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Ad Agency Denies It Fired Staff Who Failed Test That Asked 'What Is Your Favorite Piece Of Art?'

Jim Edwards   

Ad Agency Denies It Fired Staff Who Failed Test That Asked 'What Is Your Favorite Piece Of Art?'

Edvard Munch The Scream Detail Sothebys Impressionist and Modern Sale 20121

Edvard Munch / Sotheby's

You know which artist drew this, right?

Ad agency CP+B gave this "aptitude test" to its art directors to get to know them better, and to test their creative problem-solving skills.

AgencySpy obtained copies of the document, and initially reported that some of those who failed the test were let go from the agency.

CP+B says that's not true; no one lost their job as a result of the test.

The test isn't like anything you took in college, or any kind of corporate HR form.

It uses thoughtful, fussy typefaces to set its questions — befitting an agency known as one of America's most creative shops.

The questions, though, are subjective and vague. Here's one:

What is your favorite piece of art?

Another question, however, looks like a reasonable test of whether creative staffers can spot typos. It asks for corrections to a quote by Abraham Lincoln.

But one item asks staff to "tell us your life story" by drawing just six pictures.

Here's CP+B's statement:

“We are constantly assessing that the right people are working on the right things and this series of questions was one way to do that. No one was terminated or will be terminated due to their answers and that was never the intention of these exercises.”

Now take the test yourself:

CP+B cpbaptitude 300x235

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CP+B cpbaptitude2 300x272

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CP+B  cpbaptitude3 300x275

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CP+B cpbaptitudetest4 300x270

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CP+B  cpbaptitude5 273x300

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