammarPhobe’s short multiple-choice quiz to know if you can match a text entry to its style guide. It will ask questions like which style guide encourages serial commas and avoiding gender terms when unnecessary.
Portland Proof
Are you a competitive proofreader? Portland Proof lists its highest scores weekly. Take the ten-item quiz, which will appear one at a time on your screen. Just find the mistake and click on it.
Portland Proof states that the mistakes in their sentences are either misspelled words or incorrectly used punctuation. Some have missing words, while others exhibit capitalization errors.
You can skip difficult questions but won’t get a second chance at the sentence.
Freelance Writing
This multiple-choice examination on proofreading by Proofread Anywhere tests your American English skills. The company offers in-depth general proofreading and transcript proofreading courses which you can enroll in anytime.
Caitlyn Pile is a proofreader-turned-blogger who developed the short test. Aside from quizzes and courses, the Proofread Anywhere founder also has ebooks and workshops about starting and keeping a freelancing career.
Michael Sellars and Jeff Fullerton
Michael Sellars offers The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course about the basics of proofreading and building a career. While the online program costs a few bucks, they also provide free proofreading exercises to practice your skills.
They developed twenty proofreading exercises to simulate actual proofreading work you might encounter in your career. You will be dealing with several errors on each selection, so keep your vision sharp.
Earn Smart Online Class
Earn Smart Online Class has a convenient quiz that will test your general knowledge of English. Are you competent enough to know the writing conventions and grammar rules of the language?
This proofreading test only includes 20 questions made on a Google Form. Just mark the sentence written correctly.
Earn Smart Online Class also recommends Proofreading workshops and courses, such as Caitlyn Pile’s Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice and Proofread Anywhere Workshop.
Sporcle
Sporcle offers a practice test where you need to find the error in every sentence. It’s an extended test asking you to click on the correct answer in the word bank. This company also offers trivia entertainment on live shows and online.
Grammar Monster
Grammar Monster provides several pieces of information that will help you be a better English speaker or writer. Learn how to observe proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You can also test your knowledge through the numerous tests available.
The tests on Grammar Monster are divided into parts of speech. You’ll find practice examinations on punctuation, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and more.
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
CIEP aims to help editorial freelancers and in-house staff enhance their proofreading and editing skills. It offers several courses that cater to different experiences, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned proofreader.
Aside from the professional development curriculum, CIEP offers fourteen helpful quizzes that will challenge your abilities. The first quiz focuses on punctuation, and the next concentrates on language use.
You’ll also find spelling, hyphens, dashes, and phrases tests. Then, there are actual paragraphs where you will look for common writing mistakes.
Business Writing Blog
Business Writing Blog reposts New York Times’ proofreading quiz entitled “Red Pencils Ready?” by Philip B. Corbett. Corbett wrote a passage that challenges users to spot errors.
According to the quiz developer, he included ten errors in the paragraph that Microsoft Editor and Google Docs spell checker won’t spot. Here’s a spoiler for you: Most errors include contextual misspellings and hyphenation issues.
Test Your Knowledge Now
Now that businesses are investing in online content writing, proofreaders are becoming more in demand. If you want to join the industry, check your accuracy first.
I hope this list of proofreading quizzes and practice tests helps you become a better proofreader. Challenge yourself and take the assessment today!