This bulletin has three purposes: (1) to discuss the variety of factors which should be considered in the development of a local testing program, providing a basic understanding of what is necessary to implement and maintain a testing program; (2) to suggest several of the significant elements related to the development and maintenance of a competency-based testing program, investigating nine tasks related to establishing and maintaining such a program; and (3) to summarize some of the basic features of testing programs by presenting the results of a 1980 questionnaire designed to gather information about the nature of testing in the Wisconsin public school districts. (PN)