Discussions of "test curriculum overlap" that focus on the term "mismatch" tend to be based on several untenable premises. This paper addresses the issue of the degree to which standardized tests should reflect the specific content of a given school curriculum with regard to three points: (1) The idea of matching the content of standardized tests to school curriculum is based on the misperception that a specific standard curriculum can be defined. There can be great variability between schools and even within the same school. (2) Content validity is relative to the purpose for which the data are used. The content specifications appropriate for a teacher-made test designed to assess immediate outcome of instruction are not appropriate for standardized tests designed to assess year-to-year progress and to establish unambiguous norms. (3) To serve the purposes of curriculum planning and evaluation, the procedures used by publishers to establish content validity must provide coherence and continuity over a range of grades. The content must be a composite of material related to common threads and principles inherent in subject fields. (Author)