Your FREE WorkKeys Flashcards 2026 – 100+ Cards

A job-skills assessment system from ACT that measures real-world workplace skills. The three core tests build the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).

National Career Readiness Certificate — a portable credential earned by completing the three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.

Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. Each is multiple choice, about 55 minutes long, and scored on Levels 3–7.

34 questions in 55 minutes. Measures workplace math: arithmetic, fractions, percentages, conversions, area, volume, and rates.

38 questions in 55 minutes. Measures finding, comparing, and drawing conclusions from charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, and maps.

35 questions in 55 minutes. Measures reading and applying real workplace texts such as memos, policies, emails, and instructions.

Each of the three assessments is scored on a level scale of 3 to 7. Higher levels mean the test-taker handled more complex tasks.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Your tier is set by the lowest of your three assessment levels.

Awarded when you score at least Level 3 on all three assessments. It reflects skills needed for about 16% of jobs in the WorkKeys database.

Awarded when you score at least Level 4 on all three assessments — the most common tier, reflecting skills for roughly 67% of jobs profiled.

Awarded when you score at least Level 5 on all three assessments, reflecting skills needed for about 93% of profiled jobs.

Awarded when you score at least Level 6 on all three assessments — the highest tier, reflecting skills for about 99% of profiled jobs.

The NCRC tier is the lowest level among your three assessments, so your weakest test caps your certificate. Strengthen your weakest area to raise the whole credential.

Calculators are permitted on the Applied Math assessment. A formula sheet and conversion tables are provided (embedded in the online test or printed in the paper booklet), but you still need the math skills to apply them.

An on-screen reference listing common formulas and conversions (area, volume, length/weight/volume conversions) so you don't have to memorize them. Know how to apply them.

Employers analyze a job to set the minimum WorkKeys levels it requires, then compare applicants' NCRC scores to those targets.

All three assessments are multiple choice. They can be taken on a computer or on paper at an authorized WorkKeys test site.

No. WorkKeys is not pass/fail. Each assessment earns a level score (3–7), and your NCRC tier reflects your skills rather than a passing line.

Level 7 is the top of each assessment's 3–7 scale. Note: the highest NCRC certificate (Platinum) only requires Level 6 on all three.

Improve your weakest assessment. Since the tier is the lowest of three levels, many test-takers retake just one assessment to move up a medal.

Fuel efficiency = miles ÷ gallons. A car going 150 miles on 5 gallons gets 150 ÷ 5 = 30 miles per gallon.

Divide the numerator by the denominator. 3/4 = 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75; 3/8 = 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375.

Divide to get a decimal, then multiply by 100. 3/4 = 0.75 = 75%. To reverse, drop the % and divide by 100.

Find a common denominator first. 1/3 + 1/4 → 4/12 + 3/12 = 7/12.

Multiply: part = percent × whole. 25% of $80 = 0.25 × 80 = $20.

Multiply the price by the discount to get the savings, then subtract. $120 at 15% off: 0.15 × 120 = $18 off, so $120 − $18 = $102.

Multiply cost by the markup percent and add it. $40 marked up 30%: 0.30 × 40 = $12, so $40 + $12 = $52.

Tax = rate × price; add it to the price. $50 with 6% tax: 0.06 × 50 = $3, total $53. Shortcut: multiply price by 1.06.

After a 20% discount you pay 80% of the original. If the sale price is $64, original = 64 ÷ 0.80 = $80.

An after-tax total is 100% + tax%. With 5% tax a $210 total = 105% of the price, so price = 210 ÷ 1.05 = $200.

distance = rate × time (and rearrangements). A printer making 480 pages in 6 minutes runs at 80 pages/min, so 800 pages take 800 ÷ 80 = 10 minutes.

Set two ratios equal and cross-multiply. If 2 inches = 8 feet, then 5 inches = (8 ÷ 2) × 5 = 20 feet.

Add the values and divide by how many there are. The mean of 8, 12, 10, 14 = 44 ÷ 4 = 11.

length × width. A 12 ft by 9 ft floor has area 12 × 9 = 108 square feet.

