Skill Levels
Gauging Personal Progress in Language and Math
James Hayes-Bohanan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Geography
Revised: June 29, 2004
(Thanks to Professor Robert Sutherland for material on this page, obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor.)

Skill Development

Getting a degree is not enough; one also needs an education. It is possible to achieve either one without the other.

Strong math and language skills are two of the hallmarks of an educated person. They are essential for further learning. Fortunately, skills in both of these areas can be developed and improved by sustained and disciplined work over a period of years.

Skill Levels

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has developed guidelines for rating an individual's language and math skills. Note that the language skills are defined in terms of reading, writing, and speaking. The math skills entail both computation and an understanding of the appropriate ways to apply computations.

The skill levels in each case range from one to six, as follows:
 
Level
Language Skills
Math Skills

"A person who does not read is no better off than a person who cannot read." ~~ Dear Abby (paraphrased) "A thing is not really understood until it is understood quantitatively." ~~ Carl Sagan (paraphrased)
1
  • Recognizes 2,500 two- or three syllable words
  • Reads at a rate of 95-120 words per minute
  • Writes and speaks simple sentences
  • Adds and subtracts two digit numbers
  • Does simple calculations with money, volume, length, and weight
2
  • Recognizes 5,000 words
  • Reads 190-215 words per minute
  • Reads adventure stories and comic books, as well as instructions for assembling model cars
  • Writes compound and complex sentences with proper grammar and punctuation
  • Adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides all units of measure
  • Combines ratio, rate, and percentage
  • Draws and interprets bar graphs
3
  • Reads novels and magazines, as well as safety rules and equipment instructions
  • Writes reports with proper format and punctuation
  • Speaks well before an audience
  • Understands basic geometry and algebra
  • Calculates discount, interest, profit and loss, markup, and commissions
4
  • Reads novels, poems, newspapers, and manuals
  • Prepares business letters, summaries, and reports
  • Participates in panel discussions and debates
  • Speaks extemporaneously on a variety of subjects
  • Understands complex algebra and geometry, including linear and quadratic equations, logarithmic functions, and axiomatic geometry
5
  • Reads literature, book and play reviews scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents
  • Can write editorials, speeches, and critiques
  • Knows calculus and statistics
  • Able to understand econometrics
6
  • Same types of skills as Level 5, but more advanced
  • Works with advanced calculus, modern algebra, and statistics

Application of Skill Levels

The higher-level skills described above are achieved only after years of cultivation, which must result in large part from intrinsic motivation. That is, people will not be able to achieve the highest levels of language and mathematics unless they genuinely want to do so. The quality of one's life may be enhanced by developing these skills, independent of any practical utility they may have.

Of course, the skills described above also have practical applications; it is for this reason that the Department of Labor has taken an interest in them. The following is a list of various occupations, indicating the skill levels required for each.

Some of the results may surprise you. Select a career that interests you. Are the requisite skill levels higher or lower than you expected?

If you do not yet have the skill levels you need or want, how might you be able to move toward those levels in the next several years?
 
Occupation Language
Level		 Math
Level
Biochemist
6
6
Mathematician
6
6
Cardiologist
6
5
Social psychologist
6
5
Lawyer
6
4
Newspaper Editor
6
4
Personnel Manager
5
5
Corporate President
5
5
Secondary Teacher
5
5
Elementary Teacher
5
4
Disc Jockey
5
3
Corporate Executive
4
5
Management Trainee
4
4
Retail Store Manager
3
4
Cement Mason
3
3
Dairy Farm Manager
3
3
Travel Agent
3
3
Telephone Operator
3
2
Janitor
3
2
Assembly-line Worker
2
2
Laundry Worker
1
1


Return to my Not-the-13th-Grade page.
Any questions? Contact me at jhayesboh@bridgew.edu.
James Hayes-Bohanan, Ph.D.
Bridgewater State College