How to Use the Keyboard Test
- Click Start test (or click the on-screen keyboard).
- Press each key on your keyboard once. Keys turn blue after they’ve registered and solid while held down.
- Watch Keys tested climb. Any key that stays grey after you’ve pressed it isn’t reaching the computer.
While the test is listening, keys like Tab, Space, F5 and the arrows don’t scroll or reload the page, so you can test them safely. Click outside the keyboard to stop.
What the Results Show
- Last key — the character or name the key produced (
e.key). This depends on your layout and Shift state. - Code — the physical key position (
e.code), such asKeyAorShiftLeft. This is the same whatever your layout. - Pressed now and Most at once — how many keys are held together. For a full rollover check, use the key rollover test.
- Event log — every press and release, with timestamps and auto-repeat marked.
Common Keyboard Problems
One Key Doesn’t Work
Check another USB port and, for wireless keyboards, the battery. Then look under the keycap for debris. If the key still doesn’t register, the switch or the circuit under it has failed. On hot-swap mechanical keyboards, you can pull and replace the switch.
Several Keys in One Area Stop Working
Keys are wired in a grid (the key matrix). When a whole row or column fails together, the cause is usually a broken trace or a spill, not individual switches.
A Key Types Twice
That’s switch chatter — a worn mechanical switch. The keyboard chatter test times each press to confirm it.
A Key Sends the Wrong Character
If Code is correct but Last key is wrong, your operating system’s keyboard layout doesn’t match the keyboard. Change the input language in your system settings.
Keys Don’t Work Together in Games
Cheaper keyboards drop some combinations of three or more keys. That’s a rollover limit, and the rollover test shows exactly where it is.
Laptop Keyboards
Laptop keyboards work the same way, but many keys share functions with the Fn layer, and media keys may be handled by the laptop itself. Brightness and volume keys often won’t light up because the system intercepts them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Doesn't the Fn Key Light Up?
The Fn key is handled inside the keyboard itself and never sent to the computer, so no website or program can detect it. Test it by pressing Fn with another key, such as Fn + F1, and checking that the second key changes behaviour.
Why Does Print Screen Only Light up When Released?
Windows doesn't pass the Print Screen key-down to browsers — only the release. The test records it on release so it still counts as tested.
Why Does the Windows Key Open the Start Menu?
The operating system handles the Windows key before the browser sees it, so the Start menu may open. The press is still recorded; just close the menu and continue.
My Keyboard Has a Different Layout. Will This Work?
Yes. The test identifies keys by physical position, so any layout — UK, German, French or others — lights up the matching key. Labels on screen follow the US layout.
A Key Is Lit Before I Press It. What Does That Mean?
A key that lights up or stays down on its own is stuck or shorted. Remove the keycap and clean underneath; if it persists, the switch or circuit is damaged.
Related Tests
- Key Rollover TestHold down as many keys as you can and see how many your keyboard reports at the same time.
- Keyboard Chatter TestTap each key normally and find any switch that types a letter twice from a single press.
- Typing Speed TestType the words as fast and accurately as you can to measure your words per minute.
Last updated · Part of our keyboard tests.