Studio draft — Answers is its own section. Live FAQ still at realworldcareers.com/faq
Real World CareersAn Advanced Learning Academy product

Answer library · 94 questions

Every current question. Every current answer.

Same 94 answers as the live site. Twelve most-asked questions first, then Candidate, Employer, Federal, and Privacy. Each answer has a permanent link.

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Most asked

Twelve starting points.

  1. What is Real World Careers?
  2. How much does it cost?
  3. Is this an IQ test?
  4. How long does the assessment take?
  5. What is your refund policy?
  6. How do I get started?
  7. What do I receive when I finish?
  8. What does the employer pilot cost?
  9. What are free bonus seats?
  10. Can we hire or reject on the score alone?
  11. What is the federal compliance posture?
  12. Do you sell my data?

01

The Assessment

What it is, who it is for, and what taking it is like.

Do I need to study or prepare?

No. The assessment measures how you process information under timed work-relevant tasks, not memorized job knowledge. Be rested, take it somewhere quiet, and answer honestly. Coaching materials do not meaningfully rewrite a performance profile.

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What should I do in the first 30 days after Career Fit?

Week 1: read your six-domain profile and top matches; write one plain sentence about how you solve work problems. Week 2: add your credential code to resume and LinkedIn; verify it yourself at realworldcareers.com/verify. Week 3: run ZIP search for matched titles and apply only to roles that fit your profile. Week 4: track applications you control and prepare interview stories that use your domain strengths. This is a plan — not a placement guarantee.

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Does Real World Careers help with real job skills?

Real World Careers does not teach job skills in a course sense. It measures cognitive strengths that research links to learning speed, problem-solving, and job performance, then points you toward careers where those strengths matter. Employers use the credential as one structured signal alongside interviews and experience.

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How is Real World Careers different from a regular career quiz?

Most free career quizzes measure interests or personality only. Real World Careers measures timed work-relevant task performance across six domains, scores up to 110 with an accuracy base and optional speed bonus for correct answers, then maps results to career directions for research. You also get a report path, a candidate-controlled credential, and three years of job tools. It is guidance and decision support — not entertainment and not a guarantee of hire.

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How does Real World Careers work?

You choose Career Fit ($99) or Career Fit Professional ($199) on realworldcareers.com/pricing, complete the 50-question assessment, and receive your domain profile, matches (6 on $99; unlimited on $199), report path, and three years of job-tool access. Employers or advisors you authorize can verify your credential at realworldcareers.com/verify. Organizations buy seats separately at $750 (5 at $150), $3,000 (20+5 extra), $7,500 (50+25 extra), $14,400 (96+64 extra), or $22,500 for 300 delivered (150+150 extra · $75/seat).

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How long does the assessment take?

Plan on a focused sitting. Each item has a timed window (45 seconds in the published scoring rules) with a speed bonus only when answers are correct and fast. Slow correct answers still earn full accuracy credit. Total session time is typically under an hour depending on pacing and accommodations.

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How do I get started with Real World Careers?

Go to realworldcareers.com/pricing, choose Career Fit ($99) or Professional ($199). Pay securely through Stripe, take the assessment in your browser, and open your report and credential when results are ready. Employers and schools that want multi-seat delivery should use the Employer Pilot ($750) or Hiring Package ($3,000) on the employers page.

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Is this an IQ test?

No. Real World Careers is a career-fit assessment and job-search toolkit — 50 questions, maximum composite 110 — not an IQ classification product. We do not assign an IQ label, and results are not a medical or diagnostic finding.

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What happens if I lose my connection mid-assessment?

Your progress is maintained by a session cookie, so a brief interruption does not erase your work. Reopen the assessment in the same browser and you can resume where you left off. If you hit a problem you cannot recover from, contact team@advancedlearning.academy and we will make it right.

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Can I take it on my phone?

Yes. The assessment runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet, or computer. A larger screen is more comfortable for the visual-pattern questions, but the assessment is fully functional on mobile.

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How many questions are there and what format are they?

There are 50 questions covering all six domains. Formats include logic and prioritization, spatial and numerical reasoning, verbal comprehension, visual patterns, workplace judgment scenarios, and procedural sequencing. No specialized job knowledge is required.

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Job search is exhausting. Does Real World Careers acknowledge that?

