If you want to help me...

[Escriba]

Thanks everybody for the good wishes, you're wonderful

Unfortunately, as I predicted, I failed Well, in fact that isn't exactly accurate. I don't know if I've past it. You see, I have corrected my test (they put the answers 72 hours later), but I don't know if my result is enough or not to pass. The number to pass is calculated by a Gaussian distribution (or something like that, I don't know) and it depends on the results of the rest of the people, because a certain number of people has to past to the next exam, so they lower or rise the minimal required depending on that. Last year you could pass with 42 right answers (of 100.) But I know that this year's minimal mark will be higher and I don't reach it (probably is around 60.)

The test was difficult (not as difficult as last year's but still...) and I was terribly nervous, so I failed a lot of questions that I souldn't have. And it was very strange, as if I did it in off or something. When I reached the 50th question I looked at my watch to know how much time had past and only 10 minutes had. And I thought I answered 75 questions, I counted them. Three times. But two days later, when I was calm, I discovered I only answered 67 I wondered if I took drugs or something, which I didn't. Maybe I should for next year.

So I've been mopping around all the week, feeling like a failure. All the year studying for nothing. It's frustrating. In this moment I think I'm good only to be supermarket cashier (with all due respect to them.)

Anyway, just because I don't want to look depressed I've drawn a little comic (very, very simple, don't expect Marvel comics), to show you part of my emotions while doing the test and specially my fuzzy feelings toward the Judge who wrote the Penal Law part

The test

By the way, I get the answer right

[Alelou]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Enjoyed your little cartoon but I have NO CLUE what the hell any of it means, which may be the point. Can you try one more time? Maybe you should try learning self-hypnosis to help with the nerves.

I know. Imagine you're on an ocean in a small boat ...

(Hey, anyone ever wonder why a Vulcan would use an ocean metaphor?)

[Distracted]

Look at it this way, Escriba. At least there were no Flex questions. They're like this:

1. Statement One
2. Statement Two
3. Statement Three
4. Statement Four

Answer:
A if none are correct
B if 2 and 4 are correct
C if 1, 2, and 3 are correct
D if 4 alone is correct
E if all are correct

I always added F mentally... if you don't give a f**k.

I feel for you. I never understood the European testing method. I took classes at a French university in the mid-eighties one summer. We spent 6 weeks learning all twenty-six French political parties, their founders, and their platforms... everything from "let's reinstate the monarchy" to "let's form a new Communist state". The final was 20 questions, randomly chosen. That was it. If you were lucky enough to remember at least 15 of the 20, then you passed. If not, tough noogies.

[Escriba]

Enjoyed your little cartoon but I have NO CLUE what the hell any of it means, which may be the point.

Well, it's quite technical, but not difficult. The sentence in its upper grade means that you have to take the maximum lenght of the sentence and add its half (in the example we have: 2 to 5 years, the highest lenght is 5, you add the half of 5, that's it 2'5, so the sentence is 5 to 7'5 years in jail.) The upper half means that you take the upper grade and apply its upper half (in the example: 5 to 7'5 years; you take the original sentence, 2 to 5 years, make a substraction, 5-2=3; the half of 3 is 1'5; so the sentence will be 6'5 to 7'5 years in jail.) That's easy The difficult part was to know if the article says "could" or "must".

Can you try one more time? Maybe you should try learning self-hypnosis to help with the nerves.

Yeah, I can try... next year. About the hypnosis... mmmm... not a bad idea, maybe I could learn yoga or something.

I know. Imagine you're on an ocean in a small boat ...

(Hey, anyone ever wonder why a Vulcan would use an ocean metaphor?)

Now that you mention it... that's weird, isn't it? Maybe she was trying to make an easier metaphor for Hoshi

[Linda]

I am sorry about your test. It must be extremely disheartening. But you don't know for sure yet, right? When will you hear for sure? And you do get to try again if you fail this time, so there still is hope. Sometimes it really takes a long time to get what you want in life. For example, the first Harry Potter book was rejected eighteen times by publishers before it was published. I sure am glad the author tried that nineteeth time, because I enjoyed all the Harry Potter books and the author became a millionaire.

[Escriba]

Look at it this way, Escriba. At least there were no Flex questions. They're like this:

1. Statement One
2. Statement Two
3. Statement Three
4. Statement Four

Answer:
A if none are correct
B if 2 and 4 are correct
C if 1, 2, and 3 are correct
D if 4 alone is correct
E if all are correct

I always added F mentally... if you don't give a f**k.

Well, yeah, I had some of them too. I hate the "all of the above" answers, because I usually hesitate between two other answers and the "all of the above" makes me hesitate even more.

But you don't know for sure yet, right? When will you hear for sure?

Thanks for the encouragment, but I'm afraid I won't pass it. I've compared my result with other candidates and I don't reach the average number. But, anyway, I'll probably know it for sure next week. I guess.

[Alelou]

Yoga will get you in shape but I doubt it helps you ace a test.

My mother used self-hypnosis to get through gum surgery. If it works for that kind of pain, it ought to be pretty good for nerves too. She went and got trained in how to do it beforehand. It's fairly straightforward stuff. And Mom didn't turn into a Moonie or a scientologist or anything...

Tests can be such a blockade and not always for logical reasons. My husband used to do Spanish/English court interpreting for extra cash downstate and was considered very good at it, but he could never pass the official court interpreter exam because it expected him to be able to translate classical Spanish with accuracy. NOT something you need all that often in court.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Sorry to hear that, Escriba! Better luck next time. Will there be a next time?

[Asso]

Never surrender, Escriba.
Things change.

[Escriba]

Sorry to hear that, Escriba! Better luck next time. Will there be a next time?

Yeah, next year. Don't worry, I'm all right now. Just a little... you know, dissapointed. But I'll be the same happy-go-lucky in no time

Never surrender, Escriba.
Things change.

Thanks Asso! Uh... wait a moment... You're Commodore now! WOW!

[blacknblue]

"There is nothing to fear but fear itself."

Try valium.