The ACT WorkKeys assessment decides whether you earn the National Career Readiness Certificate — and employers use that certificate to screen job candidates before interviews even happen. This free PDF puts WorkKeys practice questions in your hands in printable form: no login, no subscription, no paywall.

Inside you'll find Applied Math questions, Workplace Documents passages, and Business Writing prompts — all with answer keys so you can score yourself and identify exactly which skill areas need the most work before test day.

Print it, work through it at your own pace, and use the online WorkKeys practice tests on this site to simulate the real computer-based format when you're ready.

Applied Math is the section that trips up the most test-takers. It isn't algebra in the abstract — every question gives you a realistic workplace scenario and asks you to solve it. That framing changes how you need to prepare.

Level 3: Single-step problems. Add, subtract, multiply, or divide with whole numbers. Count items. Convert simple measurements. If you can balance a basic budget, you're here.

Level 4: Multi-step problems begin. Negative numbers appear. You'll calculate tips, discounts, unit prices, and simple averages. Calculators are allowed on the real test — but you still need to set up the equation correctly before you punch anything in.

Level 5: Fractions, percentages, and basic geometry enter. You might calculate the area of a floor plan, convert between metric and standard units, or figure out a production rate from partial data. The math itself isn't harder than high school — the challenge is translating a paragraph of workplace instructions into the right calculation.

Level 6: Multi-step problems with multiple conversion steps. Ratios, proportions, and basic statistics (mean, median). You may be given more information than you need and have to identify what's relevant.

Level 7: The hardest questions involve geometry (perimeter, area, volume of 3D shapes), multiple formulas in a single problem, and inverse operations. You might calculate how much material is needed for a construction project given dimensions and waste percentages.

The Applied Math section always provides a formula reference sheet. Use it. Don't memorize the formulas — learn how to apply them quickly under time pressure.

Workplace Documents tests your ability to extract information from real workplace materials — not novels or news articles. The document types you'll encounter include:

Policy memos: Multi-paragraph internal communications where you need to identify the rule, exception, or procedure described. Level 3 questions ask you to find a stated fact. Level 6 questions ask you to apply a policy to a scenario not explicitly covered in the text.

Charts and graphs: Production schedules, inventory tables, organizational charts, and data tables all appear. At lower levels you're reading a single value from a table. At higher levels you're comparing across multiple data points or calculating a derived value from table data.

Forms and instructions: Safety procedures, equipment operating manuals, and compliance checklists. These questions test whether you can follow multi-step directions accurately — a critical skill in manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

The key skill for Workplace Documents isn't reading speed — it's locating information efficiently. Every document in the test is longer than what the question actually needs. Train yourself to scan for the relevant section first, then read that section carefully. Don't read everything before looking at the question.

Common errors on this section come from bringing outside knowledge into your answer. The test asks what the document says — not what you know to be true from experience. If the document says something you disagree with, answer based on the document anyway.

Over 40,000 employers across the United States recognize the ACT WorkKeys NCRC as a validated signal of workplace readiness. The certificate doesn't replace a résumé — it supplements it, and in certain industries it carries significant weight.

Manufacturing and skilled trades employers frequently list a Gold or Silver NCRC as a hiring requirement rather than a preference. For positions where on-the-job training is expensive and turnover is costly, a certificate that demonstrates reading comprehension and applied math at a verified level reduces hiring risk.

Healthcare employers — particularly for CNA, medical assistant, and entry-level billing roles — use the NCRC alongside other certifications as a baseline screening tool. A Gold-level certificate tells the hiring manager that the candidate can process written instructions accurately and handle numerical tasks like dosage calculations or insurance coding at a functional level.

State workforce development agencies in more than 20 states have integrated NCRC into apprenticeship programs, workforce training grants, and high school career and technical education pathways. Earning your NCRC while still in high school can qualify you for apprenticeship placements that otherwise require two years of post-secondary education.

The certificate is valid indefinitely — ACT does not set an expiration date on the NCRC. Some employers may require a re-test for positions with very high skill demands if your certificate is older than five years, but this is at the employer's discretion, not an ACT policy.