WorkKeys/ACT National Career Readiness Certificate

ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a portable credential that demonstrates achievement and a certain level of workplace employability skills in Applied Mathematics, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. Launched in 2006, today more than 2.8 million NCRC certificates have been issued and more than 40 states have statewide or regional certificate programs. More than 20,000 job skill profiles have been completed to offer businesses a way to analyze the skills needed for specific jobs and to describe the skills needed to job applicants. By comparing job profile information with individuals’ scores on the ACT WorkKeys assessments, businesses have a tool for making reliable decisions about hiring, training, and program development.

Individuals can earn the NCRC by taking three foundational ACT WorkKeys® assessments:

• Applied Math
• Graphic Literacy
• Workplace Documents

There are four levels of NCRC certificates that correspond to the skill requirements of ACT-profiles job in the ACT JobPro database.

• Platinum indicates the skills required for approximately 99% of profiled jobs. To earn a Platinum NCRC requires a score of 6 on Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.
• Gold indicates the skills required for approximately 93% of profiled jobs. To earn a Gold NCRC requires a score of 5 on Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.
• Silver indicates the skills required for approximately 69% of profiled jobs. To earn a Silver NCRC requires a score of 4 on Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.
• Bronze indicates the skills required for approximately 17% of profiled jobs. To earn a Bronze NCRC requires a score of 4 on Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.

For information about jobs that have been profiled and the range of ACT WorkKeys scores that may be required for different jobs, go to www.act.org/workkeysforjobseekers

ACT WorkKeys assessments are also available in Spanish

• Evaluación de Matemáticas Aplicadas
• Evaluación de Localización de Información
• Evaluación de Comprensión de Lectura

Examinees that complete the Spanish-language versions of the assessments are eligible for an ACT National Career Readiness Certificate en Español.

To schedule an exam using BPCC’s online registration:  Click on Testing Center, select WorkKey – Workforce Solutions, then follow steps shown to select assessments, date and time, etc. Be sure to Print Your Receipt since it will show your appointment date, time, test center location, amount you paid, and important details you should follow. Fees are non-refundable. If you need to reschedule you appointment, you should contact BPCC’s Testing Center at least 24 hours in advance via email testing@bpcc.edu or by calling 318-678-6002.

Additional foundational and soft skill assessments are available to help match the skills needed for individual jobs in the workforce.

Foundational Skill Assessments

• Applied Technology
• Business Writing (Online Only)
• Workplace Observation

Soft Skill Assessments

• Fit
• Talent

Free ACT WorkKeys Practice Tests

ACT WorkKeys is a job skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop and retain a high-performance workforce. ACT WorkKeys assessments measure “real world” skills that employers believe are critical to job success. This series of tests measures foundational and soft skills and offers specialized assessments to target institutional needs. As part of ACT’s Work Readiness System, ACT WorkKeys has helped millions of people in high schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and government agencies build their skills to increase global competitiveness and develop successful career pathways.