Advice on MAPP Test?

[UPS1907]

Don't take it...

Any Advice?

Run for the hills. This company will suck the life from you and toss you aside without a second thought. Hard working humans deserve better.

 

[BLACKBALLED]

At the risk of being too personal, I have finally taken the Mapp test, but failed. I already know that I don't really think like a supervisor. I am more a helper/techy guy. This is probably why I failed. Originally I wanted to apply for a Engineer position, but my supervisor (who is a great guy, really!) advised me to take "both parts" of the mapp test (I guess there was supposed to be a supervisor side and a tech side). Anyway, I have had supervisors ask me, "so you're taking mapp? what does it entail?" Even most of the supervisors had very little knowledge of mapp. I had to register three different times (and call mapp tech support) to finally get properly registered and take the test. Now I have to wait until september to take it again. The math was very simple for me (I have a B.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology and a B.A. in Psychology and an old PC computer certificate). The situational questions were about if you were a manager, what would you do? I guess that was my weakest part. Does anybody have any advice on how to answer the questions simply like a manager would? I know some jokers have said this is 7th grade stuff, but seriously what can I do?

O.K. here is the truth about the MAPP test, first and foremost regardless of what others say, before you go take the test they already know if you will pass or not, this is just a formality, I have had several co-horts who passed it, I passed it and it is easy, it really is a no fail test, don't worry about it, just make sure you dont burn any bridges along the way to your next test and if they are ready to move you up or on they will pass you, if not you will fail again, my name may say Blackballed but I have seen it all and believe me when I tell you about the processes.

 

[UPS Lifer]

O.K. here is the truth about the MAPP test, first and foremost regardless of what others say, before you go take the test they already know if you will pass or not, this is just a formality, I have had several co-horts who passed it, I passed it and it is easy, it really is a no fail test, don't worry about it, just make sure you dont burn any bridges along the way to your next test and if they are ready to move you up or on they will pass you, if not you will fail again, my name may say Blackballed but I have seen it all and believe me when I tell you about the processes.

The first line of your post indicates a conspiracy theory.

The computer analyzes the answers to the questions and categorizes the answers into tendencies and traits. If you are not consistent in your application of your "knowledge" or common sense, you will score lower.

I had asked specifically for an individual to be a supervisor and was told that he failed miserable on the MAPP test. I had to take assure my boss that I would take personal responsibility to ensure his success. I had no problem with that. He became a supervisor.

There is NOTHING in this company that is hard and fast. Every rule or policy has an exception to it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Lifer, suppose you had an applicant who aced the MAPP yet you knew he/she had no business becoming a supervisor---would you work as hard to convince your supervisor to deny the promotion?

 

[BLACKBALLED]

The first line of your post indicates a conspiracy theory.

The computer analyzes the answers to the questions and categorizes the answers into tendencies and traits. If you are not consistent in your application of your "knowledge" or common sense, you will score lower.

I had asked specifically for an individual to be a supervisor and was told that he failed miserable on the MAPP test. I had to take assure my boss that I would take personal responsibility to ensure his success. I had no problem with that. He became a supervisor.

There is NOTHING in this company that is hard and fast. Every rule or policy has an exception to it.

I should have made myself clear, you are correct on the computer side of it, I was referring to the Panel side of it, that is where they just get someone walking down the hall to be one of the panel members when they had no clue what was going on, that is not a consiracy that is a fact, I only speak from where I came from, it may have been different on your side or other areas, but where I was it was done more than once and people who were moved on or up had no business being promoted, it is not jealousy or envy it is factual.

 

[UPS Lifer]

I should have made myself clear, you are correct on the computer side of it, I was referring to the Panel side of it, that is where they just get someone walking down the hall to be one of the panel members when they had no clue what was going on, that is not a consiracy that is a fact, I only speak from where I came from, it may have been different on your side or other areas, but where I was it was done more than once and people who were moved on or up had no business being promoted, it is not jealousy or envy it is factual.

Well said.
It is very possible where you came from that is happening.

In my district, the panel was well established and it was different for PT vs FT. The final say was always with the District Manager for FT mgmt. PT was left to the division manager with much influence by the manager of the operation.
​

 

[SuperSupTwiceQuit]

I took the "mailbox" test prior to the transformation. It was a lot more stressful back then and involved 3 upper level managers from my district grilling me until I sizzled. All in all, I left feeling pretty good about the methods that UPS used to weed out those who would make poor full-time supervisors. It was similar to how police officers are hired. I have since left UPS, been rehired and re-promoted. My second pass through the MAPP of today was a joke.

 

[SuperSupTwiceQuit]

Re: Don't take it...

Run for the hills. This company will suck the life from you and toss you aside without a second thought. Hard working humans deserve better.

I felt this way when I was younger and ended leaving UPS for a job with a privately held company running a large protein supplement factory.

