What the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test Measures
There are five levels of difficulty. Level 3 is the least complex, and Level 7 is the most complex. The levels build on each other, each incorporating the skills assessed at the preceding levels. For example, at Level 5, individuals need the skills from Levels 3, 4, and 5. The reading materials at Level 3 are short and direct. The material becomes longer, denser, and more difficult to use as readers move toward Level 7. The tasks also become more complex as readers move from Level 3 to Level 7. At Level 3, readers begin by finding very obvious details and following short instructions. At the more complex levels, tasks can also involve more application and interpretation.
Level / Characteristics of Items / Skills3
/ · Reading materials include basic company policies, procedures, and announcements
· Reading materials are short and simple, with no extra information
· Reading materials tell readers what they should do
· All needed information is stated clearly and directly
· Items focus on the main points of the passages
· Wording of the questions and answers is similar or identical to the wording used in the reading materials / · Identify main ideas and clearly stated details
· Choose the correct meaning of a word that is clearly defined in the reading
· Choose the correct meaning of common, everyday workplace words
· Choose when to perform each step in a short series of steps
· Apply instructions to a situation that is the same as the one in the reading materials
Level / Characteristics of Items / Skills
4
/ · Reading materials include company policies, procedures, and notices
· Reading materials are straightforward but have longer sentences and contain a number of details
· Reading materials use common words but do have some harder words, too
· Reading materials describe procedures that include several steps
· When following the procedures, individuals must think about changing conditions that affect what they should do
· Questions and answers are often paraphrased from the passage / · Identify important details that may not be clearly stated
· Use the reading material to figure out the meaning of words that are not defined
· Apply instructions with several steps to a situation that is the same as the situation in the reading materials
· Choose what to do when changing conditions call for a different action (follow directions that include "if-then" statements)
Level / Characteristics of Items / Skills
5
/ · Policies, procedures, and announcements include all of the information needed to finish a task
· Information is stated clearly and directly, but the materials have many details
· Materials also include jargon, technical terms, acronyms, or words that have several meanings
· Application of information given in the passage to a situation that is not specifically described in the passage
· There are several considerations to be taken into account in order to choose the correct actions / · Figure out the correct meaning of a word based on how the word is used
· Identify the correct meaning of an acronym that is defined in the document
· Identify the paraphrased definition of a technical term or jargon that is defined in the document
· Apply technical terms and jargon and relate them to stated situations
· Apply straightforward instructions to a new situation that is similar to the one described in the material
· Apply complex instructions that include conditionals to situations described in the materials
Level / Characteristics of Items / Skills
6
/ · Reading materials include elaborate procedures, complicated information, and legal regulations found in all kinds of workplace documents
· Complicated sentences with difficult words, jargon, and technical terms
· Most of the information needed to answer the items is not clearly stated / · Identify implied details
· Use technical terms and jargon in new situations
· Figure out the less common meaning of a word based on the context
· Apply complicated instructions to new situations
· Figure out the principles behind policies, rules, and procedures
· Apply general principles from the materials to similar and new situations
· Explain the rationale behind a procedure, policy, or communication
Level / Characteristics of Items / Skills
7
/ · Very complex reading materials
· Information includes a lot of details
· Complicated concepts
· Difficult vocabulary
· Unusual jargon and technical terms are used but not defined
· Writing often lacks clarity and direction
· Readers must draw conclusions from some parts of the reading and apply them to other parts / · Figure out the definitions of difficult, uncommon words based on how they are used
· Figure out the meaning of jargon or technical terms based on how they are used
· Figure out the general principles behind policies and apply them to situations that are quite different from any described in the materials
Reading for Information
This information is provided by Work Keys to help you prepare your students for the Work Keys Reading for Information test.
The Reading for Information assessment measures a person’s skill in reading and using work related information including instructions, policies, memos, bulletins, notices, letters, manuals, and governmental regulations. These printed materials represent actual workplace conditions where reading materials are not necessarily well written or adapted to meet the needs of the reader. They are unlike those used in most reading instruction because they were not produced or selected to facilitate reading.
The assessment contains 33 multiple-choice questions at five levels of complexity with Level 7 being the most complex. Although Level 3 is the least complex, it still assesses a level of reading skill well above no skill at all. The levels build on each other by incorporating the skills assessed at the preceding levels.*
Level 3
Questions at Level 3 measure the examinee’s skill in reading short, uncomplicated passages which use elementary vocabulary. The reading materials include basic company policies, procedures, and announcements. All of the information needed to answer the questions is stated clearly in the reading materials, and the questions focus on the main points of the passages. At this level, the wording of the questions and answers is similar or identical to the wording used in the reading materials.
Questions at Level 3 require the examinee to ;
• identify uncomplicated key concepts and simple details;
• recognize the proper placement of a step in a sequence of events, or the proper time to perform a task;
• identify the meaning of a word that is defined within the passage;
• identify the meaning of a simple word that is not defined within the passage; and
• recognize the application of instructions given in the passage to situations that are also described in the passage.
