WorkKeys Applied Math Test

What Is Applied Math Testing?
The Applied Math section of WorkKeys tests your ability to apply mathematical principles and critical reasoning to real-world situations you might encounter in a workplace. To succeed, you will have to recognize different types of problems and convert word problems into one or more mathematical equations.
Many of the questions on the test will involve doing calculations with money, taking averages or totals, and working with geometric quantities like volume or area. Doing well on this section of the test is more about your ability to recognize the basic math principles that apply to a given situation than it is about your ability to do complicated math.

What Do the Questions Look Like, and How Difficult Are They?
The difficulty of the questions varies considerably from the easiest to the hardest levels. The most basic questions will require you to convert a straightforward scenario into a simple equation and solve it using just one or two of the basic operations. For the more advanced questions, you will have to decipher what a question is looking for and perform a multistep calculation to arrive at the answer.
The questions in this section are assigned a difficulty level between 3 and 7, with 3 being the easiest and 7 being the hardest. The questions will all be presented as word problems describing a scenario that you must solve using math. Questions at all levels may involve concepts such as money or time and may include operations with negative numbers.

- Level 3:  Level 3 questions are very straightforward. All the information needed to answer the question will be presented in a logical order and there won’t be any extra information in the question that you don’t need.
- Level 4:  Level 4 questions are slightly more difficult.

The information needed to answer the question may not be presented in the simplest order. There may be information given that you do not need to answer the question. The computations may include finding averages, ratios, rates, etc.
- Level 5:  Level 5 questions require more logical steps than the previous levels. You may be asked to perform operations on numbers given to you in different forms, such as decimals, fractions, and percentages such that you must convert all numbers to the same form. Level 5 also introduces basic geometry, including perimeter and area of circles and rectangles.
- Level 6:  Level 6 questions require more work than in previous levels to convert the word problem to an equation or set of equations.

The calculations are more complicated as well, potentially involving multiple unit conversions. The geometry at this level can include more complicated calculations with rectangles, circles, and simple rectangular solids.
- Level 7:  Level 7 questions are the most difficult you will encounter on this section. The questions may be presented in an unusual or complicated format. Some information may not be given explicitly and will have to be inferred from other information given. The geometry needed at this level may include everything used to this point, with the addition of spheres, cylinders, and cones. Questions may require some basic statistical concepts.

What Strategies Can I Use to Do Well on This Section?
- Read the questions carefully. The most important thing to do on the lower level questions is make sure you don’t make a mistake when you are translating the word problem to an equation. It should be obvious what the question is asking, and the actual math will be relatively simple, so as long as you don’t mistranslate something, you should be fine. On the higher-level questions, you may have to spend some time deciphering what information the question is asking for. Do not rush through this part of the process unless you are very confident in your understanding of the problem.
Setting up the right equation is just as important as solving the equation correctly.
- Systematically eliminate answers that are obviously wrong. If you know intuitively that the answer should be a number between 10 and 20, and two of the answer choices are above 20, you can eliminate them right away. This way, even if you have to guess, you will have narrowed down your options to give you the best shot at getting lucky.
- Know the basics. This WorkKeys assessment doesn’t include anything more advanced than basic high school geometry. Make sure you are familiar with all the concepts that are fair game on the test. There is no reason you should lose points on the test because of an unfamiliar concept.

What Formulas Will I Need to Know for This Section?
There will be a formula sheet provided with the Applied Math Assessment. The conversion factors on the sheet MUST be the ones used to get the correct answer. Since the formulas are provided, they do not need to be memorized. However, it would be helpful to be familiar with what will be on the sheet as well as how to use the formulas.