The concern of educators and the general public over the decline in basic skills achievement of students nationwide has led to a national push for results-oriented instruction and educational accountability. Many states are developing tests for life-related competencies which students should master during the schooling process. States moving toward certification of competencies through testing are doing so in teams of two categories: "the basics" (school skills) and "survival skills" (life-roles). The Project Basic Office of the Maryland State Department of Education conducted a study of a group of states which intend to assess competencies beyond the basics. This paper reports the procedures used for the study, presents data collected from responding states, and poses some of the questions which the data suggest. The purposes of the study are: (1) to identify those states moving toward assessment of life-role competencies beyond the basics; (2) to describe ways in which these states are developing programs for assessment; and (3) to discuss similarities among the programs. Several appendices are included. (Author/GSK)