Basic Trope: A student's aptitude test doesn't get them a good result.
- Straight: Cynthia is a Friend to All Living Things, is great with pets, and can't stand gloomy situations. She takes a career test, and the job determined for her is "funeral director".
- Exaggerated:
- Everyone in the class gets a test result that's the absolute opposite of what they want to be.
- Cynthia has many positive traits, with her one flaw being her serious fear of bees. The test gives her the result of beekeeper.
- Downplayed:
- Cynthia is a talented trombone player. The test gives her the result of guitarist, which isn't the exact type of musician she wants to be, but is still in the same field.
- Cynthia's test gives her a job that she would be suitable for, but she has another one she's aiming for instead.
- Justified:
- The test's responses are randomly determined. It doesn't actually matter what answers she put down.
- Cynthia wasn't paying attention when she filled in the test, so the result won't be accurate.
- The aptitude test's Victorian standards do not mesh with current day standards.
- Inverted: Cynthia's career test gives her the exact job she wanted, down to her major, college, and company.
- Subverted: Turns out Cynthia's positive attitude helps her stay light in the face of her morbid work, and some people do want a Cheerful Funeral.
- Double Subverted: But she still doesn't like the job.
- Parodied: Cynthia's questions very clearly indicate the kind of job she'll get (i.e. "I am good at carrying and delivering mail across neighborhoods"). Even though she answers positively, she winds up getting a random job like veterinarian or accountant.
- Zig-Zagged: Cynthia takes a job test. She gets "funeral director" and shrugs it off. She takes another test, and likes the result. But as she gets older, she ends up becoming a funeral director anyways.
- Averted:
- Cynthia's test gives her a job she's neutral towards.
- Cynthia doesn't fill out a career test.
- Enforced: "Let's do a Take That! to career aptitude tests!"
- Lampshaded: "Funeral director? No way! I'm not gonna do that!"
- Invoked: Cynthia decides to fill in the answers randomly and see what she gets.
- Exploited: Cynthia uses her bad test results to show her parents how much she thinks aptitude tests are a waste of time.
- Defied: The test does give out genuinely helpful results to its students. Somehow.
- Discussed: "You think this test is gonna be helpful, or just give me something weird?"
- Conversed: "Cartoon aptitude tests sure have some wacky predictions."
- Implied: We don't see what's on Cynthia's test specifically, but she gasps in horror when she reads it.
- Deconstructed: Cynthia is genuinely upset by the results of her test. She drops her cheerful attitude and begins studying darker subject matter.
- Reconstructed: Cynthia's friends convince her that a single test doesn't determine her entire life, and she lightens up, finally going back to the job she really wants.
- Played for Laughs: The Pathetically Weak and scrawny Cynthia gets the job of professional wrestler. She's thrilled.
- Played for Drama:
- The test rattles Cynthia and makes her think she really will have to be a funeral director, even though she doesn't want to.
- An Achievement Test of Destiny railroads Cynthia into a position she doesn't want.
The Inept Aptitude Test awards you the position of... Commander Contrarian!
