WorkKeys Graphic Literacy practice test: free drill and examples

WorkKeys Graphic Literacy is 38 questions in 55 minutes on reading workplace graphics: tables, bar and line charts, schedules, gauges, diagrams, floor plans and maps. Questions rise from finding one value in a simple table (level 3) to combining several complex graphics to make a decision (level 7). The free drill below is 12 original questions at the real pace.

38
questions on the real test: 55 min
about 87 seconds each: 3 to 7
levels: 12
questions in the free drill

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

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

12
questions
17:22
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 Graphic Literacy test?

Graphics you would meet at work, with questions that ask you to find a value, compare values, spot a trend, combine information or decide something from what the graphic shows.

What each level asks, summarized from ACT's level descriptions
Level	What the questions ask (our summary)	Typical trap
3	Find one piece of information in a simple chart or table	Reading the row next to the one asked for
4	Compare two values or find a trend in a simple graphic	Ignoring the units on an axis
5	Combine information from several parts of one graphic, or read a less familiar one	Missing the key or the scale
6	Draw a conclusion or spot a trend across a detailed graphic	Picking a conclusion the graphic does not support
7	Use several complex graphics together to make a decision or a projection	Extending a trend the data does not show

Graphic Literacy replaced the older Locating Information test. If you find older study material that says "Locating Information", it covers part of the same ground, but the current test has more chart types and more questions at the higher levels.

What kinds of graphics are on Graphic Literacy?

Tables and schedules, bar and line graphs, pie charts, gauges and dials, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans and maps, and dashboards that put several of these together.

Graphic types and what the questions usually ask (our summary)
Graphic	Typical question
Table or schedule	Find the value where a row and column meet; find who, when or how much
Bar graph	Which is highest or lowest; the difference between two bars
Line graph	When something rose or fell fastest; what the trend suggests next
Pie chart	Which share is largest; what a share is as a number
Gauge or dial	Read the needle; is the reading inside the safe range
Flowchart	What happens next; which path a case follows
Floor plan or map	Distance using a scale; which route or room
Two graphics together	Combine a price list and an order form, or two charts, to decide

What do WorkKeys Graphic Literacy questions look like?

A graphic and a question with five options. Three examples follow: a schedule lookup, a share-of-total comparison and a projection from a trend.

WorkKeys-style question 1 · Table lookup
The table shows the week's shift schedule. Who works the evening shift on Wednesday?
Day Morning Evening
Monday Ortiz Lee
Tuesday Lee Patel
Wednesday Patel Ortiz
Thursday Ortiz Kim
Friday Kim Lee
1. APatel
2. BOrtiz
3. CLee
4. DKim
5. ENobody
Worked answer
B: Ortiz. Find the Wednesday row, then the Evening column: Ortiz.
1. Find the row: Wednesday.
2. Find the column: Evening.
3. Read the cell where they meet: Ortiz.
The trap: Reading the Morning column (Patel), the one people land on first.
WorkKeys-style question 2 · Share of a total
The table shows orders shipped each day and how many of them were late. On which day was the share of late orders the highest?
Day Orders shipped Late orders
Monday 120 4
Tuesday 135 9
Wednesday 128 3
Thursday 150 12
Friday 142 6
1. AMonday
2. BTuesday
3. CWednesday
4. DThursday
5. EFriday
Show the worked answer
D: Thursday. Divide late by shipped for each day: Monday 3.3%, Tuesday 6.7%, Wednesday 2.3%, Thursday 8.0%, Friday 4.2%. Thursday is highest.
1. Late ÷ shipped for each day.
2. Tuesday: 9 ÷ 135 = 6.7%. Thursday: 12 ÷ 150 = 8.0%.
3. The others are lower, so Thursday.
The trap: Answering from the late count alone. Thursday has the most late orders here too, but on many questions the biggest count is not the biggest share.
WorkKeys-style question 3 · Projection
A plant's monthly energy use (thousand kWh) is shown below. If use keeps falling by the same amount each month, what will it be in June?
Month Energy use (thousand kWh)
January 44
February 40
March 36
April 32
May 28
1. A20 thousand kWh
2. B24 thousand kWh
3. C26 thousand kWh
4. D28 thousand kWh
5. E32 thousand kWh
Show the worked answer
B: 24 thousand kWh. Use falls by 4 thousand kWh every month (44, 40, 36, 32, 28). One more month: 28 − 4 = 24.
1. Find the change: 44 − 40 = 4, and every month falls by 4.
2. May is 28.
3. June: 28 − 4 = 24 thousand kWh.
The trap: Reading the axis label wrong and answering 24 kWh. The unit is thousands of kWh.

Day	Morning	Evening
Monday	Ortiz	Lee
Tuesday	Lee	Patel
Wednesday	Patel	Ortiz
Thursday	Ortiz	Kim
Friday	Kim	Lee

Day	Orders shipped	Late orders
Monday	120	4
Tuesday	135	9
Wednesday	128	3
Thursday	150	12
Friday	142	6

Month	Energy use (thousand kWh)
January	44
February	40
March	36
April	32
May	28

Read every chart right

Four Graphic Literacy drills and eight full mocks with new charts every time, every answer explained.

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 do I answer Graphic Literacy questions faster?

Read the graphic's frame first (title, axis labels, units, key), then the question, then go to the exact row, bar or point it names.

Read the title and labels: what is being measured, in what units, over what period?
Read the key or legend if there is one, so you know which line or color is which.
Read the question and underline exactly what it asks: one value, a difference, a share, a trend.
Put a finger (or the cursor) on the row, column or point. Do not read across from memory.
For a projection, extend the pattern the data shows, not the one you expect.

What are the most common Graphic Literacy mistakes?

Reading the neighboring row, ignoring the units or scale, confusing a count with a share, and picking a conclusion the graphic does not support.

The most expensive slip is the scale. An axis labeled "thousands" or a map at 1 inch to 50 feet changes every answer, and the wrong options are built from the reading without the scale. The second is answering from what seems likely: if the chart does not show December, no option about December can be "supported".

Higher-level questions ask about shares and rates, not counts. A day with the most late orders is not always the day with the highest share of late orders, as the second worked example shows.

How should I study for Graphic Literacy?

Practise reading real workplace graphics daily, using the five-step method above until it is automatic, then take timed drills to get under 90 seconds a question.

Good material is everywhere: a utility bill, a bus timetable, a store's weekly sales chart, a building fire-exit map. For each one, ask yourself three questions the test would ask: what one value can I read here, what comparison does it show, and what does it not tell me? Saying "the chart does not show that" out loud is a surprisingly strong habit for the level 6 and 7 questions.

Graphic Literacy is the longest NCRC test at 38 questions, so pace matters more than on the others. Take the free drill, then the full WorkKeys practice test to see it next to Applied Math and Workplace Documents. Some Graphic Literacy questions need simple math, so the Applied Math page helps here too.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on Graphic Literacy?

ACT lists 38 questions in 55 minutes, the most of the three NCRC tests.

Is Graphic Literacy the same as Locating Information?

It replaced Locating Information and covers the same core skill, reading workplace graphics, with more graphic types and higher levels.

Is there math on Graphic Literacy?

A little: differences, totals and simple shares from the graphic. The heavy math is on Applied Math.

What is the hardest part of Graphic Literacy?

Level 6 and 7 questions that combine two graphics or ask what the data supports. Read every option against the graphic, not against common sense.

Make charts the easy test

Four Graphic Literacy drills, eight full WorkKeys-style mocks and every answer explained, in one payment.