Morrisby Test?

Hey all!

I was wondering-have any of you taken the Morrisby test at all? It's a test which is supposed to tell you what careers you'd be good at, which subjects you should take, etc.
Basically, I took the main part of it (a whole morning of tests, for many different things) on Thursday morning, but I don't get to find out more about my results until December.
So, has anyone taken it? If so, did you find it useful at all, and did you find it fairly accurate? Was it worth the money?

Also, I'm really stuck as to what to take for my 4th A-Level. I'm 95% sure I'm doing Biology, Chemistry and Maths, but I have no idea about the other one. I'm thinking probably either RS, Economics or French. French I'm pretty good at mostly (listening's tricky, I find), RS I'm taking, and I think I'm fairly good at-just the exams would be pushed for time, and Economics I've never done before and it's a new subject at my school? French and Economics would be the AQA course, and RS would be the OCR Philosophy and Ethics course-I'm doing the same for GCSE.

So yeah...please reply if you've done the Morrisby test/have any ideas about which subject would be best. Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

Kolya

17

What subject are you thinking about doing at university?

EDIT: I will rephase it: what subject would you like, and enjoy, doing at university?

Reply 2

purple-girl

OP

17

At the moment, probably something to do with biology, or just generally science based. So whatever my 4th option is, it probably wouldn't help me at all if I do science.

Reply 3

jonsey

Hey, i took the morrisby test a while back, an i didnt have a clue what i wanted to do career wise or A level wise. It was useful as it sugested careers that i hadnt thought of, or really considerd before, and it got me thinking more about what im good at, it was also really interesting becuase of the psychological aspect of the test as it told me some things about me that i hadnt really considerd before. I also had an interview with the guy who does the test, which was interesting, but not really necessary.

Just see what the test says, but dont use it as a base for what you should do. It recomended me to do maths, and i was very colse to doing it as an AS choice, but im so glad i didnt in the end, because it really wouldnt have been for me.

Hope that helps

Reply 4

Kolya

17

purple-girl

At the moment, probably something to do with biology, or just generally science based. So whatever my 4th option is, it probably wouldn't help me at all if I do science.

I am consierably biased in this matter, but do you have any interest in Physics or Further Maths?

Reply 5

purple-girl

OP

17

Physics or Further Maths...I'd probably be fine with both of them, but I'd prefer to something different. Something unrelated to the other 3 subjects. Although I'm a sciency/mathsy sort of person, I wouldn't particularly want to do 4 science-based A-Levels. It'd just be too...I dunno...hefty? I can't think of the word...

Reply 6

calcium878

18

purple-girl

Physics or Further Maths...I'd probably be fine with both of them, but I'd prefer to something different. Something unrelated to the other 3 subjects. Although I'm a sciency/mathsy sort of person, I wouldn't particularly want to do 4 science-based A-Levels. It'd just be too...I dunno...hefty? I can't think of the word...

Sciency?

Reply 7

nayiseda

Do RE it would show that you are capable of writing essays as well as thinking scientifically. It would also be interesting.
I do economics and its good, if you're good at sciences i expect youll find it easy.

Reply 8

Doji

17

HAHA, im same as you... im doing Maths Bio Chem ..and ffor the fourth a conflicting subject.. Politics :biggrin:

....it's good, intresting...and all careers open to me appart from engineering...and of course dance and acting lol (u knw what i mean)

Reply 9

Zinc11

1

I'd choose RE. but French would be good coz languages are always good.

all 3 are contrasting subjects. econs slightly less contrasting coz its 50% science 50% humanities I think.

did some careers test recently and it said i'd be good doing something creative. hm.. i may have some hidden creative talent somewhere. haha. i think you shouldnt rely too much on test.

Reply 10

no1mohsin

13

I've done it, but I don't think it helped me that much or told me stuff I didn't already know.

Reply 11

lil one

2

Yup same as the above. Although it did tell me that im not as good as exams as i am usually and it gave me this whole little physcological reason why, and i was like yay finally some proof :smile:

Reply 12

Crosseyed And Painless

13

Yeah I did it...gave me some ideas of things that might be interesting, but ultimately I've always wanted to do biology. It did say I may get bored if not challenged sufficiently....explains why my two weeks of Photocopying Work Experience was a terrible time.

If I were you(Well at least if I had the same decsion to make) I'd go with RS...wanted to do RE for AS but it wasn't an option for my year so did Philosophy instead. :smile:

Reply 13

AisAis

13

/\

Ice cream
Mayonaise
Cream
Egg white
Sugar
Salt
White choc
Tera-masoo (sp)
Merange
Milk
Flour
Bread
Ice-cream flavour Chewitts
Snow
Marsh mellows
Milk Bottles
Icing
Rice paper

I've run out of steam :frown:

Reply 14

lovers in japan

2

I took the test, and I thought it was very accurate; suggested careers which I had already considered, and although the way it works seems rather random, you can't argue with results :smile:

Reply 15

Crosseyed And Painless

13

AisAis

/\

Ice cream
Mayonaise
Cream
Egg white
Sugar
Salt
White choc
Tera-masoo (sp)
Merange
Milk
Flour
Bread
Ice-cream flavour Chewitts
Snow
Marsh mellows
Milk Bottles
Icing
Rice paper

I've run out of steam :frown:

Now round metal things...

Reply 16

purple-girl

OP

17

That was white things that you can eat, I take it? We had to do that too. I only put flour, salt, sugar and cauliflower, I think. I have a rubbish imagination!

Anyway, I've got my profile (well, a couple of weeks ago now), and I found it interesting. It at least said I should do science. And it was very accurate-the odd tuing wasn't too accurate, but it was mostly good. I got some results off the scale :biggrin:

Reply 17

iyax

Hello comrades.

