ACT® WorkKeys Workplace Observation – The Complete Guide [2025]
The WorkKeys® Workplace Observation test is an assessment of your ability to understand processes in the workplace.
This test is part of the 8 sections of the ACT WorkKeys assessment, an estimation tool of “soft” and “hard” skills and competencies that are required in the workplace.
The Workplace Observation test is not mandatory for receiving the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), but taking it can enhance your resume and show your recruiters your range of working abilities.
On this page, you will receive all the information needed for acing the ACT WorkKeys workplace observation test, with the test's structure, required skills, and preparing tips.
Mastering the WorkKeys test will demand high perception and logical capabilities, best achieved with proper practice and guidance. Make sure to check our:
ACT WorkKeys Test Guide and Practice • Free WorkKeys Practice Test
What Is the WorkKeys Workplace Observation Test?
The ACT WorkKeys workplace observation test assesses your ability to observe, understand, and evaluate work processes, procedures and demonstrations. The questions are based on real-life working scenarios from various fields and professions.
The test has 5 difficulty levels, ranging from 1 to 5. The difficulty levels build on one another with each new level including the skills assessed in the previous levels, so in level 4, you will need the skills of levels 2 and 3.
You will be presented with 12 short videos, about 2-3 minutes each. In every video, you will be shown a scenario that displays a workplace procedure.
You will be required to observe the scenarios and answer questions demonstrating skills such as paying attention, processing information, and recognizing cause and effect.
Every scenario can be viewed only once.
You will have 55 minutes to answer 35 questions.
This assessment is administrated only by computer.
You are scored in real-time while taking the test. Once you submit your last answer, you will immediately get your results.
If you're looking for free practice, you can check our Free Workkeys Practice Test.
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Skills
The test has 5 difficulty levels that incorporate one another. Each level focuses on one main ability that requires various skills. In each level, you will need to demonstrate new skills in addition to those you showed in the previous ones.
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Level 1 Skills – Following the Observed
In this difficulty level, your focus needs to be on the actions that the observed is doing and on imitating all or parts of the procedure, demonstration, or process you observed.
You will need to demonstrate the following skills –
- Paying attention and maintaining focus
- Repeating a short procedure, process, demonstration, or pattern
- Recognizing a missing step or incorrect step of the process
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Level 2 Skills – Interpreting the Observed
In this difficulty level, your focus needs to be on understanding and interpreting simple procedures, processes, demonstrations, or instructions.
In addition to the skills of level 1, you will need to demonstrate the following skills –
- Recognizing cause and effect in procedures, processes, demonstrations, or instructions.
- Identifying the correct course of action
- Filtering distractions
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Level 3 Skills – Synthesizing the Observed
In this difficulty level, your focus needs to be on multiple and detailed procedures that occur simultaneously, while filtering distractions.
In addition to the skills of levels 1 and 2, you will need to demonstrate the following skills –
- Processing information from complex processes and procedures
- Distinguishing between similar steps based on different factors
- Applying information to situations
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Level 4 Skills – Analyzing the Observed
In this difficulty level, your focus needs to be on anticipating the outcome of procedures, processes, demonstrations, or instructions.
In addition to the skills in levels 1 to 3, you will need to demonstrate the following skills –
- Making inferences from a procedure, process, or demonstration
- Deducing from a partial or non-explicit procedure, process, or pattern
- Applying conditions to a new situation
- Determining the principles of a procedure, process, or a condition
- Applying complicated instructions to a new situation
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Level 5 Skills – Evaluating the Observed
In this difficulty level, your focus needs to be on evaluating the actions of the observed. In addition to the skills in levels 1 to 4, you will need to demonstrate the following skills –
- Assessing whether an element is or isn’t a distraction
- Judging the course of action in a new situation or when there is missing information
- Making predictions and test hypothesizes
- Prioritizing when applying principles to reach an outcome
Think you got it?
Check out our full WorkKeys practice test
WorkKeys Workplace Observation Test Solving and Preparation Tips
Answer all the questions
The WorkKeys workplace observation test score is calculated by the number of questions you answered correctly and is not reduced if your answer is incorrect. So, it is better to guess than to leave an unanswered question.
There are no regrets
You can only view the video once; after you have answered the questions, you can't go back and correct them. So take your time before submitting your reply.
Create a workflow
You cannot rewatch the video, thus, you need to rely on your concentration and memory, which can be pretty hard when it’s a multistep detailed, complicated process. To overcome this challenge, while watching the video, you can write down every step of the process and make a workflow that will help you retrace the steps and their order.
You cannot rewatch the video, thus, you need to rely on your concentration and memory, which can be pretty hard when it’s a multistep detailed, complicated process. To overcome this challenge, while watching the video, you can write down every step of the process and make a workflow that will help you retrace the steps and their order.
Learn more about the WorkKeys assessment test, and check out JobTestPrep's WorkKeys assessment test PrepPack, which includes all the tools needed for receiving the National Career Readiness Certificate.
Or read more about our ACT WorkKeys Preparation Pack
