The E-S tests (Updated)

For those who could not access the flash animated test, try the two links below. They are in html format so you will have to do your own paper and pencil scoring.

For the E-test
For the S-test

______________________________________________________________________________________

Couldn't resist trying this out. I scored average on the empathising test, but lower than most men and women (gah!) However, I scored above average, though not at the highest score range, in the systemising test, higher than most men and women, so, I guess that can only mean one thing...

I need to work more on the EQ :)

Try the tests and find out for yourself what I mean.

Try it if you dare
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/news/page/0,12983,937443,00.html

And below is the full article by the tests designer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,937913,00.html

Anyway, don't take them too seriously. They are NOT, as the creator himself said, diagnostic tests. So your overall personality cannot be summarised by such results. You know, I once tried a free online IQ test (can't remember which side but I was very much into trying IQ tests back then coz I wanted to see how scoring was done) with very similar styles of questions. I still wonder why the creator of the test actually thought that one can define a person's IQ through such a test? I must had either missed his point, or that test creator had thought he could bamboozle eager test-takers. Apparently, if you score well enough, you get invited to join an exclusive IQ club. Perhaps someone with a higher score in the systemising test can tell me :P

Anyway such tests are not fool proof. Once you figure out the pattern, you know which answers will give you a median score, which gives you a low score and what will give you a high score. It's all about discerning the pattern. I've read of geeks who were (perhaps still are?) obsessed with taking standardized tests to find out how they can crack the system.

But I think, these tests point more to self-perception than the perception of others. For the latter, you need competent assessors who can discount statistical errors, e.g. why you would choose this answer over the other, and if it is indicative of the way you see yourself or something more innate.

Three years ago, while preparing for a stylistics seminar presentation on selected articles featured in a woman's magazine, I came across an article online that teaches you how to construct magazine quizzes. There are a few basic rules to follow but more importantly, it's all about how creative you can be in coming up with possible situations and choices of questions. So, don't think that the magazine editors have extracted them from some esoteric research. I always suspected the quizzes were made up, but didn't realise there were articles telling you how to do that, right out there for everyone to read :D Ah well, it was a good reference for my paper. :)


Now that I am a copywriter, I can assure you that it is highly possible for clients to ask people like me to create pop-quizzes/pop-tests for them should the latter be needed in a marketing campaign.