The astounding thing was how liberating it felt to see my cognitive blind spots identified, understand why I had struggled with certain tasks in the past, and develop strategies to both capitalize on my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses. The tests offer, above all, a personalized guide to successful adaptation. They have been continually refined and adapted since Johnson O'Connor himself began his work in 1922 for the General Electric Company, and subsequently established an independent research organization to study the underlying aptitudes of people who had achieved success and satisfaction in their work. Today, the tests measure 17 separate aptitudes, which can be associated with the typical tasks of various careers. For example, a high aptitude for three-dimensional structural visualization would be essential for a successful surgeon or plumber.
Testing consists of three sessions, two for the testing itself with one more to go over the results.
Timing is important in helping to focus results. That is, if you do have a particular aptitude, you usually see the solution to a problem directly and quickly, whereas if you lack an aptitude, you are likely to struggle and ponder each response. A recurring theme of the research literature is the importance of finding activities in your daily life that make use of your innate, inborn talents. One anecdote from the early days of the research mentions an assembly worker who scored high in a test for ideaphoria. I came away from the tests with fresh insight into the career path I have followed, as well as useful tools for making that path smoother in the future.