Yes. Long searches and silence after applying are real. Real World Careers cannot force employers to reply, but it narrows targets with capability-based matches, gives you a shareable credential instead of a resume alone, and includes three years of job-tool access so you are not restarting from zero every few weeks. Pace applications; quality of fit beats mass applications.

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What does the assessment actually measure?

The assessment measures performance across six work-relevant domains: executive reasoning; quantitative and spatial; verbal and working memory; visual pattern recognition; workplace social judgment; and procedural sequencing. These are behavioral task domains — not a brain scan, anatomical measurement, medical diagnosis, or IQ label.

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What is Real World Careers?

Real World Careers is a career-fit assessment and job-search toolkit from Advanced Learning Academy LLC. You take a timed 50-question Career Fit assessment (maximum composite score 110) across six work-relevant domains, receive a profile and career matches, a credential path employers can verify with your permission, and job-tool access for three years. It was created by Timothy E. Parker, Guinness World Records Puzzle Master, whose work has reached 180 million total solvers across 30 years and 80+ countries. Real World Careers is not an IQ classification or medical exam.

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Who is Real World Careers for?

Real World Careers is for people who want a clearer career path based on how they actually think and process information — not only interests or personality. Typical users include students and graduates choosing a field, career changers, adults returning to work, job seekers who want an employer-verifiable credential, and organizations that hire or advise talent (employers, schools, workforce programs, and agencies).

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02

Pricing, Billing & Refunds

Consumer tiers, employer pilots, and the 7-day refund rule.

What is the Real World Careers employer pilot and how much does it cost?

The Employer Pilot is $750 for 5 seats at $150 with no extras, portal verify path, and candidate credential/letter path. After the pilot, Package is $3,000 for 20 purchased + 5 extra; Team $7,500 for 50+25 extra; Scale $14,400 for 96+64 extra; Enterprise is $22,500 for 300 delivered (150+150 extra · $75/seat). Results are decision support — not an automatic hire tool.

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What is included in the $3,000 Hiring Package?

The Hiring Package is the main employer offer after or instead of a small pilot. It is priced at $3,000 for 20 purchased + 5 extra (25 delivered), with better unit economics than pilot-only buying. Full current inclusions and Stripe checkout are listed on realworldcareers.com/employers.

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How do I pay, and is payment secure?

Payments are processed by Stripe. We accept major credit and debit cards. We never see or store your full card number, and a receipt is emailed to you automatically. Organizations can also request invoice / Net 30 ACH for larger packages.

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How much does Real World Careers cost?

Job seekers: Career Fit is $99 (6 career matches, 3 years access) or Career Fit Professional is $199 (unlimited matches, 3 years access). Employers and federal buyers use the same seat ladder: Pilot $750 (5 seats at $150), Package $3,000 (20+5 extra), Team $7,500 (50+25 extra), Scale $14,400 (96+64 extra), and Enterprise $22,500 for 300 delivered (150 purchased + 150 extra · $75/seat). See realworldcareers.com/pricing and realworldcareers.com/employers.

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I already took another cognitive test. Do I get a discount?

No. Careers does not offer an upgrade credit from other products. Purchase Career Fit ($99) or Professional ($199) and complete the Careers assessment.

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What is your refund policy?

Consumer Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) purchases can be refunded in full if you email team@advancedlearning.academy within 7 days of purchase and you have opened 5 or fewer job listings. Completing the assessment or generating a credential does not void the refund. Opening a 6th job listing ends refund eligibility. Integrity violations void the refund. After 7 days there is no refund. Employer and federal seat purchases follow the terms stated at purchase. Refunds return to the original payment method within 5-10 business days.

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Is Real World Careers a subscription?

Consumer packages are one-time purchases ($99 or $199) with three years of included job-tool access. Employer and federal seats are package or enterprise purchases, not a required consumer subscription.

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Is Job Radar still for sale as a standalone product?

No. A standalone Job Radar SKU is not currently sold. Job-tool access is included for three years with Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199). Public consumer packages are only those two tiers.

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Is there a $49 reassessment?

A public $49 refresh SKU is not currently sold. Available consumer packages are Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) only. Contact support if you need a retake policy for an existing purchase.

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What is included in the $199 Career Fit Professional package?

Career Fit Professional at $199 includes everything in Career Fit plus unlimited career matches, expanded guidance, a fuller employer verify pack, and the same 3 years of job-tool access.

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What is included in the $99 Career Fit package?

