If you’re a senior, you’ve probably heard about the ACT WorkKeys test that you’ll be taking this Thursday, and while Mrs. Lambert’s meeting may have answered some of the questions that are on seniors’ minds, for many seniors one question still remains.

What exactly is the ACT WorkKeys test?

While theBJ faculty may feel that they’ve explained the test adequately, most students still don’t understand what it is.

“I literally have no idea what it is,” said senior Ethan Smyth when asked what he thought about the test.

This response mirrored the response of most of the seniors asked this question, and even the students who claimed to know what it was weren’t always correct. “I think it’s basically for trade school, and it shouldn’t be mandatory for students who are going to college,” said Aidan Pittman, a Bob Jones senior who claimed to know what the ACT WorkKeys test was and what it was used for.

In truth, Aidan was only partially right.

While it is true that the ACT WorkKeys test is used predominantly in trade schools and is looked at by employers when considering applicants who didn’t attend college, the test is also important for any college applicant and is used throughout the first four years of a student’s time at a university.

The ACT WorkKeys test is a job skills assessment that is meant to help employers hire and maintain a skilled workforce; however, colleges use the test when assigning the limited number of internships available to them, some of which are required to graduate. The test is also helpful when trying to get a job during college. The sad truth is that most students won’t be able to get through college without having a part-time job, but the ACT WorkKeys test can help students get one of those coveted positions.

While the ACT WorkKeys test may not be as well publicized or seem as important as the ACT or the SAT, the test still has its merits.

And hey, even if you don’t think the test is necessary, at least it gets students out of four hours of normal school work.

You can find more information about the ACT WorkKeys test here.