ACT WorkKeys Practice Tests and Levels
The three ACT WorkKeys tests behind the National Career Readiness Certificate, at their real length: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents, 55 minutes each. Every result gives the level from 3 to 7 you would likely reach and the certificate it would earn.
Also searched as Work Keys, the NCRC or the career readiness certificate test. Graphic Literacy was Locating Information, and Workplace Documents was Reading for Information.
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WorkKeys Graphic Literacy
The second NCRC test, once called Locating Information: 38 questions in 55 minutes on gauges, forms, tables, flowcharts, floor plans and charts, from finding one value to justifying a conclusion from a dense two-axis graphic.
WorkKeys Workplace Documents
The third NCRC test, once called Reading for Information: 35 questions in 55 minutes on notices, emails, policies, directions, contracts and regulations, from stated details to the principle behind a long, technical document.
The three tests
From ACT's information for examinees. Each test is multiple choice with four or five answers, on its own 55-minute clock, online or on paper. In Spanish each test runs 70 minutes. When the tests are given back to back there is a 15-minute break after every two.
| Test | What is on it | Questions | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied MathFormerly Applied Mathematics | Workplace problems: totals, averages, rates, unit conversions, best deals, areas and volumes. | 34 in 55 min | Allowed, and one is built in. A formula sheet is provided. |
| Graphic LiteracyFormerly Locating Information | Charts, graphs, tables, gauges, forms, diagrams and floor plans: find, compare, spot trends, draw conclusions. | 38 in 55 min | Not allowed. |
| Workplace DocumentsFormerly Reading for Information | Notices, emails, policies, directions, contracts and regulations: details, conditions and the reason behind a rule. | 35 in 55 min | Not allowed. |
Applied Math
Formerly Applied Mathematics
Workplace problems: totals, averages, rates, unit conversions, best deals, areas and volumes.
- Questions
- 34 in 55 minutes
- Calculator
- Allowed, and one is built in. A formula sheet is provided.
Graphic Literacy
Formerly Locating Information
Charts, graphs, tables, gauges, forms, diagrams and floor plans: find, compare, spot trends, draw conclusions.
- Questions
- 38 in 55 minutes
- Calculator
- Not allowed.
Workplace Documents
Formerly Reading for Information
Notices, emails, policies, directions, contracts and regulations: details, conditions and the reason behind a rule.
- Questions
- 35 in 55 minutes
- Calculator
- Not allowed.
How WorkKeys is scored
Each test gives you three numbers. The raw score is the number of scored questions you got right. ACT converts it to a scale score from 65 to 90, which evens out small differences between forms of the test. The scale score then sets a level score, from below 3 up to 7, and the level is what employers and the certificate act on.
The certificate is set by your lowest level of the three: Level 3 on all three earns a Bronze NCRC, 4 a Silver, 5 a Gold and 6 a Platinum. A Level 7 counts as Platinum. Below Level 3 on any test means no certificate.
The scale bands for each level are not the same on every test. From ACT's practice test scoring key:
| Level | NCRC if your lowest | Applied Math | Graphic Literacy | Workplace Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below 3 | None | 65 to 71 | 65 to 71 | 65 to 71 |
| 3 | Bronze | 72 to 75 | 72 to 75 | 72 to 76 |
| 4 | Silver | 76 to 79 | 76 to 77 | 77 to 80 |
| 5 | Gold | 80 to 82 | 78 to 81 | 81 to 82 |
| 6 | Platinum | 83 to 85 | 82 to 85 | 83 to 85 |
| 7 | Platinum | 86 to 90 | 86 to 90 | 86 to 90 |
Below Level 3, NCRC: None
- Applied Math
- 65 to 71
- Graphic Literacy
- 65 to 71
- Workplace Documents
- 65 to 71
Level 3, NCRC: Bronze
- Applied Math
- 72 to 75
- Graphic Literacy
- 72 to 75
- Workplace Documents
- 72 to 76
Level 4, NCRC: Silver
- Applied Math
- 76 to 79
- Graphic Literacy
- 76 to 77
- Workplace Documents
- 77 to 80
Level 5, NCRC: Gold
- Applied Math
- 80 to 82
- Graphic Literacy
- 78 to 81
- Workplace Documents
- 81 to 82
Level 6, NCRC: Platinum
- Applied Math
- 83 to 85
- Graphic Literacy
- 82 to 85
- Workplace Documents
- 83 to 85
Level 7, NCRC: Platinum
- Applied Math
- 86 to 90
- Graphic Literacy
- 86 to 90
- Workplace Documents
- 86 to 90
Scale scores. Graphic Literacy's Level 4 is only two points wide, so a few questions there decide between Bronze and Silver.