½ × base × height. A triangle with base 6 and height 4 has area ½ × 6 × 4 = 12 square units.

π × r². With r = 3 ft and π ≈ 3.14: 3.14 × 3² = 3.14 × 9 = 28.26 square feet.

π × diameter (or 2 × π × r). A circle 10 ft across: 3.14 × 10 = 31.4 feet around.

2 × (length + width). An 8 ft by 5 ft rectangle: 2 × (8 + 5) = 26 feet.

length × width × height. A 4 ft × 3 ft × 2 ft box holds 4 × 3 × 2 = 24 cubic feet.

π × r² × height. With r = 2 ft, h = 10 ft: 3.14 × 4 × 10 = 125.6 cubic feet.

1 foot = 12 inches. So 4 feet = 4 × 12 = 48 inches. (A common error is using 10 instead of 12.)

1 ton = 2,000 pounds. A 5,000-pound shipment = 5,000 ÷ 2,000 = 2.5 tons.

1 liter = 1,000 milliliters. So 3 liters = 3,000 mL, and 750 mL = 0.75 liter.

Divide minutes by 60. 90 minutes = 90 ÷ 60 = 1.5 hours.

Combine signs carefully. A balance of −$45 plus a $70 deposit = −45 + 70 = $25; charges −25, −30 and a +40 credit net to −$15.

pay = hourly rate × hours. $18/hour for 35 hours = 18 × 35 = $630 before deductions.

Multiply the whole by the fraction. 3/5 of a 60-gallon tank = (3 × 60) ÷ 5 = 36 gallons.

Read the place value, then reduce. 0.25 = 25/100 = 1/4; 2.5 = 5/2.

Find the area, then multiply by the unit price. A 15 ft × 20 ft room is 300 sq ft; at $4/sq ft carpet costs 300 × 4 = $1,200.

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division left to right, then Addition/Subtraction left to right. Following it avoids most calculation errors.

Reducing $200 by 10% means subtracting 10% of 200 ($20) — not a flat $10. The correct total is $180, not $190.

interest = principal × rate × time. $1,000 at 5% for 2 years earns 1,000 × 0.05 × 2 = $100 in interest.

Set two ratios equal and cross-multiply. A 1-to-4 cleaner-to-water mix with 3 cups of cleaner needs 3 × 4 = 12 cups of water.

(1/3) × π × r² × height. With r = 3, h = 4, π ≈ 3.14: (1/3) × 3.14 × 9 × 4 = 37.68 cubic feet.

(4/3) × π × r³. With r = 3, π ≈ 3.14: (4/3) × 3.14 × 27 = 113.04 cubic inches.

Add each worker's per-hour rate. Two workers each making 15 items/hour produce 30/hour together, or 120 in 4 hours.

Measures your ability to locate, compare, summarize, and draw conclusions from graphics — charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, maps, and gauges used at work.

The part of a graphic that explains what each color, symbol, or line stands for. Always check it before reading values off the graphic.

A labeled reference line on a graph. The horizontal (x) axis and vertical (y) axis tell you what each direction measures and in what units.

Uses bar height (or length) to compare amounts across categories. The tallest bar is the largest value; the shortest is the smallest.

Shows how a value changes over time. A rising line means increase, a falling line means decrease, and a flat line means no change.

A circle divided into sectors showing parts of a whole; all sectors total 100%. A half-circle sector equals 50%. If sectors don't sum to 100%, there's an error.

Multiply the sector's percent by the total. 60% Satisfied out of 200 people = 0.60 × 200 = 120 people.

Organizes data in rows and columns. To find a value, locate where the correct row and column intersect.

Shows a process as a sequence of steps connected by arrows. A diamond shape marks a decision point (yes/no branch).

A diamond-shaped box that asks a yes/no question; the answer determines which branch (arrow) you follow next.

A graphic with a needle pointing to a value on a scale. A needle halfway between E and F means about half full; colored zones flag safe vs. danger ranges.

