A Test Before Trying/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 24 Episode References
← 517 "Homer Goes to Prep School"	518 "A Test Before Trying"	"Changing of the Guardian" →

Cultural references

• The episode's title is a reference to:
  • A Kiss Before Dying, a novel by Ernest Gaines.
  • A Lesson Before Dying, a novel by Ira Levin
• The school that Nelson Muntz was being sent to was called the Arkham Elementary School for the Criminally Insane. The name of the school refers to the Arkham Asylum, a psychiatric hospital from the DC Comics Universe.
• In Bart's nightmare of what would happen if the school would close down, Popeye is seen farming the spinach farm that used to be the school.
• The music heard while the students are taking the test is the main theme from the film Halloween.
• The music heard while the clowns are getting out of the clown car is the David Bowie song "Changes".
• We can notice a reference to Norman Bates' Mother from Psycho.
• We can see The Great Raymondo from "The Great Simpsina".
• The episode is dedicated to Huell Howser.

Trivia

• Bart says Homer's catchprase "D'oh!".

Goofs

Click to enlarge.

• Chief Wiggum's skin color is brown instead of yellow, also his hair is black instead of blue.
• Bart's test score raised the entire score of the school by 1, so technically, since the school was judged the worst in the state, it would still make Springfield Elementary the worst school in the state, but tied with the second-worst, presumably Wilson Elementary, which was set to be destroyed. So, neither school would have been destroyed and more standardized testing should have been done.

← Season 23 Season 24 References Season 25 →

Moonshine River • Treehouse of Horror XXIII • Adventures in Baby-Getting • Gone Abie Gone • Penny-Wiseguys • A Tree Grows in Springfield • The Day the Earth Stood Cool • To Cur, with Love • Homer Goes to Prep School • A Test Before Trying • The Changing of the Guardian • Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing • Hardly Kirk-ing • Gorgeous Grampa • Black-Eyed, Please • Dark Knight Court • What Animated Women Want • Pulpit Friction • Whiskey Business • The Fabulous Faker Boy • The Saga of Carl • Dangers on a Train