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Our friends' son took a test the HS offered & was told he should be a preschool teacher (he wants to be a pediatrician so he was very offended & upset).
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<p>He should be excited, not offended! The same personality that would make him a good preschool teacher will also make him a great pediatrician. You have to truly care about children, be somewhat cmforting as well as in control - there's a lot of overlap, actually.</p>
<p>ophiolite,
Rabbi...LOL! Here's another one: my non-catholic sister-in-law was told she was best qualified to be a male priest!</p>
<p>My kids' school gave these tests in middle school with seemingly random results. Each kid had one or two indicated areas that they are genuinely good at and interested in. However, the tests also gave a top three result for each kid that was a career that they disdained. Go figure.</p>
<p>post college, I took about 6 hours of aptitude tests from Johnson Oconnor.....not career testing as discussed in the OP. I found their analysis of my aptitudes fascinating & their crystal ball of what types of occupational qualities that would utilize my stronger attributes, hence making me most satisfied, has been right on, even after decades.</p>
<p>I'll definitely be pushing their type of testing, not the career questionaire stuff, on my kids.</p>
<p>Do any of these tests even have a very complete list of occupations? I remember the one I took in school didn't even include "scientist."</p>
<p>It did, however, include "brick molding machine operator." I remember this because it was one of the few occupations for which I was told I didn't have what it takes!</p>
<p>Well i know my test had really random occupations like modelling (it obviously depends what a person looks like, but the test did not take that into consideration) and as i mentioned parole officer, i am sure that scientist would have been on the list.</p>