Every ACT WorkKeys NCRC test gives you two numbers: a scale score from 65 to 90 and a level score of below 3, or 3 to 7. The level is what employers and the NCRC look at, and the scale score shows where you fall inside that level. This page explains how the two fit together, gives the cut scores for each test, and shows roughly how many correct answers a level took on ACT’s practice form.

This page is independent practice information and is not affiliated with ACT. The cut table below comes from ACT’s practice test scoring key; check your own score report for your actual results.

Scale scores and level scores

Your raw score is the number of scored questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, and the few unscored tryout questions on each form don’t count. ACT converts the raw score to a scale score from 65 to 90, then reads your level from that scale score.

The scale exists because no two forms are exactly alike. One form may be a little harder than another, and the conversion adjusts for that, so a Level 5 means the same skill whichever form you took. That is also why there is no single number of right answers that always equals a level.

Scale-to-level cut scores

Level	Applied Math	Graphic Literacy	Workplace Documents
Below 3	65 to 71	65 to 71	65 to 71
3	72 to 75	72 to 75	72 to 76
4	76 to 79	76 to 77	77 to 80
5	80 to 82	78 to 81	81 to 82
6	83 to 85	82 to 85	83 to 85
7	86 to 90	86 to 90	86 to 90

A few patterns stand out:

• Level 3 starts at 72 on every test, and Level 7 starts at 86 on every test.
• The middle levels are narrow. Graphic Literacy Level 4 covers only 76 and 77, and Workplace Documents Level 5 covers only 81 and 82. A couple of extra correct answers can move you up a level.
• Level 6 is 83 to 85 on all three tests.

What “below 3” means

A level score of below 3 means your scale score was under 72 on that test. It does not mean you have no skills in the area; it means the test could not confirm the Level 3 skills, which are the starting point for the NCRC. A below 3 on any one test means no certificate yet, because the NCRC needs at least Level 3 on all three tests. See NCRC certificate levels.

Levels are cumulative

Each level includes the skills of the levels below it. In Applied Math, Level 3 is a single operation on clearly stated numbers; Level 5 adds multi-step problems, unit conversions and area; Level 7 adds unusual formats, missing information and volumes of cylinders, cones and spheres. Someone at Level 6 is expected to handle Level 3, 4 and 5 problems too. That is why the questions on the test run from easier to harder, and why a strong score depends on not missing the easy early questions. See Applied Math topics by level and Graphic Literacy tips for what each level asks.

Practice-form estimates: how many right for each level

ACT’s practice test scoring key includes a raw-score-to-level table for one practice form only. ACT notes that the difficulty of each form varies, and real forms are scaled statistically, so treat these numbers as estimates, not rules. They are counted out of the scored questions (31, 32 and 30).

Level	Applied Math (of 31)	Graphic Literacy (of 32)	Workplace Documents (of 30)
Below 3	0 to 9	0 to 9	0 to 10
3	10 to 13	10 to 15	11 to 15
4	14 to 19	16 to 17	16 to 20
5	20 to 22	18 to 23	21 to 22
6	23 to 25	24 to 28	23 to 25
7	26 to 31	29 to 32	26 to 30

As rough shares of the scored questions on that form:

Level	Applied Math	Graphic Literacy	Workplace Documents
5	about 65%	about 56%	about 70%
6	about 74%	about 75%	about 77%
7	about 84%	about 91%	about 87%

So on that form, a Gold-level score (Level 5) took between about 56% and 70% of the scored questions, depending on the test, and Level 6 took about three quarters. On a real form the exact count may be a little higher or lower.

What this means for your practice

• Aim for a cushion. If your practice results sit right at the bottom of a level, a slightly harder form could drop you a level. Aim a few questions above the line.
• Protect the easy points. Since questions run in level order and every correct answer counts the same, a careless miss early on costs as much as a hard miss late.
• Answer everything. There is no guessing penalty, so leave nothing blank.
• Work on your lowest test. Your certificate level is set by your lowest of the three levels, so that test matters most.

Reading your score report

Your report lists a scale score and a level for each test you took. If you earned the NCRC, the certificate level reflects your lowest level, and ACT issues a digital badge with a verification number. For the format of each test, see the WorkKeys test guide.

Keep practicing

Each of our timed practice tests ends with an estimated level from 3 to 7, based on how many questions you got right, plus an explanation for every answer. Start from the home page, or warm up with the Workplace Documents practice questions.