The first episode of the third season of Hey Arnold!.
The Aptitude Test
When Helga fails an aptitude test at school, her identity is challenged and she thinks she isn't smart. However, it is soon revealed there was a mix-up with her and Harold's tests.
Oskar Gets a Job
Arnold persuades Oskar to get a job as a paper boy to pay off a debt, but Oskar makes excuses to get Arnold to do his job for him.
"The Aptitude Test" provides examples of:
- Box-and-Stick Trap: After Helga and Harold's test papers get mixed up, Helga's potential career is a woodsperson. Helga builds one of these to catch a rabbit, using a carrot as bait. The rabbit takes the carrot and hops away, and when Helga wonders how her trap could have failed, it goes off on her.
- Brilliant, but Lazy:
- Although Helga isn't a perfectionist like her sister Olga, her aptitude test shows that she is nearly as competent, and in episodes before and since, she writes some damn good poetry despite her young age. Even Mr. Simmons comments how her poems are the highlights of his career. Unfortunately, her hard life has destroyed her confidence, and most of the time, she doesn't even try.
- Harold generally does poorly in school and is kind of ditzy, but as Mr. Simmons points out at the end of this episode, he can actually be pretty smart if he applies himself and the subject is interesting to him.
- Child Prodigy: A more subtle version of this trope, which is never really ventured on; it's only revealed and hinted at that Helga could very well be this, as she's the only student other than Olga to score 100 on her aptitude test.
- The Door Slams You: When Harold tries to open the door to the cafeteria, he tries pushing the door. He then sees the sign that says "Pull", and when he pulls the door open, it slams him in the face.
- Fat Idiot: Played with; Harold usually has the IQ of a lemon, but this episode shows us that he could do much better if he wanted to.
- File Mix Up: The students of Mr. Simmons' class are assigned to take the eponymous test. When Eugene is asked to collect the test folders, he drops them, causing the tests to scatter everywhere. Harold and Helga's tests end up getting switched when Eugene tries to clean them up, resulting in Harold receiving the highest score and Helga receiving the lowest.
- Hidden Depths: Usually with Harold, what you see is what you get, but in this episode, a mix-up with his and Helga's tests results in him believing he's a genius. He starts listening to classical music, correctly solves a math problem in his head, and designs a gazebo/bonsai garden for his family's rooftop.
- Inept Aptitude Test: This episode's plot has Helga and Harold's test results being mixed up and causing problems for both of them.
- Magic Feather: After a mix-up results in Harold believing he scored high on a career aptitude test, he starts performing better in school and takes an interest in areas such as finance and horticulture. When the mix-up is revealed, he is distraught and thinks he's a dumb failure. However, Mr. Simmons points out that the only reason Harold did poorly on the test was because he was lazy and answered "E" for every question and that the way he performed in class that week shows he does have the potential to do great if he tries.
- Match Cut: An audible variant happens near the end of this episode; When Helga screams in horror among seeing Miriam burning her poetry, it fades to Harold's house where Harold is also screaming in horror, but because he found out he actually flunked the titular test.
- Parental Neglect: Bob towards Helga. When Mr. Simmons explains the mix-up to him, hoping he isn't too heartbroken about it, Bob is more focused on making himself a sandwich while he watches television.
- Scantron Picture: Harold doesn't bother even doing his test, and instead, fills in the bubbles to resemble a large letter H.
- Spotting the Thread: When Mr. Simmons suspects that Helga's lost motivation and Harold's new-found motivation to work smarter seem all too coincidental, he investigates by looking through the two students' aptitude test. He sees that "Helga's" test is simply drawn up to make a giant "H", something that is beneath even Helga. Meanwhile, he notices that "Harold's" test is written with purple ink pen. This tips off Mr. Simmons that there's been a mix-up between the two tests.
- Train Problem: At one point, Mr. Simmons asks his class how long it would take a train to reach a station that was 200 miles away if it travelled at 60 miles per hour. Harold manages to answer the problem correctly, saying it would take the train three hours and 20 minutes.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Helga is shown to possess near-genius levels of intelligence based on her talents at poetry, impressive vocabulary, and score on her school's Aptitude Test. She could probably surpass Olga in terms of academics if she actually wanted to. Unfortunately, life has kicked the crap out of her to the point where she doesn't even try.
"Oskar Gets a Job" provides examples of:
- Beware the Nice Ones: This episode was likely the maddest Arnold has ever been. Arnold tries to see the good in everybody and is always willing to help someone out, but if they're beyond reforming, he won't hesitate to let them know. Oskar finds that out the hard way when Arnold finds out he's been faking his illnesses and injuries to get him to do his job and decides he's not going to cover for him anymore.
- Blanket Tug O' War: After being woken up by his alarm clock, Oskar pulls his blanket away, leaving Suzie to shiver from the cold. Suzie scolds Oskar for this.
- Butt Biter: When Oskar finally does his job delivering papers, a chihuahua bites his butt, leaving a hole in the back of his pants. Oskar complains to Arnold about this when he finishes his job.
- Everyone Has Standards: As forgiving as Arnold is, his forgiveness and compassion do have limits. In this episode, Arnold gets pushed past his breaking point and calls Oskar out for being a hopeless, lazy loser. It gets Oskar to realize that he managed to get Arnold to lose faith in him that he finally realizes how horrible he is.
- Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife: Suzie and Oskar, respectively. Suzie is the one who does chores and has a job, revealing that she works 20 hours a week. Oskar is irresponsible and lazy, rarely, if ever taking responsibility for his actions. In this episode, when he asks Suzie to work even harder, she kicks him out of their apartment until he can get a job to pay his debt. Then when Arnold does get him a job, he makes excuses to get Arnold to do it for him.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: When Arnold finds out that Oskar has been faking his illnesses and injuries, he asks Oskar if he's going to have another excuse the next morning or if he's going to actually do his job. Oskar assures Arnold that he is going to do his job, then says that he can't tomorrow, because he's celebrating a holiday from his country. This is what gets Arnold to call him a huge loser.
- Lazy Bum: Oskar, who gets his first real job at the age of 38. At the beginning, he expects Suzie, who works enough overtime as it is, to work more, which results in her kicking him out of their apartment until he can find a job. When Arnold finally does get him a job delivering papers, he's too lazy to even do that, making up excuses so Arnold can do it for him. It gets to the point where even Arnold calls him a "huge loser".
- Loan Shark: This episode begins with Oskar getting in trouble with one when he's late with paying back a loan.
- Low Count Gag: When Arnold tries to get Oskar a job at Tedesco Industries, it is revealed that Oskar has an eighth-grade education. Oskar says that he was fourteenth in his class, to which the manager asks him "Out of how many?", to which he tells her "Fourteen".
- Mailman vs. Dog: When Oskar finally does his job of delivering newspapers, he is chased and bitten by a small chihuahua.
- Meaningful Echo: "It's a miracle." First two times that Oskar says this, it's a transparent way of explaining away how he quickly overcame his "ailments". The last time it's said towards the episode by the other board members, it's genuine, as it reflects their amazement that Oskar committed to his job this time.
- Morality Pet: Arnold serves as this to Oskar. Like the rest of the adults in the boarding house, Oskar has a soft spot for Arnold. However, Oskar is also lazy and selfish, and it usually takes something incredibly drastic for him to want to change. In this episode, Arnold tries to help Oskar pay off a debt by getting him a job delivering newspapers. However, Oskar keeps making up excuses to get Arnold to do his work for him. Arnold loses faith in Oskar and tells him that he's not going to help him anymore and storms off, leaving Oskar full of shame. Oskar then makes a genuine effort to make it up to Arnold and show that he can improve himself by doing his job, restoring Arnold's faith in him and demonstrating that he does care about Arnold for all of his faults.
- Never My Fault: Oskar rarely takes responsibility for his actions, and constantly sees himself as a victim. This aspect of his character is focused on in this episode when he claims that he wants to change his life for the better, only for him to constantly make excuses for himself on why he can't (or refuses to). He eventually gets called out on this by Arnold, Suzie, Ernie, and Mr. Hyunh.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Arnold is an All-Loving Hero who sees the best in everyone. In this episode, he gets so frustrated with Oskar, who has been duping him into doing his job delivering newspapers for him that he outright calls Oskar a huge loser. This ultimately leads to Oskar deciding to take his job more seriously.
- Playing Sick: On the first day of his new job, Oskar tells Arnold that he has the Chinese Stomach Flu, and on the second, Oskar tells Arnold that he hurt his back, both times resulting in Arnold having to do Oskar's job for him. Arnold soon discovers that Oskar was faking when he sees him eating pancakes on the first day and dancing on the second. After covering for Oskar on the second day, he asks him what his next excuse will be since he's not going to cover for him anymore.
- Ring-Ring-CRUNCH!: On the first morning of Oskar's new job, when Oskar's alarm clock goes off, he tosses it out the window. Arnold's alarm clock then goes off so Arnold can make sure that Oskar does his job, but when he comes to Oskar's apartment, Oskar lies to him that he has the Chinese Stomach Flu to get Arnold to do his job for him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Everyone in the boarding house gives Oskar one when he goads Arnold into doing his job for him, including Nice Guy Arnold.Arnold: That's it, I'm tired of all your excuses!
Oskar: Arnold, you seem a little cranky. Maybe you should take a nap.
Arnold: Look, I only helped you because you said you were desperate. You said you wanted to change. I guess I was wrong. Mr. Kokoshka, I'm sorry, but you are a huge loser!
Ernie: I told ya, that Kokoshka is a Class-A bum. A Class-A bum!
Mr. Hyunh: He just no good!
Ernie: I'm telling you, Hyunh, that bum will never work a single day in his life!
Mr. Hyunh: No!
Suzie: I'm sorry about Oskar, Arnold. I just wish for once he'd do what he says he's going to do, but I guess that just won't ever happen.
Arnold: I know. I thought he really wanted to change. But he was just fooling us all, just like he always does. - Taking Advantage of Generosity: Oskar. He tries unsuccessfully to get the other tenants of the boarding house to give him money, and then when Arnold helps him get a job, he makes excuses so Arnold can do his job for him. When Arnold finds out that Oskar has been faking his illnesses and injuries, he tells him that he's not going to cover for him anymore.
