• ACT WorkKeys logo

     

    The ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate is an assessment-based credential issued at four levels; Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The NCRC measures and certifies the essential work skills needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations. With an NCRC, you can:

    • Build confidence that your skills meet the needs of employers
    • Show prospective employers concrete proof of the skills you have
    • Apply real-world use to coursework from the classroom
    • Determine skill improvement and training needs
    • Improve the opportunities for career changes and advancement
    • Earn college credit at many institutions and achieve academic goals more quickly

    Sample questions and online practice test available

     

     What is WorkKeys? 

    WorkKeys is a job skills assessment system measuring "real-world" skills that employers believe are critical to job success.  Scores help you compare your skills to the skills real jobs require.  WorkKeys test questions are based on situations in the everyday work world.  Employers across the country are requiring the WorkKeys assessments or recommending the National Career Readiness Certificate.  These scores help employers choose the most qualified candidates for their jobs.

     

    Individuals who successfully complete the three WorkKeys assessments—Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents earn the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate:

    • Applied Math: Builds the ability to apply mathematics principles to problems encountered in the workplace
    • Graphic Literacy: Builds the ability to find, analyze and apply information presented in workplace graphics
    • Workplace Documents: Builds the ability to understand and apply written information presented in the workplace

    If your lowest level score is 3 then you qualify for Bronze, 4 qualifies you for Silver, 5 for Gold, and 6 for Platinum. You must score a 3 or higher on each core assessment to qualify for a certificate.

    Why will your child's school administer the WorkKeys test?

     
    The WorkKeys test from ACT is being used in high schools across North Carolina and throughout the country to help students understand how they can improve their skills for better-paying jobs. WorkKeys scores help employers take the guesswork out of determining whether individuals are qualified for positions in their organizations.
     

    WorkKeys Tests—For High School Students

     
    The WorkKeys system measures skills such as reading, math, listening, locating information, and teamwork. These are skills that employers feel are critical to job success. WorkKeys test results help students understand how they can improve their skills for better-paying jobs. Students who take the WorkKeys tests have a clear way to demonstrate their abilities to future employers.
     
    WorkKeys test scores provide important information no matter what type of career a student plans to pursue after high school. Large numbers of students are entering the workforce without adequate skills to qualify them for the jobs they want. By increasing their skill levels while they are still in school, students increase their opportunities for higher salaries in the future. Because WorkKeys tests measure skills valued by employers, students can use their results to get a better picture of their chances for success in the workforce and to improve areas where their skills are weak.
     

    Why should you and your child care about the WorkKeys tests?

     
    All students enter the workforce eventually—whether they get a job right out of high school, work part-time while continuing their education, or go to college first.  The WorkKeys system stresses skills development, which is important for every type of employment. WorkKeys job analyses are conducted for a wide range of jobs across the U.S. economy, from jobs that require short-term on-the-job training to those requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.
     

    The North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate

     

    The North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate is aligned with ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate. These certificates are portable, evidence based credentials that certify skills needed for workplace success. They are awarded at four levels—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—based on the scores an individual achieves on three WorkKeys tests:
     
    • Applied Mathematics
    • Locating Information
    • Reading for Information
     
    These credentials are used across all sectors of the economy and certify the following skills:
     
    • Problem solving
    • Critical thinking
    • Reading and using work-related text
    • Applying information from workplace documents to solve problems
    • Applying mathematical reasoning to work-related problems
    • Setting up and performing work-related mathematical calculations
    • Locating, synthesizing, and applying information that is presented graphically
    • Comparing, summarizing, and analyzing information presented in multiple related graphics
     
    Visit the CRC website at https://www.crcnc.com/.
     

    Who takes WorkKeys?

    Seniors who are CTE Concentrators have the opportunity to take the WorkKeys tests for FREE!  To be a CTE Concentrator, you must have two credits, with one being a level II course, in a CTE pathway.  See your Career and College Manager for more info.