Tests are funny things. They seem so defining. They can be devastating or be the cause of much jubilation. They're often consequential. Almost always, they reaffirm or reveal what we know, as well as what we don't know. I recently took a pretty, little test called the GMAT. The results were enlightening and they've been on my mind ever since.
I'm relieved to report that getting the test results wasn't a devastating experience. I even did better than anticipated. All in all, I found the detailed results breakdown to be very predictable. I also found it very surprising. Ironically, the surprise was that I was shocked at how predictable it all was. I looked at the results and thought, "Holy freak! I should have expected these!" I've had similar breakdowns in ASVAB's, SAT's, ACT's, and GRE's. And I felt so labeled. It knew me. It knew about the other tests. It told me I hadn't changed much. And I just wasn't expecting all that.
With so many manifestations, one would think I'd have seen this coming, right? So, now that the GMAT has restated the obvious, I am left to wonder -- what am I supposed to do with this information? Or, better yet, am I doing what is best to do with this information? Because, clearly, these personal attributes are not going ANYWHERE. And I think a good strategy would be to accept and embrace these apparent strengths and use & abuse them for my benefit. Right?
FACTS ABOUT ME REAFFIRMED BY MY GMAT TEST
Fact 1. I am a good test taker, (especially with timed tests). I, likewise, work well under time constraints and things of immediate concern in most other areas of life. I'm a quick decision maker and I like to take action.
Fact 2. I'm really good with the English language. My verbal score was pretty kick-$@!, as was my analytical writing score. Again, I was marginally aware of this aptitude, but the GMAT made it blaringly obvious.
Fact 3. In math, I am not so highly aptitudinal -- I got a less than kick-!@& score on the quantitative section. Did I mention the test results were predictable?
In an effort to "accentuate the positive," I am left to consider my uncanny knack for all things verbal. And, to some degree, all things immediate. What does this mean? Does it mean anything? Maybe it's a loud call from the heavens that I should have really chosen to be a reporter. Or that I should be doing something more artsy and wordy and not what I'm doing now. My insecurity that I have yet been unable to etch out my perfect job has been totally exposed by this test.
I keep hoping that somewhere in the depths of the test results lies answers. Am I getting the right experience? Am I even close to being headed in the right direction? Is this mba degree pointless? Should I have really just taken the LSAT? I should have? Crap. (just kidding.) In my little subconscious, I believe these results mean something. I want to read the results like a horoscope section or an advice column in the back of a magazine. But if they are in fact anything remotely like that, they are also tragically more cryptic.
For now, the most certain meaning is that I can get into the MBA program here. That's the good news. The bad news is I think the results also just told me that I am forever going to be the assistant who people hire to write things for them. That is so less exciting than what I was hoping for.
PS - if you know anyone who knows how to do GMAT Horoscoping, let me know. Thanks. ;)
2 comments:
:) Being predictable is not all that bad... it gives you someone to rely on. :)
Too true. But some things I don't want to rely on -- like the fact that I will always be 5'3", or that I am reliably bad at football, or that my hair will always be enough for at least 3 people. Reliability is good in many ways. And it does sound good. In practice, I'm fairweather about how much I like being reliable.
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