Research identified a literacy assessment program applicable to the adult population functioning at pre-General Education Development (GED) test levels. An attempt to align the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) with the Illinois State Board of Education Learning Standards failed. ACT Work Keys emerged as the recommended and most effective assessment tool for the pre-GED population. (ACT was formerly American College Testing.) Work Keys, a criterion-referenced testing system, assessed and acknowledged learner strengths in a portfolio-type report that employers easily understood. Levels of achievement were identified, but articulation of specific skills was the strength of this program. Work Keys consisted of multiple components: assessment, job profiling, instructional support, and reporting. Service centers--six in Illinois--provided for distribution of assessment instruments and timely scoring of tests. A fundamental element was provision for an assessment of literacy skills and a developmental program for the attainment of a sustainable wage. ACT determined a literacy level using Work Keys that denoted the minimal level of competency required for functioning in the workplace. The study recommended a first level of certification for individuals who achieve this level in the core literacy areas. A second level of skill documentation could reflect the local job market. (Attachments, amounting to one-half of the report, include materials on Work Keys, such as the process, sample report, and costs.) (YLB)