What employers ask for
An employer either asks for an NCRC at a set level or, after ACT job profiling, sets a level on each test for a role. The second is common in manufacturing, and the levels can differ by test and by job at the same company. In November 2026 job postings, Reynolds American asked machine operators for Level 3 on all three tests and mechanical specialists for Level 4, 5 and 4, and Eastman asked Kingsport operations helpers for Level 6 in Applied Math and Workplace Documents and Level 5 in Graphic Literacy.
So find out which you need before you sit: the job posting usually says, and the test site or recruiter can tell you. If a posting names levels per test, practise the test with the highest level first.
How our practice works, and what ACT has not published
Real length, real clocks.Each test has ACT's question count and its 55-minute clock, with no penalty for a wrong answer, and you can move back and forth, flag questions and return to them from a review grid, as on the real test. Applied Math has a calculator and a formula sheet you can show or hide.
Your level is an estimate. ACT publishes the raw-score bands for each level on one official practice form. We apply those cut-offs, in proportion, to our own questions, so the level we show is the one that sitting would most likely give, not a level ACT would issue. We do not print a scale score: the conversion differs by form.
Every question of ours counts. Real forms carry unscored trial questions; ours do not, so your result uses all of them.
The order of questions is ours. ACT does not publish how questions are ordered on a form. Ours mix the levels with a mild rise in difficulty towards the end.
No tutorial. The real test opens with a short tutorial and two practice questions before the clock starts. Ours goes straight to the first question.
The formula sheet is ours. ACT provides one inside the test but does not publish it. Ours lists the formulas and conversions our questions need.
Items are in American English, in dollars and US units, as the real tests are.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on WorkKeys?
Applied Math has 34 questions, Graphic Literacy 38 and Workplace Documents 35. Each test is 55 minutes in English and 70 minutes in Spanish, so the three together are 107 questions in 2 hours 45 minutes of test time.
Can I use a calculator on WorkKeys?
On Applied Math only. Online, the test has its own calculator; a calculator of your own must meet ACT’s calculator policy. ACT says every Applied Math problem can be solved without one. Calculators are put away for Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents.
What score do I need for a Silver NCRC?
Level 4 or higher on all three tests. Bronze needs Level 3 on all three, Gold Level 5 and Platinum Level 6. Your lowest level sets the certificate, so a Level 6 in Applied Math and a Level 4 in Workplace Documents earns a Silver.
Is there a penalty for guessing on WorkKeys?
No. Your score is the number of scored questions you answer correctly, so answer every question before time runs out.
Can you go back to a question on WorkKeys?
Yes, within the test you are on, while time remains. ACT’s advice is to skip a hard question and come back to it. Once a test’s time has expired you cannot go back to it.
How soon can I retake WorkKeys?
Straight away, on a different form of the test, until every available form has been used. After that you wait 30 days.
What happened to Reading for Information and Locating Information?
ACT revised and renamed them around 2017: Reading for Information became Workplace Documents, Locating Information became Graphic Literacy, and Applied Mathematics became Applied Math. Graphic Literacy includes questions on choosing the graphic that best shows a set of data.
Are all the questions scored?
No. Each real form carries some unscored trial questions, and you cannot tell which ones they are. Treat every question as if it counts.
ACT's own answers on the certificate are in its NCRC FAQ.
Companies That Use ACT WorkKeys
WorkKeys is used by US manufacturers, construction firms and health systems hiring for production, technician and entry-level roles, usually by asking for a National Career Readiness Certificate level or a set level on each test. These employers are named in ACT case studies, a release from a testing partner or their own job postings and news.
