About WorkKeys®

WorkKeys® is a national assessment system created by American College Testing (ACT), known for the college entrance exam, that compares an individual student's skills to the skills required by jobs currently in the workplace. Two of the total eight WorkKeys® assessments, Reading for Information and Applied Mathematics are key components of Illinois's Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) which measures the achievement of Grade 11 students relative to the Illinois Learning Standards.

WorkKeys® assessments are based on workplace tasks in a wide range of jobs. Each skill assessment (i.e. Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, etc.) consists of items that can be divided into levels of increasing complexity corresponding to a scale for that skill. An individual can only reach a level or score of 5 by first achieving scores or levels of 3 and 4. Level 3 is the least complex and level 7 is the most complex. Each assessment level builds and includes the skills needed at previous levels. The scope includes skills necessary in entry level positions to positions that require specialized training.

Students, parents, educators, employers, and policymakers in Illinois may use the assessment scores to measure a school's current level of performance against a required or desired level of performance, making a connection between what students learn in school versus what they need to know in the future. Those same groups may use this information to analyze and develop the best educational decisions for their local community schools.