I'm scheduled to sit for the morrisby test as part of my job interview recruitment process. So can anuone here help me with the possible questions that can be asked? I've so far gathered the following questions.

1. List round metallic things.
2. List things that are straight and are made of wood.
3. Write a list of white food.
4. List things that are soft and are used at home.
5.
6.

Can anyone help me continue the list? *I'm a 23*

Reply 18

Back2me

1

Hi purple girl, just seen this and am wondering myself if I should pay for my daughter to do the test. With hindsight, can you tell me if the test aided your career in any way?

Reply 19

jennings

4

Original post by purple-girl

Hey all!

I was wondering-have any of you taken the Morrisby test at all? It's a test which is supposed to tell you what careers you'd be good at, which subjects you should take, etc.
Basically, I took the main part of it (a whole morning of tests, for many different things) on Thursday morning, but I don't get to find out more about my results until December.
So, has anyone taken it? If so, did you find it useful at all, and did you find it fairly accurate? Was it worth the money?

Also, I'm really stuck as to what to take for my 4th A-Level. I'm 95% sure I'm doing Biology, Chemistry and Maths, but I have no idea about the other one. I'm thinking probably either RS, Economics or French. French I'm pretty good at mostly (listening's tricky, I find), RS I'm taking, and I think I'm fairly good at-just the exams would be pushed for time, and Economics I've never done before and it's a new subject at my school? French and Economics would be the AQA course, and RS would be the OCR Philosophy and Ethics course-I'm doing the same for GCSE.

So yeah...please reply if you've done the Morrisby test/have any ideas about which subject would be best. Thanks :smile:

Motivation, drive and determination are the key factors which determine success or failure; the Morrisby test doesn't help much in this respect. Also, for decades, its approach has stayed the same. Our understanding of cognitive development, however, has changed substantially over the last 40 year; we now believe in neuroplasticity and accept that people can develop new skills in late life to much greater degree than we once thought. I think some of us only have to review the way our own abilities have changed over the years to appreciate that any test of this nature tells is just a snapshot of how one was then; It says little about what you might achieve though hard work and determination. Let me illustrate my views with a couple of examples.

A relation of mine went through Further Calculus by P. Abbott, aged 14, followed by General Degree Pure Mathematics, aged 15, completing the exercises and getting them right. Following an extensive interview at an Oxford university, he was given a special dispensation to study maths, without any entry qualifications. As you might expect, he was proudly gifted in maths to the extent that a college lecturer, prior, actually commented, on one occasion: "He must be such a genius, I really don't think he should be fostered in a normal home!"

Several years later (after graduating) he applied for a position as computer programmer. He, along with many other candidates, was given what amounts to an IQ test. He failed to get a high enough score in the maths section, but did exceptional well in the verbal part. Why? As it happened, he'd been doing a variety of crosswords in magazines and newspapers, offering cash prizes, and the verbal test he encountered was very similar.

Was the prediction accurate over not having the right skills to prove good at programming? Six years later, he studied for an MSc in Computer Engineering, at Loughborough university. Everyone on the course had a BSc, and some experience of programming (he hadn't any). Passing the course required putting together a programme in C++ using Uniras subroutines and B-splines. Only two students managed it, the other student who succeeded was a guy with 'first' in maths from Warwick university. His programme, however, was much longer and provided no explanation for key aspects of the coding (a requirement of the assignment). Clearly, the IQ gave very poor correlation, and the company who turned him down lost someone of outstanding ability. So as far indicating potential is concerned, the IQ/aptitude test was highly inaccurate, but what about drive and self-confidence?

Decades ago, the same relative was asked to coach two students, attending public school, but bottom of the class in O-level Maths. Being public school educated, full of confidence and prejudice, they didn't for one minute feel inferior or doubt their ability to succeed. Sensing this arrogance, but at the same time wanting to help them succeed at the subject he excelled in, he decided to stretch them by going through a book on advanced group theory and ring theory. He reasoned that if their intellectual ability was as high as their ego, they'd soon master it. To everyone's amazement, they did! Both went to the top of the class in maths, and later took A-level Further Maths, at a time when it was considered the difficult A-level. Both got top grades, and one later studied maths at a top university; graduating with a 'first'. It's amazing what you can achieve if you try!

Regarding neuroplasticity; pre satnav, brain scans of minicab/tax drivers, showed enhanced development in the area of the brain most concerned with spatial development. Cognitive ability may well change over time: strengths becoming weaknesses and vice-versa. Aged 7, you might be top of the class in reading; bottom of the class in maths. Aged 12, the situation might be reversed, depending on what fired your imagination. The degree of neuroplasticity is not something these tests measure. Two people may score equally badly spatial ability, but one might then make rapid progress while the other shows little or no improvement.

Overall, I'm not saying all IQ/aptitude tests are a waste of space. I'm sure they prove useful in certain circumstances such as diagnosing the effect strokes and cognitive decline in old age. In the other situations, however, I consider them dangerous and unhelpful. If you're brilliant at maths, you don't need an aptitude/IQ test to tell you this, and the same is true with verbal skills. The variation in scores between the many tests on offer makes the concept highly unreliable, and the nauaunced way which in which such scores are sometimes used as part of the selection process when applying for jobs, is ridiculous. Yes, sadly, 5 points might make all the difference. We then get employees who aren't up to the job (no good to themselves, or the organisation) or those rejected who are able, but with their abilities unrecognised. This helps to increase social injustice rather than reduce it. I know of several large organisations where such tests proved highly detrimental: the people taken who passed, were often unsuited to the tasks required, and those who had proven skills in these areas, but failed the test, were turned down.

Morrisby Test?

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