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Tennessee and ACT WorkKeys

Partners in College and Career Success
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Partner with ACT to help Tennessee students prove they're career ready

Get Started in 3 Easy Steps 


1. Confirm Eligibility 

WorkKeys assessments are fully funded by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) for Tennessee high school seniors this spring — no district funds required*. 

✔ Grade 12 students (TDOE-funded) 
✔ Administered during the school day 
✔ Supports Tennessee workforce readiness goals 

Want to start earlier? 
Districts may also offer WorkKeys to students in grades 9–11 as a district funded initiative to build and measure early career readiness. Complete the contact form to learn more and get started. 

2. Plan and Schedule 

Districts planning to participate in the spring testing window already have the necessary materials, as ACT has shared testing resources directly with District Test Coordinators, including: 

  • Setup and administration guidance
  • Required training
  • Technical and system requirements

3. Prepare Your Students 

Support student success with WorkKeys preparation resources, including: 

Easy to use in class or independently—and designed to help students make the most of this no-cost opportunity.

Get more information about offering WorkKeys to your students.


The WorkKeys NCRC is a portable, evidence-based credential that verifies three foundational skills necessary for workplace success. To date, more than 142,000 Tennesseans have earned a WorkKeys NCRC by earning a minimum score of 3 on the WorkKeys Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents assessments.

Why Offer WorkKeys? 

WorkKeys has helped measure workplace skills that employers are seeking —preparing students for superior job performance and life beyond earning their diploma. WorkKeys helps Tennessee students demonstrate foundational workplace skills that over 1,000 Tennessee employers and 29,000 employers nationwide value, and that support smoother transitions to work, apprenticeships, TCATs, and community college pathways.  

WorkKeys can also help students: 

  • Earn a recognized credential that signals career readiness.
  • Understand the importance of their studies and see a clear line from classroom learning to careers.
  • Build confidence and identify skill‑building needs with actionable feedback.
  • Improve entry‑level employment prospects by documenting the skills employers require.  

Student Readiness Revealed: ACT WorkKeys, the Missing Half of Readiness

ACT’s latest research shows that many students — not yet fully proficient academically — already have strong foundational workplace skills. Drawn from a study of 359,000 students, the findings uncovered one in three students is career ready, but not college ready, revealing untapped potential. 

Multiple Measures of College and Career Readiness: What Does the Evidence Suggest? 

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Match Students’ Skills to In-Demand Careers

WorkKeys aligns to every career cluster and over 90% of the jobs in the U.S. today.  The WorkKeys system is aligned to every O’NET occupation. Identify the skill levels required across jobs, companies, or industries, or verify that students’ skills meet the needs of employers using our skills-based career navigation tool aligned with occupational profile benchmarks.


WorkKeys Skills-Based Career Navigation Toolkit

Award College Credit for WorkKeys NCRC Completion

Help Your Student Demonstrate College Competence with a WorkKeys NCRC

The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends that colleges and universities award up to nine semester hours of college credit to an individual who earns the WorkKeys NCRC at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum level. Credit awards are at the discretion of each school. 

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ACT WorkKeys Solutions

ACT® WorkKeys® Assessments


Measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace.

 


ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC®)


Help individuals earn, verify, certify, and share through digital badging.

ACT® WorkKeys®
Curriculum

Help students build essential workplace skills and prepare for career success with the enhanced WorkKeys curriculum, powered by MasteryPrep.

 

ACT WorkKeys Support and Tennessee's WorkKeys Contact

WorkKeys support is available at 800.967.5539 and workkeys@act.org

Chelsea Hilsher K-12 Districts and Schools Chelsea.Hilsher@act.org


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