National Career Readiness Certificate Gold - WorkKeys NCRC Level 5 Skills

Oct 9, 2026

National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Gold describes earners who score at least Level 5 on ACT WorkKeys Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. The document details how the NCRC level is set by the lowest of the three scores, outlines workplace tasks supported by each assessment, and defines Level 5 characteristics. It covers reasoning and multi-step calculations in Applied Math, interpreting and choosing effective graphics in Graphic Literacy, and analyzing complex written materials in Workplace Documents, including vocabulary, jargon, and conditionals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Applied Math

Level 5 characteristics of items

Skills demonstrated

Graphic Literacy

Level 5 characteristics of items

Tasks employees can perform

Workplace Documents

Characteristics of items

Skills

National Career Readiness Certificate Gold Gold National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) earners have scored a minimum level score of five on the ACT WorkKeys Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents assessments. An earner may have scored higher than Level 5 on one or two of the assessments, but the NCRC level is determined by the lowest score achieved on the three assessments . ACT’s Occupational Profile website can be used to identify the WorkKeys skills needed for every O*NET occupation. By earning the Gold NCRC, the individual has demonstrated at a minimum the following skills: The Applied Math assessment measures critical thinking, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving techniques for situations that occur in today’s workplace. While individuals may use calculators and conversion tables to help with the problems on the assessment, math skills are still needed to think them through. Level 5 Characteristics of Items • Problems require several steps of logic and calculation (e. g. , problem may involve completing an order form by totaling the order and then computing tax) Skills • Decide what information, calculations, or unit conversions to use to find the answer to a problem. • Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (such as ½ - ¼) . • Convert units within or between systems of measurement (e. g. , time, measurement, quantity) where the conversion factor is given either in the problem or in the formula sheet. • Solve problems that require mathematical operations using mixed units (such as adding 6 feet and 4 inches to 3 feet and 10 inches, or subtracting 4 hours and 30 minutes from 3.5 hours) . • Identify the best deal using one or two step calculations that meet the stated conditions. • Calculate the perimeter or circumference of a basic shape, or calculate the area of a basic shape. • Calculate a given percentage of a given number and then use that percentage to find the solution to a problem (e. g. , find the percentage and then use it to find the discount, markup, or tax) . • Identify where a mistake occurred in a calculation (such as identifying the row in a spreadsheet where a problem occurred) . View Sample Item The Graphic Literacy assessment measures skills that people use when they work with workplace graphics such as tables, graphs, charts, digital dashboards, flow charts, timelines, forms, maps, and blueprints. They use this skill when they find, summarize, compare, and analyze information to make decisions using workplace graphics to solve work-related problems. Graphic Literacy Level 5 At Level 5, workplace graphics will be of low moderate, high moderate, or difficult complexity. Low moderate graphics are common with familiar content, and have the following characteristics: • A moderate amount of data • Usually more than one level of data, nesting unlikely • Several variables • If there are axes, there will be one or two (such asan x and/or y axis) • If two simple graphics are required to solve a problem, they should be considered a low moderate graphic At level 5, employees have demonstrated all of the skills defined at Levels 3 and 4, and they can use a low moderate graphic to perform the following tasks: • Compare two or more trends/patterns/relationships • Interpret a trend/pattern/relationship • Make a reasonable inference or decision based on one graphic after finding information in another graphic • Justify an inference or decision based on information • Identify and/or justify the most effective graphic for a task High moderate graphics may be less common, the content may be less familiar, and have the following characteristics: • A moderate amount of data • More than one level of data; nesting allowed • Many variables (such as types of wood, drill speeds, hole diameter, and type of bit) • If there are axes, there will be one or two (such as an x and/or y axis) • If a low moderate graphic and a s

FAQs

How is the NCRC Gold level determined?

The NCRC level is determined by the lowest score achieved across the three ACT WorkKeys assessments: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents.

What types of problems appear in the Applied Math Level 5 assessment?

Problems require several steps of logic and calculation, including completing forms with totals and tax, working with unlike denominators, converting units, and using mixed units.

What skills are assessed in Workplace Documents Level 5?

Learners identify specific details, infer word meanings from context, and apply technical terms and jargon to conditions within informational, instructional, policy, contract, and legal documents.

Oct 9, 2026

Uploaded by River Wang