WorkKeys Test 2026: NCRC Tests, Levels and Scores

What is the WorkKeys test?

It is ACT's family of workplace skills tests. When people say "the WorkKeys test" they almost always mean the three that make up the NCRC: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents.

Employers, state workforce programs, community colleges and apprenticeship programs use WorkKeys to check the everyday math, chart reading and document reading a job needs. It is common in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare support, construction trades and public-sector hiring, and some states offer it to high school students.

ACT offers other WorkKeys assessments too, such as Applied Technology, Business Writing, Workplace Observation and the Fit and Talent inventories, but they are not part of the NCRC. If an employer sends you for "WorkKeys" without saying which, ask; it is usually the three NCRC tests.

The real tests, with where each fact comes from
Who makes it	ACT, Inc. Tests are given at schools, job centers, colleges and employers that are approved test sitesPublished by the ownerACT, "ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate"
Tests for the NCRC	Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace DocumentsPublished by the ownerACT, "ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate"
Questions and time	Applied Math 34, Graphic Literacy 38 and Workplace Documents 35, each with 55 minutesPublished by the ownerACT, WorkKeys Online Practice Test Scoring Key (question counts and time limits)
Format	Multiple choice, usually on a computer at the test sitePublished by the ownerACT, WorkKeys Online Practice Test Scoring Key (question counts and time limits)
Calculator	Allowed on Applied Math, with a formula sheetPublished by the ownerACT, "National Career Readiness Certificate: Silver" (levels and calculator use)
Score	A level from 3 to 7 for each test, or below 3Published by the ownerACT, WorkKeys NCRC Assessments Technical Manual (level descriptions)
Certificate	Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum, set by your lowest of the three levelsPublished by the ownerACT, "ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate"

What are the three WorkKeys tests?

Applied Math tests workplace math with a calculator, Graphic Literacy tests reading charts and diagrams, and Workplace Documents tests reading and applying memos, policies and procedures.

The three NCRC tests (ACT's published counts)
Test	Questions	Time	What it covers
Applied Math	34	55 minutes	Workplace math: money, measurement, unit conversions, percentages, averages, rates, area and volume
Graphic Literacy	38	55 minutes	Reading charts, graphs, tables, gauges, diagrams, floor plans, maps and dashboards
Workplace Documents	35	55 minutes	Reading memos, emails, policies, procedures, manuals and contracts, and applying them

WorkKeys Applied Math
Free drill
The skills at each level, worked examples and a free 12-question drill on our Applied Math page.
WorkKeys Graphic Literacy
Free drill
The skills at each level, worked examples and a free 12-question drill on our Graphic Literacy page.
WorkKeys Workplace Documents
Free drill
The skills at each level, worked examples and a free 12-question drill on our Workplace Documents page.

How is WorkKeys scored?

Each test gives a level from 3 to 7 (or below 3). A level means you can reliably do the skills at that level and below. The NCRC takes the lowest of your three levels.

NCRC levels from ACT
Certificate	What you need	In practice
Bronze	Level 3 or higher on all three tests	Foundational skills for many entry-level jobs
Silver	Level 4 or higher on all three tests	The level many employers and state programs ask for
Gold	Level 5 or higher on all three tests	Skills for a larger share of skilled and technical jobs
Platinum	Level 6 or higher on all three tests	The highest certificate

Levels are not percentages. ACT builds each test so that the questions step up in difficulty, and your level reflects the hardest level at which you answer reliably. That is why ACT does not publish a raw score for each level, and why our practice tests report percent right and a practice band rather than a level. More on this in WorkKeys scores.

Employers who profile a job with ACT get a target level for each test, which can differ: a warehouse job might need level 5 in Graphic Literacy and level 4 in Workplace Documents.

Where and how do I take WorkKeys?

At an ACT-approved test site such as a community college, American Job Center or employer, usually on a computer. Your employer, school or job center normally tells you where to go and whether there is a fee.

Ask whoever requires the test which tests and levels they need, and whether they pay the fee.
Book a session with the test site; many run all three tests in one sitting of about three hours with breaks.
Bring photo ID. A calculator is allowed on Applied Math, and a formula sheet is provided; ask whether you may bring your own calculator.
Answer every question: there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Retest rules and any fees are set by the site or program, so ask before you book.

What do WorkKeys questions look like?

Short workplace scenarios with five options. Here is one from each test: a best-buy problem, a schedule to read and a memo with an exception.

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 · 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
Show the 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 3 · Policy with an exception
It is the 10th. Dana wants the 13th off (one day), and Sam has emailed that he will cover her shift. What does the memo allow?
1. ADana cannot have the day; she needed 14 days' notice
2. BDana can submit the request, because the one-day exception applies
3. CDana must ask Sam to submit the request
4. DDana must wait until the 13th to ask
5. EDana can take the day without submitting anything
Show the worked answer
B: Dana can submit the request, because the one-day exception applies. The 13th is 3 days away, the request is for 1 day, and a coworker agreed in writing. All three conditions of the exception are met.
1. General rule: 14 days' notice. Dana has 3.
2. Exception: 1 day off, 3 days' notice, written agreement from a coworker.
3. All three hold, so she can submit it.
The trap: Stopping at the first rule. On WorkKeys, the sentence after the rule is often the one that decides it.

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

More worked examples, each with its trap, are on WorkKeys sample questions, and the free WorkKeys practice test runs all three tests on the real clocks.

Prepare for all three tests

Eight full WorkKeys-style mocks and four drills for each test, 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 prepare for WorkKeys?

Take a full practice test to find your lowest test, then spend most of your time there; the certificate rises only when your lowest level does.

For Applied Math, practise conversions, percents and areas with units written beside every number. For Graphic Literacy, read the title, axes and key before the question, every time. For Workplace Documents, find the sentence that decides the question and read the one after it for exceptions.

A week of 30 to 45 minutes a day is enough for most people to move up a level on their weakest test. The day-by-day plan is in how to pass WorkKeys.

Apprenticeship and trade aptitude tests use much the same math and reading. If you are applying for an electrical apprenticeship or a maintenance job, practise those too.

The IBEW aptitude test for electrical apprenticeships has algebra and reading comprehension. The mechanical aptitude test adds levers, gears and pulleys. The ASVAB has Arithmetic Reasoning that is very close to WorkKeys Applied Math, and food service managers often meet WorkKeys and the ServSafe exam in the same year.

Frequently asked questions

Is WorkKeys hard?

Level 3 and 4 questions are everyday math and reading. Levels 6 and 7 are harder: several steps, conversions, and documents with exceptions. How hard it feels depends on the level you need.

How long does WorkKeys take?

Each NCRC test has 55 minutes, so about three hours for all three, plus check-in and breaks.

Does the NCRC expire?

ACT's NCRC does not carry an expiry date, but an employer or program may ask for a recent one. Check with them.

Can I retake WorkKeys?

Yes. Retest rules, waiting times and fees are set by your test site or program, so ask them.

Is WorkKeys the same as the ACT college test?

No. Both are made by ACT, Inc., but WorkKeys tests workplace skills and is scored in levels, not the 1 to 36 ACT scale.

Find your lowest test today

The free practice test scores all three tests. The Pass Pack adds seven more mocks, 12 drills and a plan.