Career Fit at $99 includes the 50-question assessment, six-domain profile and report path, 6 career matches with an action plan, credential path, and 3 years of job-tool access. It does not include unlimited matches (that is Professional at $199).

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Should I buy Career Fit $99 or Professional $199?

Buy Career Fit ($99) if you want a clear six-match starting set and three years of job tools. Buy Professional ($199) if you want unlimited matches, salary intelligence on matches, and a fuller employer verify pack. Both use the same 50-question assessment and max score of 110. Neither is a job guarantee.

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03

Results & Career Matching

Your domain profile, your matches, and what the numbers mean.

Can my scores change over time?

Core cognitive patterns are fairly stable in adulthood, but performance can shift with sleep, stress, and circumstances. A public $49 refresh SKU is not currently sold. Available consumer packages are Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) only.

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How accurate is the career matching?

The matching is grounded in a century of selection research showing cognitive ability is among the strongest predictors of job performance (Schmidt and Hunter, 1998; Sackett et al., 2022). No assessment predicts any individual life perfectly. Treat matches as a scientifically informed starting point, not a verdict.

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How does career matching work?

Your domain profile is mapped to career directions using versioned occupational information (including O*NET-aligned research). Career Fit ($99) surfaces 6 matches; Professional ($199) provides unlimited matches for deeper exploration. Matches are research guidance, not guarantees of fit, pay, or hire.

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What does my percentile mean?

Your percentile compares your performance with other assessment takers. A 75th percentile score means you performed better than 75 percent of takers. Percentiles are reported both overall and by work domain; the shape of your profile usually matters more than any single number.

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Do you show salary information for my matched careers?

Yes, on Career Fit Professional ($199). Salary intelligence shows realistic pay ranges for matched careers so you can weigh cognitive fit against earning potential. Career Fit ($99) includes career matches without the full salary intelligence pack. Sample reports on the site that show salary ranges are labeled as illustrative of Professional-tier content.

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What are the six work-relevant domains on my report?

Reports show six work-relevant domains — not anatomical brain regions: executive reasoning; quantitative and spatial; verbal and working memory; visual pattern recognition; workplace social judgment; and procedural sequencing. Older marketing used regional labels for the same construct set; current language is domain-based everywhere on Real World Careers, including reports and employer verification.

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What exactly do I receive when I finish?

You receive a domain profile, career matches (6 or unlimited by package), report path, credential path, and three years of job-tool access. Composite scoring uses up to 100 accuracy points plus up to 10 speed-bonus points (max 110) under the published scoring rules.

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Why did Real World Careers recommend these careers for me?

Matches come from how your six domain scores align with occupational demand patterns in the versioned career map (including O*NET-aligned research). Stronger domain peaks weight careers that commonly require those problem-solving patterns. Matches are guidance for research — not proof you will be hired, qualified, or happy in that role.

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04

The Science

Research, methodology, and quantum-assisted construction.

Did IBM validate or endorse the assessment?

No. IBM provided quantum computing hardware access; analysis and interpretation are entirely Advanced Learning Academy. The accurate statement is that test-construction computations were executed on IBM Quantum hardware — not that IBM reviewed, validated, or endorsed Real World Careers.

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How does Real World Careers justify what it measures?

RWC is built to be evidence-traceable: occupation and work activities (including O*NET-aligned data) lead to competencies and cognitive demands, then to assessment constructs, items, scores, and interpretation. Authoritative sources justify design choices. Separate RWC-specific validation evidence must still be accumulated for consequential selection use. Results remain decision support, not automatic hire or reject.

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What role does IBM Quantum hardware play?

Test-construction computations were executed on IBM quantum processors, including question-selection randomization derived from physical quantum measurement and an entropy-based analysis of question-set composition. These were real hardware runs with verifiable job records. Full methodology: realworldcareers.com/quantum.

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What do you do about bias in the assessment?

Three things. First, the assessment contains no questions about race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Second, question sets are checked with an entropy-based composition analysis so no single question type or difficulty band dominates. Third, fairness work is design and monitoring, not a finished legal clearance. If results are used in hiring, the employer must still document job-relatedness, watch for adverse impact, and provide accommodations. We do not claim bias has been eliminated.

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What methodology sources does the assessment draw on?

Career-interest and matching structure draws on Holland (1997). Supporting cognitive and executive-function literature includes Kolb and Whishaw (2015), Gazzaniga et al. (2014), and Diamond (2013). Predictive validity framing draws on Schmidt and Hunter (1998) and Sackett et al. (2022). Citations describe design context — not automatic proof of RWC-specific validation for every use case.

