What is the National Career Readiness
Certificate (NCRC)?
• The NCRC is a certificate that demonstrates your workplace readiness in
three foundational skill areas:
• Applied Math
• Reading for Information
• Locating Information
• The NCRC provides objective documentation of an employee’s skills.
• The NCRC is portable and recognized Nationwide.
• Normally, the cost of certificate is $22 plus shipping.
HOWEVER, the state of Oregon is currently funding the costs in
order for job seekers to obtain their NCRC Certificate.
How Does the NCRC
Benefit You?
• The NCRC gives job applicants a tangible way to document your work
skills and stand out to an employer.
• It will make you more competitive for employment.
• It can boost your confidence in this tough job market.
• It is a great way to show an employer that you will go the extra mile to
compete for a job.
• More and more employers are using the NCRC in their hiring process.
Earning a certificate gives you access to job opportunities by employers
who support the NCRC
• Don’t forget to add your NCRC Certificate to your resume!
How Does the NCRC Benefit the Employer?
• The NCRC helps Oregon businesses build and maintain a
skilled workforce.
• In today’s hiring market, employers want to be able to quickly
identify qualified applicants.
• The NCRC has proven that it reduces employee turnover.
• The NCRC has proven that it reduces the cost and time of
training new employees.
What Do I Need to Know about my
NCRC Certificate?
• Certificates are determined by the lowest scores.
3’s = Bronze (foundational skills for 35% of jobs in WorkKeys dbase)
4’s = Silver (foundational skills for 65% of jobs in WorkKeys dBase
5’s = Gold (foundational skills for 90% of jobs in WorkKeys dBase)
6’s = Platinum (foundational skills for 99% of jobs in WorkKeys dBase)
There are currently more than 10,000 profiled jobs in WorkKeys dBase
•
Approximately 3 weeks after completing your third assessment, your certificate
will be mailed to the WorkSource center. You will receive an email or a phone call
notifying you to pick up your certificate at the front desk within two weeks. After
this point, your certificate will be mailed to your home.
•
Your certificate will be assigned a code. Follow the directions by logging in and
registering your certificate online.
•
After registering your certificate online, you can give your code to employers who
can then go in and see your individual scores online.
• Can I retake an assessment to improve my score? Yes, but it is
recommended that you spend at least 2 weeks studying before you retest. We are
also trying to limit assessment retakes to 2, so it is important that you utilize your
study resources in advance.
• You must complete all three assessments (Reading, Math & Locating)
before retaking any assessments.
• Do I have to retake all 3 assessments? No. You can just retake the one
assessment.
• What are my resources for studying?
– **WIN Software
– **Check out a WorkKeys Practice Book from WorkSource Staff
– **For Math, you also can attend Math Open Skills Lab at the
WorkSource Center
NCRC Assessment
Expectations
• Examinees cannot have on their person electronic devices including PDA’s
and sophisticated calculators, cell phones, cameras or special watches while
taking the assessment.
• Please turn off your cell phone and put it away.
• No papers, notes, texts, dictionaries are allowed. The only allowed materials
are those provided by the proctor.
• Please take off baggy coats and hats and put them on the floor or at the back
of the room.
• You are NOT allowed to leave the room once you have started the
assessment. If you do, the proctor will have to follow ACT “high
stakes” requirements and close down your assessment.
More Assessment Expectations
• When you register using your NCRC ID Card, please do not
change your User Name & Password
• No Web sites other than the one for the NCRC Assessment are allowed on
your computer while taking the NCRC.
• Once the actual assessment starts, examinee and proctor(s) cannot talk
unless there is a technical problem with the assessment
system/computer.
• The proctor(s) cannot answer any questions once the test starts.
• Proctor(s) and participants cannot discuss the assessment questions at
any time before, during or after the assessment.
Accommodations
• Word-to-word foreign language dictionaries are permitted
for those whose first language is other than English.
• If you have a documented learning disability and/or another
disability in which you need accommodations not offered in
this computer lab, please see the proctor after the
Orientation/Registration Workshop (during the break).
**Note: this may mean that you need to take your assessment at an
alternative time.
Materials Supplied by Test Site
The following are materials provided by the proctor and the only items that
should be used during the assessments:
 Blank scratch paper and pencil
 Computer equipment
 Basic Calculator, only if taking the Applied Mathematics assessment
 Blue applied Math formula sheet, only if taking the Applied
Mathematics assessment
 Your Yellow NCRC ID Card
 Any NCRC workshop handouts given by the proctor
NCRC Admittance Requirements
The examinee is responsible for providing the following:
• Driver’s license or similar picture identification.
• Your Yellow NCRC ID Card
• Proof of online WorkSource Registration at testing sites other than a
local WorkSource Center.
Registration & Assessment
Overview
The Proctor will administer the Assessment(s)
• During registration, examinees need to complete the
demographic information requested upfront. ACT only uses
this information for internal research purposes.
• Each assessment takes about 55 minutes to complete.
• The system generates multiple versions of the assessment and
your screen is different than your neighbor’s.
• Screens may look the same but the questions will be different
• After you have answered all questions OR your time has run
out, click on “Complete and Finalize Results” bar.
• If taking more than one assessment, you will have a 5-10
minute break between assessments.
What Do I Do When I Finish my
Assessment?
• Click on finalize & complete but don’t exit yet or shut down the program
until you’ve confirmed your test with the proctor.
• Bring scratch paper, calculator, blue math formula sheet AND your
Yellow NCRC ID Card and quietly walk over to the proctor’s computer.
• Please stand away from the proctor’s computer screen while proctor
confirms that you have concluded your assessment.
• Please stand back from other examinees while proctor prints their
scores to maintain confidentiality.
• Return to your computer and completely close down the WorkKeys
program by clicking on the EXIT BUTTON OR Red X in the right hand
corner.
• You may then go on a break. Please return on time for the next
scheduled assessment.
This concludes the NCRC Orientation.
Are there any questions?
The Proctor will now bring up an
overhead to help you with your
Registration