WorkKeys Applied Math practice test: free drill, levels 3 to 7

WorkKeys Applied Math is 34 workplace math questions in 55 minutes, with a calculator and a formula sheet allowed. Questions rise from level 3 (one step with whole numbers or money) to level 7 (several steps, conversions and nonlinear formulas). The free drill below is 12 original questions at the real pace, with every answer explained.

34
questions on the real test: 55 min
about 97 seconds each: Yes
calculator allowed: 12
questions in the free drill

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Counts from ACT's WorkKeys practice test scoring key

Free Applied Math drill: 12 original WorkKeys-style questions at the real test's pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
19:25
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on the WorkKeys Applied Math test?

Math you would use at work, set in workplace scenarios: totals and change, pay and overtime, unit prices, fractions and decimals, conversions, percents and discounts, averages, rates, areas, perimeters and volumes.

What each level asks, summarized from ACT's level descriptions
Level	What the questions ask (our summary)	Typical trap
3	One step with whole numbers or money: a total, a difference, a simple product	Using the wrong number from the problem
4	Up to two steps, simple fractions, decimals and percents, one simple conversion	Doing the steps in the wrong order
5	Several steps, conversions within a system, rectangle area and perimeter, a discount or markup, the better of two deals	Taking the percent of the wrong number
6	Multi-step problems with mixed units, circle area, box volume, percent change, rounding up to whole units	Rounding down when you must buy whole units
7	Nonlinear formulas, cylinder volume, several conversions, extra information to ignore, finding an error in a solution	Using the diameter as the radius, or every number given

The calculator does the arithmetic, so the test is really about setting a problem up: which numbers to use, in which order, in which units, and whether to round up. That is why the traps at every level are about set-up, not sums.

Which formulas and conversions do I need for Applied Math?

A formula sheet is provided, but you should know what each formula is for and how to use it quickly: area and perimeter of rectangles, area of circles and triangles, volume of boxes and cylinders, and the common conversions.

The formulas and conversions that appear most in our practice questions
Topic	Formula or fact
Rectangle	Area = length × width; perimeter = 2 × (length + width)
Circle	Area = π × radius²; circumference = π × diameter; radius = diameter ÷ 2
Box	Volume = length × width × height
Cylinder	Volume = π × radius² × height
Percent change	(new − old) ÷ old × 100
Length	12 inches = 1 foot; 3 feet = 1 yard; 5,280 feet = 1 mile
Weight and volume	16 ounces = 1 pound; 4 quarts = 1 gallon; 1 cubic foot ≈ 7.48 gallons
Time	60 minutes = 1 hour; to convert minutes to hours, divide by 60

Two habits remove most mistakes here. Write the unit next to every number, and before you divide, ask whether the answer must be a whole number (boxes, trips, workers), because then you round up.

What do WorkKeys Applied Math questions look like?

A short workplace problem with five options, one of which is the answer you get from the most common slip. Three examples follow, from level 5 to level 7 style; the first is worked in full.