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What research supports using cognitive assessment for careers?

Cognitive ability is among the strongest predictors of job performance in over a century of personnel selection research. The landmark meta-analysis is Schmidt and Hunter (1998) in Psychological Bulletin. The major modern update is Sackett, Zhang, Berry, and Lievens (2022) in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Cognitive measures remain central to evidence-based selection in both analyses.

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Who created Real World Careers?

Timothy E. Parker, the Guinness World Records-recognized puzzle master, whose puzzles have reached 180 million total solvers across 30 years and more than 80 countries. His work has appeared under partnerships and placements involving USA Today, Merv Griffin, Disney, Microsoft, Warner Bros., and the Smithsonian. The assessment is published by Advanced Learning Academy LLC.

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What does research say about success rates for cognitive hiring assessments?

Peer-reviewed meta-analyses report strong associations between cognitive ability and later job performance. Schmidt and Hunter (1998) famously summarized general mental ability validity around r≈.51 for medium-complexity jobs — among the strongest single predictors across decades of research. That is a validity coefficient, not a '51% success rate.' Sackett et al. (2022) re-analyzed range-restriction corrections and found lower absolute figures under more conservative assumptions, while still supporting meaningful prediction. Real World Careers does not invent RWC-specific success percentages; those come only from documented customer-pilot outcomes. Full citations: realworldcareers.com/proof/research-evidence/

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Why do cognitive and fit-based hiring techniques work?

Cognitive measures predict how quickly people learn job knowledge and solve novel work problems (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998; Hunter & Hunter, 1984). Person–job fit relates to higher satisfaction and lower intent to leave (Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005). Structured evaluation methods outperform unstructured interviews on average (McDaniel et al., 1994). Real World Careers combines timed work-relevant tasks, domain-based matching, and a shared language for managers as decision support — not a sole hire/reject score.

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Is a validity of r=.51 the same as 51% hiring success?

No. Validity (r) describes how well assessment scores associate with later job performance across many studies after statistical corrections. It is not the percentage of hires who succeed. Practical gains depend on job complexity, how selective you can be, and how scores are combined with interviews and experience. See realworldcareers.com/proof/research-evidence/ for plain-language explanation and citations.

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05

Credentials & Verification

How your verified credential works and how employers check it.

How long is my credential valid?

Your permanent credential ID stays with you. Job-tool access is three years for Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) under current offer terms. After job-tool access expires, employers may still see verification history as active or expired based on product rules.

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How does an employer verify my credential?

They enter your code at realworldcareers.com/verify. The portal responds with credential status and verified results. No account is required for a basic verification.

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I lost my credential code. How do I recover it?

Contact team@advancedlearning.academy from the email address you used at purchase and we will resend your active credential code. Codes are only sent to the address on file.

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Can I put my credential on my resume or LinkedIn?

Yes. A clean format is: Verified Cognitive Credential RWC-XXXXXXXXXX — verify at realworldcareers.com/verify. Anyone who checks it sees verified scores in seconds, which turns a resume claim into confirmable evidence.

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What exactly does an employer see when they verify my code?

They see that the credential is valid and active, your overall verified score, your six work-relevant domain scores, the credential tier, issue and expiry dates, and a masked email for identity confirmation. They do not see anatomical brain-region labels, your full email, answers, or payment details.

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What is a credential code?

A credential code is a unique verification code in the format RWC-XXXXXXXXXX, issued when your results are ready. It lets anyone you share it with confirm your verified cognitive profile through our verification portal without handing over editable documents.

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06

Job Search & Listings

ZIP search, Direct Openings vs feeds, ghost jobs, and access.

How long does my job search access last?

Both Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) include three years of job-tool access under current offer terms. Employer seat packages do not replace consumer job-tool windows unless specified in the org agreement.

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Will AI screen me out before a human sees my application?

Many employers use automated screens. Real World Careers is transparent about its own instrument and does not claim to control how destination employers score resumes. What you can control: target roles that match your profile, put a verifiable credential on applications, and prepare domain-based interview stories. RWC is not a stealth bypass for every ATS.

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Do I apply for jobs on your site?

No. We are a search and matching layer, not an application processor for third-party feeds. When you find a listing you want, you go to the source (USAJOBS or the employer posting) to apply. That keeps you in control of applications and data.

