Through focused interviews with 119 elementary students, researchers examined children's understanding of vocational preparation requirements for 15 well-known jobs and participants' preferred occupations. Results indicated that, by fifth grade, children have developed the conceptual framework for understanding vocational preparation requirements but are highly inaccurate in their application of the framework to specific occupations. Participants overestimated the need for college as well as their own likelihood of attending. Implications for elementary career guidance programs are presented. (Contains 2 tables.)