Well, that was a hard test. A hard test and a long test.

We had 1.5 hours, but I easily feel like I could have written for about 3 hours. Maybe even 4.

Some sample questions & exercises in no particular order(I tried to take the copy of the test questions, but they wouldn't let me):

The section in your department has decided it needs a new records classification system. What steps would you take to make this happen & why?

What is the difference between an official and transitory record?

What is the role of Information Management in the Fed Govt.?

Here, recreate this 4 sheet spreadsheet with a zillion columns of numerical data on the laptop WITH NO NUMBER PAD. Go ahead, I dare you and while you're at it do these vague things too and oh just when you think you're done with this shitty excel spreadsheet I'll throw in this demand to make a header field.

Write a short memo to Ms. Smith asking her to appoint you acting information holdings specialist. Be sure to include your reasons behind this request.

Write a short memo to Mr. Smith (oh, I betcha didn't think I would notice that did you?!) asking permission to meet with his department to provide them with recordkeeping training. Be sure to include why this is important what you will include in the training.

Please tell us whether the following are an official record or a transitory record:

They throw in some easy ones and then this...You are at lunch with your boss. She writes down an amount for a budget allocation on a napkin and hands it to you. Official or Transitory?

Please tell us briefly what all these acts do and are about:

Then follows about 6 or 8 acts and I end up allocating about 3 mintues to each act. This act deals with...got real tiresome, real fast but I didn't know what else to do.

So, I don't think I passed. It was....an experience. Writing this test I knew it's not what I want to do and I know that my heart is not in it and that nowadays records for me is quite blah and boring and I've got no drive to keep good records or manage records or preserve them or anything. I know I want a real job, with real duties, that help real people do real things and REAL STUFF, ya know?

Anyways, I hope I make it into the pool of qualified candidates, but I'm not betting all my cookies on that. So, I'll keep everyone posted if I hear back from them.