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What is the difference between Direct Openings and other listings?

Direct Openings are posted by employers using the Real World Careers portal. Third-party listings come from USAJOBS, Jooble, CareerJet, and Adzuna and can change or close without RWC control. Prefer Direct Openings when you want postings closest to a real hiring desk on this platform; still verify details before you invest application time.

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What are ghost jobs, and does Real World Careers fix them?

Ghost jobs are postings that stay live after hiring freezes, after a role is filled, or without a real opening behind them. Aggregator feeds can include stale or misleading listings. Real World Careers does not claim to eliminate ghost jobs industry-wide. We separate Direct Openings (employer-posted on RWC) from third-party feed results, and we tell you plainly that click-through applications are handled on the source site. Treat missing salary, very old dates, and vague company pages as caution signals.

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How does the job search work?

You sign in with your credential code, set your ZIP code and search radius, and browse current listings matched to your profile. Assessment customers see profile-informed results ranked against their cognitive strengths. Use your credential code to return to your job tools.

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How current are the listings?

Searches query the four feeds for current listings rather than serving only a stale internal cache, so results reflect what source boards are showing. Like any aggregated search, a listing may close between posting and your click-through.

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Why do I never hear back after I apply?

Most silence happens after you leave RWC and apply on USAJOBS, an employer ATS, or an aggregator destination. Real World Careers is a search and matching layer, not the employer of record for third-party listings, so we cannot force response status on those applications. For Direct Openings posted through the RWC employer portal, employers can manage candidates in-portal. Use the credential to stand out, apply to fewer better-fit roles, and track your own pipeline.

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Where do the job listings come from?

Listings are pulled from four established sources: USAJOBS (federal), Jooble, CareerJet, and Adzuna. Employers with Real World Careers accounts also post openings directly; those appear on the public Direct Openings board and are the openings RWC can best stand behind as employer-entered. If you see older marketing listing different feed names, the live product uses USAJOBS, Jooble, CareerJet, and Adzuna.

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Which package do I need for ZIP job search?

Career Fit ($99) and Professional ($199) both include three years of job-tool access after the assessment. The consumer difference is match volume and guidance depth (6 matches vs unlimited), not whether job tools exist. There is no separate public Job Radar checkout currently sold.

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07

Schools & Career Programs

High schools, districts, workforce, and career readiness use.

Is Real World Careers good for career programs?

Yes. Career and technical education programs, workforce boards, and college career centers use the assessment to help learners choose pathways that fit how they process information, then connect those matches to training and job search. Start with the $750 pilot or $3,000 package for multi-seat delivery.

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Is Real World Careers good for high schools?

Yes. High schools and districts use Real World Careers when they want career guidance grounded in cognitive strengths rather than interest quizzes alone. Students receive ranked career matches, a plain-language report, and a credential they can share with advisors or employers later. Schools typically start with an institutional pilot or package. Contact team@advancedlearning.academy.

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How do schools or career programs get started with Real World Careers?

Email team@advancedlearning.academy with your organization name, approximate number of students or participants, and timeline. Most education and workforce buyers begin with the $750 pilot (5 seats at $150), then expand with the $3,000 package or a custom volume plan.

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Should a student buy the consumer plan or go through school?

A student or parent can buy Career Fit ($99) or Professional ($199) on realworldcareers.com/pricing. If a school or program sponsors seats, use the institutional pilot ($750) or larger packages so billing stays with the organization.

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08

For Employers

Pilots, packages, verification portal, and lawful hiring use.

Do you offer adverse-impact or fairness monitoring for hiring teams?

Purchased employer and federal seats can include a cohort report and a compliance-export file prepared after delivery so teams can document how seats were used. The public portal shows a labeled demo of that layout. Those files are not a substitute for legal review and do not claim zero adverse impact. For consequential selection, combine job analysis, human judgment, accommodations, and your counsel.

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Do you integrate with Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS, or Taleo?

Native deep ATS integrations are not the current public default. Teams typically run RWC as a structured evidence layer beside their ATS, with verify links and exports for documentation. CSV-style export and deeper API work are on the product path for higher tiers. Contact team@advancedlearning.academy with your ATS and volume if integration is a hard requirement.

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How does Real World Careers reduce the cost of a bad hire?