Level 4
At Level 4, the reading passages are slightly more complex than those at Level 3. They contain more detail and describe procedures which involve a greater number of steps. Some passages describe policies and procedures with a variety of factors which must be considered in order to decide on appropriate behavior. The vocabulary, while elementary, includes words that are more difficult than those at Level 3. For example, the word "immediately" may be used at this level, whereas at Level 3 the phrase "right away" would be used. At this level, the questions and answers are paraphrased from the passage.
In addition to the skills tested at the preceding level, questions at Level 4 require the examinee to:
• identify important details that are less obvious than those in Level 3;
• recognize the application of more complex instructions, some of which involve several steps, to described situations;
• recognize cause-effect relationships; and
• determine the meaning of words that are not defined in the reading material.
Level 5
Passages at Level 5 are more detailed; more complicated, and cover broader topics than those at Level 4. Words and phrases may be specialized (e.g., jargon and technical terms), and some words may have multiple meanings. Questions at this level typically call for applying information given in the passage to a situation that is not specifically described in the passage.
All of the information needed to answer the questions is stated clearly in the passages, but the examinee may need to take several considerations into account in order to choose the correct responses.
In addition to the skills tested at the preceding levels, questions at Level 5 require the examinee to:
• identify the paraphrased definition of a technical term or jargon that is defined in the passage;
• recognize the application of technical terms or jargon to stated situations;
• recognize the definition of an acronym that is defined in the passage;
• identify the appropriate definition of a word with multiple meanings;
• recognize the application of instructions from the passage to new situations that are similar to those described in the reading materials; and
• recognize the application of more complex instructions to described situations, including conditionals and procedures with multiple steps.
Level 6
Passages at Level 6 are significantly more difficult than those at the previous level. The presentation of the information is more complex; passages may include excerpts from regulatory and legal documents. The procedures and concepts described are more elaborate. Advanced vocabulary, jargon, and technical terms are used. Most information needed to answer the questions correctly is not clearly stated in the passages. The questions at this level require examinees to generalize beyond the stated situation, to recognize implied details, and to recognize the probable rationale behind policies and procedures.
In addition to the skills tested at the preceding levels, questions at Level 6 require the examinee to:
• recognize the application of jargon or technical terms to new situations;
• recognize the application of complex instructions to new situations;
• recognize, from context, the less common meaning of a word with multiple meanings;
• generalize from the passage to situations not described in the passage;
• identify implied details;
• explain the rationale behind a procedure, policy, or communication; and
• generalize from the passage to a somewhat similar situation.
Level 7
The questions at Level 7 are similar to those at Level 6 in that they require the examinee to generalize beyond the stated situation, to recognize implied details, and to recognize the probable rationale behind policies and procedures. However, the passages are more difficult: the density of information is higher, the concepts are more complex, and the vocabulary is more difficult. Passages include jargon and technical terms whose definitions must be derived from context.
In addition to the skills tested at the preceding levels, questions at Level 7 require the examinee to:
• recognize the definitions of difficult, uncommon jargon or technical terms, based on the context of the reading materials; and
•figure out the general principles underlying described situations and apply them to situations neither described in nor completely similar to those in the passage.
* A small number of questions are included for developmental purposes. Answers to these developmental questions do not count toward the examinee’s score.
Reading for Information - Level 3
Find the place where the first tree seedling is to be planted. Hold the planting bar straight up with both hands on the handle. Put the bottom edge of the bar against the ground.
Then put your foot on the crossbar. Dig a hole by pushing down hard with your foot until the crossbar is touching the ground. Move the bottom of the bar back and forth two or three times to make the hole a little bigger. Take the bar out of the hole and lay it on the ground beside the hole while you plant the seedling.
1. How must you hold the planting bar to dig a hole?
A. Across your foot
B. Beside the hole
C. Near the bottom edge
D. Straight up
E. Very hard
How to treat small cuts and scrapes
First, wash the wound with soap and warm water. Use a soft wet cloth to do the cleaning and touch the injured area very carefully. Try not to cause pain to the injured person.
Then, put AB Ointment on the wound. Squeeze a small dot of ointment out of the tube directly on to the injured area. Use a dry soft cloth to spread the ointment evenly over the entire wound.
Again, touch the injured area very carefully and try not to cause pain.
Next, cover the injured area with a bandage. Place a soft white cotton pad directly on the wound. Tape the pad in place. Put one piece of tape along each side of the pad. The tape should stick to the pad and also to the skin outside the injured area. Finally, put two pieces of tape all the way across the pad. Stick the tape to the skin on each side of the pad.
2. What do you use to clean the wound?
A. AB ointment
B. A soft dry cloth
C. A soft wet cloth
D. A white cotton pad