I have since returned to UPS management and am vastly more well rounded as well as tolerant of conditional norms at UPS. All things considered, UPS is a pretty good company to work for, and the better a manager you are, the more at home you will find yourself. Being aggressive and assertive to the point of being annoying to others in order to achieve operational excellence is what will make your bones at UPS.

 

[SuperSupTwiceQuit]

Re: Don't take it...

Run for the hills. This company will suck the life from you and toss you aside without a second thought. Hard working humans deserve better.

I took the "mailbox" test prior to the transformation. It was a lot more stressful back then and involved 3 upper level managers from my district grilling me until I sizzled. All in all, I left feeling pretty good about the methods that UPS used to weed out those who would make poor full-time supervisors. It was similar to how police officers are hired. I have since left UPS, been rehired and re-promoted. My second pass through the MAPP of today was a joke.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

It was similar to how police officers are hired.

Hence the reason UPS has a great number of arrogant, control freaks in operations.

 

[Catatonic]

Hence the reason UPS has a great number of arrogant, control freaks in operations.

The purpose of management is to Plan, Organize and Control.
UPS is recognized as having a very strong management workforce by such organizations as the Harvard Business Review.
Planning and Organization are strong but it is the Control function for which UPS is recognized as world-class
It is the Control aspect of management that UPS hourly employees hate so much.

​I agree that Control can become obsessive, often times being done out of habit rather than actual need.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It is the Control aspect of management that UPS hourly employees hate so much.

It is being treated like a 2nd grader that this particular UPS hourly employee hates so much.

 

[blkmamba]

It is being treated like a 2nd grader that this particular UPS hourly employee hates so much.

A select few (not all) need to be treated that way.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

The purpose of management is to Plan, Organize and Control.
UPS is recognized as having a very strong management workforce by such organizations as the Harvard Business Review.
Planning and Organization are strong but it is the Control function for which UPS is recognized as world-class
It is the Control aspect of management that UPS hourly employees hate so much.

​I agree that Control can become obsessive, often times being done out of habit rather than actual need.

Nice buzz-words, having a "very strong management workforce" aren't exactly glowing remarks. It simply means that UPS is run by Taylorist tyrants more maniacally than most companies. Glassdoor.com remarks from employees in operations would back that up.

 

[Catatonic]

Nice buzz-words, having a "very strong management workforce" aren't exactly glowing remarks. It simply means that UPS is run by Taylorist tyrants more maniacally than most companies. Glassdoor.com remarks from employees in operations would back that up.

Companies that are considering a UPS management candidate for employment will be contacting the person's management ... not his/her hourly employees for which he/she is responsible.
UPS management, with a college degree, that leave UPS find jobs very quickly and often at better salary than at UPS.

Different perspectives no doubt.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Companies that are considering a UPS management candidate for employment will not be contacting hourly employees.
UPS management, with a college degree, that leave UPS find jobs very quickly and often at better salary than at UPS.

Different perspectives no doubt.

That's narrow minded...I for example have previous management experience, as well as a college degree, but am an hourly UPS'er.

The "we vs. you", "us vs. them" mentality is interesting since quite a few of the least capable, intellectual, motivated, etc. people are within the ranks of UPS operations management.

 

[Catatonic]

That's narrow minded...I for example have previous management experience, as well as a college degree, but am an hourly UPS'er.

The "we vs. you", "us vs. them" mentality is interesting since quite a few of the least capable, intellectual, motivated, etc. people are within the ranks of UPS operations management.

This is the Management forum and the discussion is about management.
If this had been in the UPS Discussions forum or Union Issues forum, I would have included all UPS employees.
In case you did not notice, I did not include Administrative employees or Specialist employees either.

The world does not revolve around you, although I'm sure you find that hard to believe.

 

[oldngray]

The world revolves around feeder drivers of course. Merely a side effect of their greater gravitational attraction.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

This is the Management forum and the discussion is about management.
If this had been in the UPS Discussions forum or Union Issues forum, I would have included all UPS employees.
In case you did not notice, I did not include Administrative employees or Specialist employees either.

The world does not revolve around you, although I'm sure you find that hard to believe.

Thread topic = MAPP and a comment was made "it's similar to how police officers are hired". Now I've done the MAPP testing so yes I or anyone else w/ experience with it should be able to discuss it. Of course the world doesn't revolve around anyone in particular, but apparently for low-level management the business does revolve around them, despite being equally as replaceable.

 

[Catatonic]

1) Thread topic = MAPP and a comment was made "it's similar to how police officers are hired".
2) Now I've done the MAPP testing so yes I or anyone else w/ experience with it should be able to discuss it.
3) Of course the world doesn't revolve around anyone in particular, but apparently for low-level management the business does revolve around them, despite being equally as replaceable.

1) Yep
2) Absolutely
3) At UPS, Low level, Mid-level or High level are just cogs in a big machine and they are all easily replaced.
No one at UPS is important ... positions are but the person in any position is easily replaced.
If Scott Davis was gone tomorrow, UPS would not miss a beat.