Math Skill Assessment Description
Production Technician Academy/CNC Operator Academy
The CNC Operator Academy and the Production Technician Academy include teaching and skill assessments to
assure graduates have the ability to understand and apply fundamental mathematics. This is accomplished by pre
admission testing to assure students have the arithmetic skills needed to learn the technical mathematics material
taught in the program.
Pre- Admission testing is based on these skills:
Understanding Place Value, to Thousands
Addition
 Three or Four Numbers
 Multi-Digit Numbers
Subtraction
 1-Digit Number from a 2-Digit Number
 Two 2-Digit Numbers
 Multi-Digit Numbers with Regrouping
 Multi-Digit Numbers with Consecutive
Regrouping
 Across Zeros
Multiplication:
 2-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number
 3-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number
 2-Digit Number by a 2-Digit Number
 Multiple of 10 or 100
 Multiple of 10 by a Multiple of 10
Division
 Multi-Digit Numbers by a 1-Digit
Number
 Multiples of 100
Story Problems
 Addition and Subtraction
 Multiplication; Division
Finding Equivalent Fractions
Simplifying Fractions
The Test is computer based on 100 questions are asked, 5 questions for each of the bulleted items above. 80% in
each of the 20 modules is required to pass.
The test is delivered through a tutorial program, PLATO. Candidates, who miss one or more area, are guided to
short, specific tutorials in order to learn the topic prior to retesting. Access is available via the internet and is free
to the candidate. A second attempt at the test will be scheduled when the candidate has had the chance to study.
Program Learning Objectives are listed below. Instructor lead content leads to competency testing in the form a
written assessment
CNC Operator Academy
•
•
•
•
Calculate rate, ratio, decimal and proportion with and without the use of a calculator
Understand how to plot and read Right hand Cartesian Coordinates
Calculate rotational velocity equations (RPMs)
Calculate speeds, feeds, and horsepower requirements for machining
Production Technician Academy
•
•
•
Apply basic math functions to solve workplace problems
Calculate percentage, rate, ratio, decimal and proportion with and without the use of a calculator
Create and interpret basic graphs and charts commonly used in manufacturing
Math Skill Assessment Description
Production Technician Academy/CNC Operator Academy
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Understanding Place Value, to Thousands
1. Select the place where the digit 8 sits in this number: 387,950
A. Tens
B. Ones
C. Ten thousands
Addition
2. 18+14+42=____
3. 3492+1660=_____
Subtraction
4. 57-4=___
5. 92-21=____
6. 880-33=____
7. 4936-2669=____
8. 6032-677=____
D. One thousands
E. Hundred thousands
F. Hundreds
Multiplication:
9. 57×6=____
10. 102×6=___
11. 14×80=___
12. 43×100=___
13. 30×30=___
Division
14. 338÷9=___R__
15. 2100÷21=___
Story Problems:
16. Trang has a job planting shrubs beside the highway. He needs to plan 500 shrubs in a week. So far, he has
planted this many:
Monday-84
Tuesday-92
Wednesday-87
Thursday-104
How many shrubs does Trang need to plant on Friday?
A. 133
B. 367
C. 33
D. No more shrubs are needed.
17. Angel and Robert want to hike a trail that goes from Maine to Georgia. The trail is 2050 miles long. If they
hike 12 miles a day for 30 days, how many miles do they have left to hike?
A. 1,690 miles
B. 169 miles
C. 360 miles
D. 2,410 miles
18. Rachel is a lunchroom supervisor at West School. The children eat lunch at 15 long tables. When all tables
are used, 240 children can eat at one time. How many seas are there at each table?
A. 8 seats
B. 12 seats
C. 16 seats
D. 20 seats
Finding Equivalent Fractions
19. Write any fraction that is equivalent to .
Simplifying Fractions
20. Write the fraction in the simplest form
Orientation & Application
APPLICANT
REJECTED
No
Does
Applicant
meet
minimum
criteria?
Yes
No
ACT Performance Test
KVCC Math
Assessment
Did
Applicant
pass?
Yes
No
Structured
Interview
Did
Applicant
pass?
Yes
Provisional
Acceptance
Criminal Background
Check & Drug Screen
No
Did
Applicant
pass?
Yes
FINAL
ACCEPTANCE
Math Testing Recommendation
Production Technician Academy/CNC Operator Academy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendation
Replace the ACT WorkKey Assessments with the KVCC Math Assessment in the
second step of the application process.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Currently, applicants of the Production Technician Academy are required to earn a Bronze level
on the three ACT WorkKey assessments that comprise the National Career Readiness
Certificate. After reference checks, candidates must call the Michigan Works Service Center
and schedule their assessments. The ACT Performance test is conducted at the same visit.
The Production Technician Academy has graduated 3 cohorts of students and Mark Sigfrids,
full-time KVCC mathematics faculty, has taught the Technical Math portion of the course. Mark
found that there were students who didn’t have the foundation of math necessary for him to
teach the Technical Math Learning Objectives for the course, though they all earned at least a
bronze level on the Work Key Applied Math assessment. He often had to go back and teach
basic Arithmetic skills to students to get them up to speed to teach the course content.
Candidates for the programs frequently express a fear of the math assessment and we have
lost candidates at this stage of the application for each program.
As a planning step for the CNC Operator Academy, an assessment of math skills was
performed by Mark Sigfrids, Howard Carpenter, Bill Willging, Ph.D., Director of the
Expressways Program, Tom Sutton, Associate Director and Katie Herweg. They identified the
pre-requisite math skills needed to perform the technical math required of a CNC Operator.
Once this was established, the group found that the same pre-requisite math level was needed
for success in the PTA.
A skill assessment was created in our Plato tutoring program, so that remediation can be based
specifically on the areas the candidate missed. Tutoring is free and available 24 -7.
Anecdotal Feedback
•
•
•
•
Two candidates that passed the Work Keys assessment for PTA moved their application
to the CNC. They were not able to pass the KVCC math assessment.
Out of 117 Candidates for the PTA, 1 person failed to pass the WorkKey Assessment.
28 of 117 (24%) of the PTA Candidates dropped out of the application process during
Math Testing.
Currently, 22 hours of class time are dedicated to teaching math. Eight hours are
dedicated to reviewing Arithmetic skills. According to Mark Sigfrids, we could drop the
math time in the class down to 14 hours if the students came in with the necessary
skills.