What the Fit Assessment Measures

The WorkKeys^® Fit Assessment consists of two instruments: The ACT Interest Inventory and the ACT Work Values Inventory. The ACT Interest Inventory, introduced in 1977, has undergone periodic enhancements over the years, and was last updated in 2006. As a component of both the ACT EPAS^® and DISCOVER^® programs, it is currently completed by over 4 million persons each year. Extensive reliability and validity information, gathered over the past 30 years, is available. The inventory assesses six basic interests covering the spectrum of basic work tasks. Descriptions of the six scales follow:

Administration & Sales: Persuading, influencing, directing, or motivating others through activities such as sales, supervision, and aspects of business management.
Business Operations: Developing and/or maintaining accurate and orderly files, records, accounts, etc.; designing and/or following systematic procedures for performing business activities.
Technical: Working with tools, instruments, and mechanical or electrical equipment. Activities include designing, building, repairing machinery, and raising crops/animals.
Science & Technology: Investigating and attempting to understand phenomena in the natural sciences through reading and research.
Arts: Expressing oneself through activities such as painting, designing, singing, dancing, and writing; artistic appreciation of such activities.
Social Service: Helping, enlightening, or serving others through activities such as teaching, counseling, working in service-oriented organizations, engaging in social/political studies.

The ACT Work Values Inventory was developed specifically for the WorkKeys Fit Assessment. It consists of 18 values commonly found in values inventories. Example values and definitions are:

Public Contact: Interacting with external customers or the public in general.
Autonomy: Making one's own plans and decisions at work.
Influencing Others: Convincing or advising people to do things, even in non-supervisory roles.
Order: Putting things in order for others; using a system or rules to arrange things.
Intellectual Stimulation: Thinking about difficult concepts and working to solve complex problems.
Precision: Being exact or very accurate in one's work.
Creativity: Creating something new or finding new ways of doing things; original thinking.