A ratio telling you how a distance on the drawing relates to real distance, e.g. 1 inch = 100 feet. Use it to convert measured distances to actual ones.

Plots two measures with different units on one graphic (e.g. sales bars on the left axis, satisfaction line on the right) so you can compare related data sets.

Each bar is split into segments. Segment size shows a part; the whole bar shows the combined total across those parts.

The overall direction of data over time — rising, falling, or steady. Identifying a trend means reading the general pattern, not a single point.

Draw a supported conclusion the graphic implies but doesn't state directly — answer only from what the data shows, not outside knowledge.

A vertical axis that starts above zero exaggerates small differences, making bars look more different than they are. Check where the axis begins.

A diagram of reporting relationships — who reports to whom. Lines connect each role to the position above it.

A scaled overhead drawing of a space showing rooms, walls, doors, and dimensions. Use the legend and scale to locate features and measure distances.

Read each item against the same axis or units. Identify the largest, smallest, equal, or different values the question asks for.

Easier items ask you to locate one value; harder items ask you to compare or integrate information across multiple graphics to reach a conclusion.

An organizational chart shows reporting relationships — who reports to whom. Lines connect each role to the position above it.

A ratio telling you how a drawn distance equals a real one, e.g. 1 inch = 100 feet. Use it to convert measured distances to actual ones.

At higher levels you must support an inference by pointing to the specific data — the value, trend, or comparison in the graphic that makes your conclusion correct.

Measures reading and applying real workplace texts — memos, emails, policies, handbooks, notices, and instructions — to do a job task correctly.

The central point or purpose a document is communicating — broader than any one detail. It's often stated near the beginning, in a title, or a topic sentence.

A specific fact, example, or instruction that backs up the main idea. To find a detail, scan for the exact term the question asks about.

Many workplace instructions must be done in sequence. Signal words — first, next, before, after, then — tell you the required order.

Words like first, next, before, after, then, and until that show the order or timing of steps in a procedure.

A rule that applies only when a condition is met. 'If hours exceed 40, then overtime applies' means hour 41 onward is paid at the overtime rate.

Check whether the 'if' condition is true before applying the 'then' result. If a fee applies only after 30 days, paying on day 40 triggers the fee.

When you don't know a workplace word (torque, purge, calibrate), use the surrounding sentence and the action it describes to infer its meaning.

Personal Protective Equipment — gear like gloves, goggles, and hard hats worn to protect workers from hazards.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration — the U.S. agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards.

Safety Data Sheet — a document detailing the hazards, handling, and emergency measures for a chemical product.

Hard document items require combining facts from two or more parts. A $100 price plus a separate '20% members off' section means a member pays $80.

Take a procedure written for one case and adapt it to a similar one — e.g. a method learned on Machine A applied to a nearly identical Machine B.

Recognize a memo, email, policy/handbook, contract, regulation, notice, or set of instructions, and read each for its purpose.

A brief internal message announcing or directing something to staff — for example, a manager's note about a schedule change.

A formal written set of rules describing acceptable conduct and procedures employees must follow.

A signed agreement between parties that sets out binding terms, such as delivery dates and prices between a company and a supplier.

A government-issued rule that sets legal requirements (often safety) businesses must follow, such as OSHA standards.

The reason behind a rule that isn't stated outright. Requiring hairnets implies concern for food safety; banning eating at lab stations implies preventing contamination.

The assessment uses authentic workplace texts because it measures reading skills the way they're actually used on the job, not abstract reading comprehension.

Workplace Documents questions are answered using the text in front of you, not outside knowledge. The correct choice is the one the document supports.

With 'and,' every condition must be true for the rule to apply; with 'or,' any one is enough. Check each part before acting.

Stock Keeping Unit — a code identifying a specific product. 'Verify the SKU before shipping' means confirm the correct item.

Take a procedure written for one case and use it on a similar one — e.g. refund steps for one product applied to another defective item.