Mis-hires often fail on fit, not only on resume keywords. Hiring Fit adds a timed, comparable capability sample (max 110) and a shared six-domain language so managers stop guessing from culture fit alone. Start with a $750 pilot (5 seats at $150) on real candidates before volume spend. Results are decision support — not a sole hire/reject score and not a guaranteed ROI number for every employer.

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Do you offer bulk or enterprise pricing?

Yes. Enterprise is $22,500 for 300 delivered (150 purchased + 150 extra · $75/seat). Custom and mega volume use the same public curve at realworldcareers.com/seats and the order desk at realworldcareers.com/order$70 per delivered seat after 900. Invoice, Net 30, ACH, or PO. No unpublished side price.

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What plans are available for employers?

Employer and federal buyers share one ladder with free seats included: Pilot $750 (5 seats at $150), Package $3,000 (20+5 extra), Team $7,500 (50+25 extra), Scale $14,400 (96+64 extra), and Enterprise $22,500 for 300 delivered (150+150 extra · $75/seat). Details: realworldcareers.com/employers and realworldcareers.com/federal.

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How does the employer portal work?

After you buy seats, email team@advancedlearning.academy with your Stripe receipt. We provision your organization seats and send access or a managed-delivery plan, usually the same business day. The public employer portal on this site is a labeled demo so you can preview wallet, invites, pipeline, and export layout. It is not a production login.

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What are free seats on employer packages?

Each package includes paid seats plus free bonus seats for managers, control samples, train-the-trainer, or overflow — for example Pilot 5 seats at $150, Package 20+5 extra, Team 50+25 extra, Scale 96+64 extra, Enterprise 150 purchased + 150 extra. Free seats use the same instrument rules as paid seats.

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Can we post our openings on Real World Careers?

After purchase, our team can place your openings on the public Direct Openings board for a fixed window (commonly 60 days). You can flag cognitive strengths the role leans on. The public employer portal on this site is a labeled demo of wallet, invites, pipeline, and export layout. It is not a production login. Seat delivery and posting are provisioned after payment.

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Can we use this to screen candidates before making an offer?

Only as one structured input, and only when the employer documents job-relatedness, watches for adverse impact, provides accommodations, and keeps a human decision. Hiring Fit is a pre-offer aptitude sample, not a medical exam and not a completed Uniform Guidelines validation for every job. Federal Fit is exploration support, not a selection-grade hiring instrument. Involve HR and counsel before consequential screening.

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Can we hire or reject based only on the Real World Careers score?

No. Product and terms require human judgment. Use results as one structured input with job analysis, interviews, experience, and accommodations. Treating any single score as automatic hire/reject creates fairness and legal risk.

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What research supports Hiring Fit for employers?

Hiring Fit is a work-relevant cognitive sample plus domain profile for decision support. The scientific case for this class of methods rests on meta-analyses of cognitive ability and job performance (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998; Sackett et al., 2022), person–job fit outcomes (Kristof-Brown et al., 2005), and structured vs unstructured evaluation (McDaniel et al., 1994). Combining strong predictors historically raises composite validity (classic combinations often cited near r≈.63–.65). RWC customer success percentages are published only from documented customer pilots — not invented from literature. Details: realworldcareers.com/proof/research-evidence/

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09

Federal & Government

Procurement, compliance posture, and data handling.

What is your compliance posture for federal use?

Federal Fit is for exploration and workforce support, not a selection-grade hiring instrument. If an employer or agency uses results in a selection process, that organization remains responsible for job-specific validation, business necessity, adverse-impact analysis, and accommodations. The assessment is a pre-offer aptitude measure, not a medical exam. Accommodations are available on request. A public accessibility conformance report is not published. Hosting is on Cloudflare. Traffic is encrypted in transit (HTTPS). We are not FedRAMP Authorized and we do not claim FISMA authorization.

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Is Federal Fit a qualification determination or hiring decision tool?

No. Federal Fit is for exploration and workforce-development support — mapping strengths to occupational families and illustrative series for research. It does not determine eligibility, referral, grade, clearance, or hire. Agencies that need selection-grade instruments must follow their own job analysis, OPM rules, and validation requirements. RWC stays honest about that line.

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How is applicant data handled for government use?

Assessment traffic is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) on Cloudflare. We do not sell personal information or use assessment data for advertising. Verification exposes only scores and masked identity. Agency-specific retention and deletion terms are addressed in the purchase or pilot agreement. We do not claim data is stored only in the United States or that records are FedRAMP authorized.

