The first test that Charlie takes is a Rorschach Test. This is a psychological test where the subject is shown an ink-blot on a piece of paper and asked to describe what they see. When Charlie does the Rorschach Test, he's very frustrated because he can't actually see anything in the ink-blots. Charlie's very literal-minded, and so interpreting a strange collection of dribs and drabs is extremely difficult for him. All he sees are some spilled ink drops on a piece of paper. Nothing more. Unsurprisingly, Charlie thinks he's flunked the test.

The second test also leaves Charlie feeling frustrated and upset. He's shown a set of pictures and asked to make up stories about them. But as we've seen, Charlie's very literal-minded and so finds it nearly impossible to do this. For him, making up stories is no different from lying, and experience has taught him that whenever he tells a lie he always gets caught out.

Charlie has much more success with the final test, the maze test. In this test, Charlie's required to draw his way out of a paper maze. At the same time, the little mouse Algernon has to find his way through a physical maze. Initially, Charlie's frustrated once more as the mouse manages to beat him every time. But in due course Charlie becomes much quicker and more proficient, and he eventually starts finding his way out of the maze before the mouse.