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International
Automotive ManufacturingACT success story, about 2019: WorkKeys used to screen about 700 applicants for 60 mechatronics and automotive technician apprenticeship places at the Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant.
LORD Corporation
ManufacturingUniversity at Buffalo release, October 2018: a set score on Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents required before a job offer for entry-level production roles in Amherst, New York.
Reynolds American
ManufacturingWinston-Salem job postings, live November 2026: Level 3 on Applied Math, Workplace Documents and Graphic Literacy for machine operators, and Levels 4, 5 and 4 for mechanical specialists.
View Reynolds American guide →Inova Health
HealthcareACT case study, 2009: two entry-level Care Team positions profiled and screened with WorkKeys.
Gilchrist Construction
ConstructionACT case study, 2017: applicants tested since 2011, with heavy truck driver and transportation dispatcher jobs profiled, in Louisiana.
RoyOMartin
Wood ProductsCompany news, 2026: WorkKeys and the NCRC in hiring in Louisiana since 2011 and in Texas since 2014, named ACT’s 2026 Work Ready Employer of Choice.
View RoyOMartin guide →Eastman
ChemicalsOperator postings, live November 2026: set WorkKeys levels for Kingsport, Tennessee operations helpers and Longview, Texas operator apprentices.
View Eastman guide →Each example is dated to its source and some are several years old, so check the job posting for what an employer asks for now. Many candidates meet WorkKeys through a state programme, a college or a workforce centre and not through one employer.
Guides and Tips
Read up before you practise: what the tests reward, what catches candidates out, and why shortcuts do not work.
WorkKeys Applied Math test: how it works
WorkKeys Applied Math is the maths test of ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate: 34 workplace problems in 55 minutes, with a calculator and a formula sheet.
Can You Cheat on WorkKeys or the NCRC?
Supervised sittings, a different form on every retest and unscored trial questions. Why WorkKeys answers are worthless.
WorkKeys Graphic Literacy test: how it works
WorkKeys Graphic Literacy, once called Locating Information, tests how well you read workplace charts, tables, gauges, diagrams and floor plans: 38 questions in 55 minutes.
WorkKeys Levels Explained: What Bronze to Platinum Need on Each Test
A WorkKeys result is three numbers per test and one certificate, set by your weakest test. The bands differ from test to test, so the same raw score can mean different levels. Step by step, with worked examples.
WorkKeys Workplace Documents test: how it works
WorkKeys Workplace Documents, once called Reading for Information, tests how well you read and apply workplace notices, emails, policies, directions and contracts: 35 questions in 55 minutes.
NCRC test: how it works
The ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is earned by taking three tests, Applied Math, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents, and is set by your lowest level.
Practice by Test Type
Compare the same format across every provider that uses it, and see what each one is really measuring.
Numerical Reasoning Test Practice
Tables, charts, percentages and ratios against the clock. The most common screening test on graduate schemes and analyst roles.
Verbal Reasoning Test Practice
Short dense passages and true, false or cannot say answers. Judged on what the text supports, never on what you already know.
About CogniPrep WorkKeys Practice
CogniPrep provides simulations of the ACT WorkKeys tests behind the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), also written Work Keys and known as the career readiness certificate or CRC. ACT offers the tests through schools, employers and local workforce centres, and employers verify a certificate by its 9-digit number. ACT's old KeyTrain preparation course is now WorkKeys Curriculum.
- 4 practice tests available: WorkKeys Applied Math, WorkKeys Graphic Literacy, WorkKeys Workplace Documents, NCRC Full Sitting
- Real tests: Applied Math 34 questions, Graphic Literacy 38, Workplace Documents 35, 55 minutes each
- Levels from below 3 to 7 per test; scale scores from 65 to 90
- NCRC set by the lowest of the three levels: Bronze 3, Silver 4, Gold 5, Platinum 6
- No penalty for guessing; return to skipped questions within a test
- Retest on another form straight away, then a 30-day wait once the forms run out
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