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Are you on the GSA Schedule?

No. Advanced Learning Academy is not currently a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract holder, and we say so plainly because procurement teams check. Agencies can purchase under simplified acquisition and micro-purchase procedures where those rules apply. Net 30 ACH invoicing is available.

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Is the assessment a medical examination under the ADA?

No. It measures information-processing performance, not health, diagnosis, or impairment. It contains no medical questions and produces no medical information. That places it in the pre-offer aptitude category rather than the medical-examination category under the ADA. Accommodations are available upon request.

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How does Real World Careers relate to OPM skills-based and Merit Hiring reforms?

OPM has pushed agencies toward skills-based, defensible assessment practices and away from weak self-report questionnaires. Federal Fit supports career exploration and cohort planning language in that climate; it is not a replacement for USA Hire or agency selection systems. Use RWC to help people understand occupational fit and prepare research — keep official qualification decisions on official systems.

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Can a federal office buy the $14,400 Scale package under the micro-purchase threshold?

Scale is priced at $14,400 — under the federal micro-purchase threshold of $15,000 (FAR 2.101 as amended under FAC 2025-06, effective Oct 1, 2025). Where an authorized purchase-card holder and agency procedures allow, that can mean a documented card or small purchase without a full competitive solicitation. FAR prohibits artificially splitting a single requirement to stay under the threshold. Confirm your agency card procedures. Not legal advice.

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Is there a pilot program for agencies?

Yes. Agencies can start with the $750 pilot (5 seats at $150) or $3,000 package (20+5 extra), then expand to Team, Scale ($14,400 / 96+64 extra · 160 delivered), or Enterprise ($22,500 for 300 delivered). Federal Edition is private — not USAJOBS or OPM — and does not determine federal eligibility.

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Do you support Schedule A or disability hiring authority workflows?

The assessment is a pre-offer aptitude measure, not a medical exam, with an accommodations path on request. RWC does not itself administer Schedule A authority or certify disability status. Agencies and VR programs can use exploration results as counseling input while following official Schedule A and accommodations procedures.

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Is Advanced Learning Academy a registered small business? What are your SAM identifiers?

Advanced Learning Academy LLC is SAM.gov registered. Public identifiers: UEI Z272LH7MCDT2 and CAGE 1A8H4. Small-business status should be confirmed against the current SAM record at award time. Real World Careers Federal Edition is a private commercial product — not USAJOBS or OPM.

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Can veterans and transitioning service members use Real World Careers?

Yes. Military and private experience often does not auto-translate into series language. Federal Fit and Career Fit give a plain-language capability profile and occupational family ideas for research, plus a credential you control. RWC does not award veterans preference or determine eligibility. Strong program fits include VA readiness/counseling contexts and DoD transition/SkillBridge-style support as exploration tools.

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How does research support Federal Fit for skills-based exploration?

Federal Fit maps a work-relevant performance profile to occupational families for research and workforce planning — not a qualification determination. Cognitive and job-related assessment methods are long-studied in personnel psychology (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998; Sackett et al., 2022). Federal use still requires agency policy, job analysis for any selection use, and human review. Uniform Guidelines and SIOP Principles frame professional documentation expectations. Full citations: realworldcareers.com/proof/research-evidence/

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Privacy & Data

Cookies, storage, retention, and who sees what.

How do I delete my data?

Email privacy@advancedlearning.academy from the address you used at purchase and request deletion. Deleting browser cookies does not delete server-side assessment data. We process deletion requests from the purchase address.

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Do you sell my data?

No. We do not sell personal information, we do not share assessment data with advertisers, and we do not participate in advertising networks. Your results exist for your report, matches, and any verification you choose to share.

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What cookies does the site use?

Three kinds. Essential cookies for security, sessions, and payment processing. An optional Google Analytics cookie that loads only if you accept it through the consent banner. And a first-party referral cookie, ala_ref, set for 90 days when you arrive through a partner link. Full details are in the Cookie Policy.

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Where is my data stored and how is it protected?

Data is stored on Cloudflare and encrypted in transit (HTTPS). Payments are handled by Stripe, so we never store full card numbers. Access to production systems is restricted. The public employer portal on this site is a labeled demo; production seat delivery is provisioned by our team after payment.

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Who can see my results?

You, and anyone you choose to give your credential code to. Verification shows an employer verified scores and a masked email, never full contact details or individual answers. There is no public directory of credential holders.

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