CPM stands for "Characters per minute" and is a measure used to identify the typing speed of a typist. It represents the number of characters a person types per minute, including all the mistakes. CPM is often used in conjunction with WPM (Words per minute), which is a measure of input or output speed standardized to five characters or keystrokes, including spaces and punctuation. The average typing speed is around 40 WPM or 200 CPM, while a high level of productivity is achieved at 60 to 70 WPM or 300 to 350 CPM.