Readiness assessment awakening
The ACT Test is America’s most widely accepted college entrance exam. It is curriculum-based, focused on English, math, science, and reading. Log on to www.act.org and browse through the “workforce” section. The Work
Readiness System features the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), Work Keys and Act Pro. The formidable body of domain knowledge built by ACT in job analysis, assessments, training, certification and research and analysis is ready treasure trove, worth browsing, even if you’re not buying!
Numbed after several late nights meeting desperate client deadlines, I sought comfort in random Work Keys Assessments. This is apparently the most advanced measure of workplace skills, relevant for employers, career seekers, educators and test administrators.
Make your way into Work Keys, and go to “sample questions”. Scrupulously avoid any suggestions to buy practice tests that discreetly appear along the way. There’s a great deal to choose from. The NCRC has assessments in applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information. There are multiple assessments at hand under foundational skills, and soft skills.
Recklessly throwing caution to the wind, I ventured into applied mathematics, and browsed the sample questions between levels 3 and 7. At level 6, I was confronted with: “You are preparing to tile the floor of a rectangular room that is 15½ feet by 18½ feet in size. The tiles you plan to use are square, measuring 12 inches on each side, and are sold in boxes that contain enough tile to cover 25 square feet. How many boxes of tiles must you order to complete the job?”
The possible answers: (1) 11; (2) 12; (3) 34; (4) 59; (5) 287. The site helpfully explains why the particular question rates level 6. And just in case you want to know, the answer is 12. A “view the answer” button helps you understand why. Wandering to level 7 was an error. See if you fare any better!
The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com
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