Author's Note:  For the DS Flashfic "Documentation Challenge."  For anyone wanting to take the home game, there are quite a number of these tests online.  This is a combo of my two favorite.  Hope you enjoy!
 

Factor 1 - Education (maximum 25 points)

Did not complete secondary school (also called high school) Obtained a secondary school credential Obtained a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and completed at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Obtained a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and completed at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Obtained a two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and completed at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Obtained a university degree of two years or more at the bachelor's level and completed at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Obtained a three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship (other than university) and completed at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies  Obtained a master's or Ph.D. and completed at least 17 years of full-time education or full-time equivalent studies

Factor 2 - English and French language ability (maximum 24 points)

To assess your English and French ability, first decide which language you are most comfortable with. This language is your first official language. The language you feel less comfortable communicating in is your second official language. Determine your language ability, then award points according to your ability to read, write, listen to and speak English and French. Check the areas that reflect your ability to read, write, listen to and speak English and French. First Canadian Official Language (either English or French) Read Write Speak Listen High Proficiency (Maximum of sixteen (16) points)  Moderate Proficiency (Maximum of eight (8) points)  Basic Proficiency (Maximum of two (2) points)  No Proficiency (No points) Second Canadian Official Language (either English or French) Read Write Speak Listen High Proficiency (Maximum of sixteen (16) points)  Moderate Proficiency (Maximum of eight (8) points)  Basic Proficiency (Maximum of two (2) points)  No Proficiency (No points)

Factor 3 - Work Experience (maximum 21 points)

You must have at least one year of full-time paid work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list. Your experience must be listed in an occupation listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the NOC and it must have occurred in the past 10 years.You must have performed most of the duties, including all the essential duties, that are listed for the occupation. PLEASE NOTE:  If your work experience is not listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the NOC, or if your experience did not occur in the past 10 years, your application will not be accepted. To determine your points, first assess your work experience, and then complete the following:     Your Work Experience is... Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 2 years More than 2 years but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 4 years 4 or more years Insert NOC Code here:

Factor 4 - Age (maximum 10 points)

Points are given for your age at the time your application is received. Please Enter Your Age in Years less than 17 17-20 21 - 49 over 50

Factor 6 - Adaptability (maximum 10 points)

You can receive a maximum of 10 points based on any combination of the elements listed below: 1. Accompanying Spouse/Common-Law Partner's Education:   Secondary school diploma or less A one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and completed at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies A one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship or university degree at the bachelor's level and completed at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies A two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship or university degree at the bachelor's level and completed at least 14 years of full-tine or full-time equivalent studies A three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship (not university) and completed at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Two or more university degrees at the bachelor's level and completed at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies A master's or Ph.D. and completed at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies Applicable Not Applicable   2. Principal Applicant or Spouse / Common-Law Partner has studied in Canada No, or has less than two years post-secondary education in Canada Completed at least two years of post-secondary education in Canada since the age of 17 3. Principal Applicant or Spouse / Common-Law Partner has worked in Canada No, or has worked full-time in Canada for less than one year Worked full-time in Canada for at least one year 4. Principal Applicant has obtained points under Factor 5, Arranged Employment¬ï 5. Principal Applicant or Spouse / Common-Law Partner has Family in Canada Family in Canada (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, niece, nephew, child or grandchild, spouse or common-law partner who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada.)

Ray Kowalski hesitated, hand on the mouse, index finger raised for the final click.  And then, heart pounding, he moved the cursor to the upper left hand corner and clicked the window shut, erasing all the data.

Was just a stupid pipe dream, anyway.
 

THE END
 
 

December 31, 1999.

You didn't really feel like champagne out here, but it was New Year's Eve at the dawn of the new millenium, and damned if they weren't going to have champagne tonight.  He'd given Charlie Cribbens $100 bucks for two real champagne glasses, a decent bottle of champagne, plus a bribe, cause Fraser really only drank a couple of times of year--two fingers of scotch on his birthday, a toast to the Queen at official functions, champange on New Year's Eve--and so he wasn't gonna make Fraser drink crap.  Factor the booze bill, bribe included, over the year and he was spending less than a month in Chicago.

He'd hidden the glasses in his suitcase and put the green bottle out in the snow for a week.   When he finally produced them, late that night after they'd had dinner and cleaned up and settled in front of the fireplace to wait for the year's odometer to turn over, Fraser looked really, really pleased, though he couldn't help from murmuring "Lovely but...excessive, Ray," and Ray'd felt compelled to argue the point.

"Hey, c'mon," Ray protested, turning the bottle gently as he poured so that the bubbles wouldn't spill over and onto Dief's head.  "It's, like, the new millenium tonight."

"Actually, no," Fraser objected, staring as the golden liquid bubbled up in the glass.  "Not till next year.  2001 marks the first--"

"You're saying everyone's wrong?"

"Yes."

"Well, how about this, then?"  Ray fished in his back pocket and pulled out the crumpled letter.  "Was saving this for tonight," he said and passed it over to Fraser, who set his glass down and unfolded it.  "It's my papers," Ray said, feeling the grin spreading across his face, "I'm legal, I'm in.  This would be my first New Year's Eve as a Canadian, the start of my own  personal millenum, the Kowalski Millenium, my own personal Ice Capade, Kowalski on Ice--"

They say, in some cultures, that the breaking of glass scares away evil spirits wishing harm to a newly married couple.

This is also true in Canada.
 

THE END