DAVID J. MORROW WRITES FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, and he's been a
hard-driving journalist at similarly prestigious publications for almost two
decades. So it's not farfetched to suggest that Morrow has a certain aptitude and
capability for journalism. After all, he's proven his worth as a reporter, rising to
the pinnacle of the profession at the nation's best newspaper.

But it's a good thing for Morrow that, when he was hired in 1996, the Times
didn't require job candidates to pass a preemployment aptitude test to qualify as
a staff writer. It was probably a good thing for the newspaper, as well, that it relied
on Morrow's proven track record in the field. Otherwise, the newspaper would
have missed out on Morrow's obvious talents as a writer and reporter. Indeed,
had the Times taken aptitude tests seriously, it would have discovered that jour-
nalism was decidedly not Morrow's best choice of careers. In fact, journalism was
a rather poor choice, according to his abysmal test results on the job aptitude test
Morrow took in 1996.

It all started when Morrow, a business reporter for the Times saw the adver-
tisements for the Johnson O'Conner Research Foundation in Manhattan. The or-
ganization's battery of aptitude tests was supposed to guide people to careers that
matched their true talents and abilities. Additionally, Morrow says, the business
desk at the paper had been getting numerous calls from readers seeking informa-
tion about the exam. Readers wanted to know if the test was worthwhile. Morrow
decided to find out by taking the tests himself and writing about his experience

-167-