WorkKeys-style question 1 · Best buy
Your shop buys cleaner by the case. Supplier A sells a case of 24 bottles for $30.00. Supplier B sells a case of 36 bottles for $42.00. Which supplier is cheaper per bottle, and by about how much?
1. ASupplier A, by about $0.08 a bottle
2. BSupplier B, by about $0.08 a bottle
3. CSupplier B, by about $12.00 a bottle
4. DSupplier A, by about $0.25 a bottle
5. EThey cost the same per bottle
Worked answer
B: Supplier B, by about $0.08 a bottle. Supplier A is $30.00 ÷ 24 = $1.25 a bottle. Supplier B is $42.00 ÷ 36 = about $1.17 a bottle. B is cheaper by about $0.08.
1. A: 30 ÷ 24 = $1.25 a bottle.
2. B: 42 ÷ 36 = $1.1667, about $1.17 a bottle.
3. Difference: 1.25 − 1.17 = about $0.08, so B is cheaper.
The trap: Comparing the case prices ($30 against $42). The bigger case costs more but less per bottle.
WorkKeys-style question 2 · Overtime pay
A warehouse worker earns $16.00 an hour, and time and a half for every hour over 40 in a week. This week she worked 46 hours. What is her pay for the week before deductions?
1. A$640.00
2. B$736.00
3. C$784.00
4. D$880.00
5. E$1,104.00
Show the worked answer
C: $784.00. The first 40 hours pay 40 × $16.00 = $640.00. The 6 overtime hours pay 1.5 × $16.00 = $24.00 each, so 6 × $24.00 = $144.00. Total: $784.00.
1. Regular: 40 × 16 = $640.00.
2. Overtime rate: 16 × 1.5 = $24.00; hours: 46 − 40 = 6.
3. Overtime pay: 6 × 24 = $144.00; total 640 + 144 = $784.00.
The trap: Paying all 46 hours at $16.00 ($736.00), or all 46 at the overtime rate ($1,104.00). Only the hours over 40 get time and a half.
WorkKeys-style question 3 · Volume and conversion
A round patio is 12 feet across (diameter) and the concrete will be 4 inches thick. About how many cubic yards of concrete are needed? (Volume of a cylinder = π × radius² × height; use π = 3.14; 27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard.)
1. AAbout 0.5 cubic yards
2. BAbout 1.4 cubic yards
3. CAbout 5.6 cubic yards
4. DAbout 16.7 cubic yards
5. EAbout 37.7 cubic yards
Show the worked answer
B: About 1.4 cubic yards. The radius is 6 feet and the thickness is 4 inches = 1/3 foot. Volume = 3.14 × 6² × 1/3 = 37.68 cubic feet, and 37.68 ÷ 27 = about 1.4 cubic yards.
1. Radius: 12 ÷ 2 = 6 feet. Thickness: 4 ÷ 12 = 1/3 foot.
2. Volume: 3.14 × 36 × 1/3 = 37.68 cubic feet.
3. Cubic yards: 37.68 ÷ 27 = 1.40.
The trap: Each slip has its own option: the diameter as the radius gives 5.6, leaving the thickness in inches gives 16.7, and stopping at cubic feet gives 37.7.

Move up an Applied Math level

Four Applied Math drills and eight full mocks, every answer worked out step by step.

The WorkKeys Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 12 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The WorkKeys Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the WorkKeys Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 12
topic drills: 1
score predictor

How long do I have for each Applied Math question?

About 97 seconds: 55 minutes for 34 questions. That is plenty for the early questions, so bank time there for the multi-step problems at the end.

The questions get harder as you go, so a steady 97 seconds each is the wrong plan. Aim to finish the first half in about 20 minutes, which leaves around two minutes each for the level 6 and 7 problems. Use any spare time to check that each answer is the size you expected: a 154-square-foot floor does not need 77 boxes of tile.

If a problem stalls you, pick your best answer, flag it if the system allows, and move on. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.

What are the most common Applied Math mistakes?

Using a number you did not need, mixing units, taking a percent of the wrong number, and rounding down when you must buy whole units.

Extra information: level 6 and 7 problems often give a number you do not need. Decide what the question asks before you use anything.
Units: a length in inches and a price per foot must be put in the same unit first.
Percent of what: a 20% discount is 20% of the original price; a percent change is divided by the starting value.
Rounding: whole items (boxes, paint cans, trips) always round up; money rounds to the cent.
Diameter and radius: a circle's formula needs the radius, half the diameter.

How should I study for Applied Math?

Take the free drill, sort your misses into set-up, units and rounding, and practise one type a day; then take a full timed test to check your pace.

Most people who need one more level in Applied Math need two or three specific skills, not a full math course. A drill shows which. The full WorkKeys practice test adds Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents, and the WorkKeys test guide explains how the three combine into your certificate.

Applied Math is also close to the Arithmetic Reasoning subtest of the ASVAB; the ASVAB Arithmetic Reasoning page has more word problems if you want them.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a calculator on WorkKeys Applied Math?

Yes. ACT allows a calculator and provides a formula sheet. Ask your test site whether you may bring your own model.

How many questions are on Applied Math?

ACT lists 34 questions in 55 minutes.

What level of math is on WorkKeys?

Mostly arithmetic, fractions, percents, measurement and geometry formulas. There is little algebra, but level 7 problems need several steps and careful conversions.

What is a good Applied Math level?

It depends on the job. Level 4 or higher on all three tests earns the Silver certificate, which many employers ask for.

Where is the old 12-question WorkKeys math test?

This page now holds the free Applied Math drill, also 12 questions with every answer explained.

Make Applied Math your strongest test

Four Applied Math drills, eight full WorkKeys-style mocks and every answer worked out, in one payment.