ACT WorkKeys Now: North Carolina
Tips for Success
- Use the training content in ACT Now to access test administration resources and walk-through test administration preparation activities.
- Dates and deadlines for your test administration are found in the Important Dates section of this website.
- Watch for emails from ACT with important reminders. Add our email address to your contacts to prevent emails from going to spam/junk folders. Whitelist email addresses from @act.org and @operations.act.org.
Important Dates
Your Fall Schedule of Events (revised 11.4.2024) (web content) contains all dates and deadlines for your test event. Check it frequently to ensure you're on track for a successful administration.
Fall Test Dates
Paper and Online Test Window: November 4 - December 20, 2024
- Test Event 1: November 4 - November 15, 2024
- Test Event 2: November 18 - December 20, 2024
Your Spring Schedule of Events (web content) contains all dates and deadlines for your test event. Check it frequently to ensure you're on track for a successful administration.
Spring Test Dates
Paper and Online Test Window: February 10–March 14, 2025
- Test Event 1: February 10–21, 2025
- Test Event 2: February 24–March 14, 2025
- What's New (web content)
- Address Change Request Form (webform)
- ACT WorkKeys Online Technical Readiness Survey - Fall
- ACT WorkKeys Online Technical Readiness Survey - Spring
Learn about ACT Now
- Overview (video)
- Accessing In-App Resources (video)
- Glossary of Terms (pdf)
- User Role Matrix (pdf)
- Comparison of Administration Platforms (pdf)
Setting up ACT Now
Invite or Manage Organizations in ACT Now
- Confirm Organization Participation Status (video)
- Adding Students and Assigning a Test Event (video)
Add Users with Roles to ACT Now
- Adding Users with Roles (video)
- Creating a User Account (video)
- Users File Layout (pdf)
- Users File Template (csv download)
Manage Your Students
- Quick Start Guide to Managing Students in ACT Now (pdf) (revised 9-16-2024)
Tip: The student transfer feature is currently unavailable - Students File Requirements - Layout (pdf)
- Student Registrations File Template (csv)
Manage Accommodations
Understanding Accommodations
Prepare Students for Testing with Accommodations
- Alternate Format Practice Tests Order Form (pdf)
- Accommodations Students File - Layout (pdf)
- Accommodations Students File Template (csv)
- Quick Start Guide - Assigning Accommodations and Supports (pdf)
- PreEvent Uploading and Assigning Student Accommodations (video)
- Pre-recorded Audio Guidelines (pdf)
Tip: References to information found in test administration manuals will be located in Test Center Manager (TCM). - Taking Assessments Online with a Screen Reader (pdf)
- Authorized Bilingual Word-to-Word Dictionaries list (pdf)
Prepare for Testing
- Technical Guide for Online Testing (pdf)
- Technical Readiness Checklist for Technical Coordinators (pdf)
- Test Nav Support (website)
- Before Test Day Checklist (pdf) Tip: As of 10/03, PreACT does not require assigning test booklet numbers to each room in TCM.
Training:
- Online Test Administration Webinar (webinar)
- Online Test Administration slides (pdf)
- Online Test Administration Q&A Report (pdf)
- Paper Test Administration (webinar)
- Paper Test Administration slides (pdf)
- Paper Test Administration Q&A Report (pdf)
Prepare Student for Testing
- ACT WorkKeys Sample Questions (web content)
Tip for Success: Only the National Career Readiness Certificate assessments apply to the NC state test administration.
Test Center Manager (TCM) Resources
Tip: All ACT Polices need to be thoroughly read and agreed to in TCM, accessed through ACT Now. If you are serving as your site's Test Coordinator and Room Supervisor, you only need to agree to the training modules for the Test Coordinator. The information found in the Room Supervisor modules are captured in the Test Coordinator Modules.
Test Coordinator Modules:
- Policies (web content)
- Test Facilities (web content)
- Test Staff (web content)
- Test Materials (web content)
Tip: Paper Testing in NC - return all test materials (standard & accommodations) at the end of the testing window or when all testing is complete. - Test Administration (web content)
- Non-Test Activities (web content)
Tip: Block 6, School Use Only-State Questions, does not apply to North Carolina testing.
Room Supervisor Modules:
- Policies (web content)
- Test Facilities (web content)
- Test Staff (web content)
- Test Materials (web content)
- Test Administration (web content)
Set up Test Center Manager (TCM)
- Setting up TCM Test Coordinator (video)
- Setting up TCM Test Coordinator (simulation)
- Using TCM as a Room Supervisor or Proctor (video)
- Using TCM as a Room Supervisor or Proctor (simulation)
- Internet Outage Checklist - Paper Testing with ACT Now and TCM (pdf)
- Manage and Track Test Materials in Test Center Manager (pdf)
- ACT Now Backup Instructions for Paper Testing - Standard (pdf)
- ACT Now Backup Instructions for Paper Testing - Accommodations (pdf)
- Create a Test Room (pdf)
- Test Center Manager (TCM) Resources (web content)
Tip: This resource contains links to one-page instructional PDFs and short videos for the Test Coordinator and Room Supervisor for setting up and managing: testing staff, students, and virtual rooms within TCM before and on test day.
Administer Tests
- Test Day Checklist (pdf)
- ACT Calculator Policy (pdf)
- Turn Off Device Poster (pdf)
- Manage Standard Time-Breaks as Needed (pdf)
- WorkKeys Test Directions in English (includes Applied Math Formula Sheet) (pdf)
Administer Tests with Accommodations
- WorkKeys Translated Directions (pdf)
- Reader Agreement (pdf)
- Sign Language Interpreter Agreement (pdf)
- Scribe Agreement (pdf)
Tip: If you're looking for resources, manuals, test forms, and other test administration resources, you'll find them in ACT Now and TCM training content. Look for a test day checklist, polices and tutorials, and much more!
Tip: Electronic signatures are permitted for the Sign Language Interpreter’s Agreements, Reader's Agreements, and Scribe's Agreements - Pre-Recorded Audio Guidelines (pdf)
- First Language Interpreter Agreement (pdf)
Returning Materials
Access Online Reporting
Understanding Reports
- WorkKeys Scale Score Interpretation Guide (pdf)
- Score Level Interpretation - Applied Math (act.org)
- Score Level Interpretation - Graphic Literacy (act.org)
- Score Level Interpretation - Workplace Documents (act.org)
- Score File to Examinee Score Data File Layout (pdf)
Tip: Business Writing (BW) does not apply to North Carolina. Students do not need the WorkKeys Claim Code to create/access their MyACT account.
Training:
Help Students Access and Understand Reports
- Sample Score Report - Student (pdf)
- NCRC Certificate Levels (image)
- ACT WorkKeys NCRC Sample Certificate (pdf)
- Occupational Profiling Database (website)
- Using the ACT WorkKeys Occupational Profile Database (video)
- ACT WorkKeys NCRC Student Benefits Flyer (pdf)
- ACT WorkKeys-Access Scores in MyACT (pdf)
- How to Use ACT’s Skills to Jobs Coaching Tool (pdf)