Locating Information
A recent survey found that 22.1% of hourly employees had an inability to read and translate drawings, diagrams, and flow charts. Locating information has added a fourth "R"—retrieval skills—to the original 3Rs of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The skill people use when they locate, synthesize, and use information from workplace graphics such as charts, graphs, tables, forms, flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, maps, and instrument gauges is a basic skill required in today's workforce.
The WorkKeys Locating Information test measures the skill people use when they work with workplace graphics. Examinees are asked to find information in a graphic or insert information into a graphic. They also must compare, summarize, and analyze information found in related graphics.
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Characteristics/Skills
There are four levels of difficulty. Level 3 is the least complex and Level 6 is the most complex. The levels build on each other, each incorporating the skills assessed at the preceding levels. For example, Level 5 includes the skills used at Levels 3, 4, and 5. At Level 3, examinees look for information in simple graphics and fill in information that is missing from simple graphics. At Level 6, examinees may use the information in one or more complex graphics to draw conclusions and make decisions. The complexity can also increase as the quantity and/or density of the information increases.
| Level |
Characteristics of Items |
Skills |
3
|
- Elementary workplace graphics such as simple order forms, bar graphs, tables, flowcharts, maps, instrument gauges, or floor plans
- One graphic used at a time
|
- Find one or two pieces of information in a graphic
- Fill in one or two pieces of information that are missing from a graphic
|
| Level |
Characteristics of Items |
Skills |
4
|
- Straightforward workplace graphics such as basic order forms, diagrams, line graphs, tables, flowcharts, instrument gauges, or maps
- One or two graphics are used at a time
|
- Find several pieces of information in one or two graphics
- Understand how graphics are related to each other
- Summarize information from one or two straightforward graphics
- Identify trends shown in one or two straightforward graphics
- Compare information and trends shown in one or two straightforward graphics
|
| Level |
Characteristics of Items |
Skills |
5
|
- Complicated workplace graphics, such as detailed forms, tables, graphs, diagrams, maps, or instrument gauges
- Graphics may have less common formats
- One or more graphics are used at a time
|
- Sort through distracting information
- Summarize information from one or more detailed graphics
- Identify trends shown in one or more detailed or complicated graphics
- Compare information and trends from one or more complicated graphics
|
| Level |
Characteristics of Items |
Skills |
6
|
- Very complicated and detailed graphs, charts, tables, forms, maps, and diagrams
- Graphics contain large amounts of information and may have challenging formats
- One or more graphics are used at a time
- Connections between graphics may be subtle
|
- Draw conclusions based on one complicated graphic or several related graphics
- Apply information from one or more complicated graphics to specific situations
- Use the information to make decisions
|
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