With the increasing emphasis on teacher competency testing, it is important to examine the usefulness of the currently available paper and pencil tests. At least 40 states in the United States now have, or are planning to have, teacher tests for initial certification. Some states have tests for career advancement, and 20 mandate tests for admission to the teacher education curriculum. Such tests have both strengths and weaknesses. Test results cannot solve all of the problems of teacher selection, do not predict classroom performance, and must not take the place of informed decision making by experienced administrators. Good tests do, however, provide objective, standardized and reliable evidence that examinees possess the basic competencies judged necessary to perform competently as beginning teachers or education students. They assess those skills which are necessary for minimum competence, but not all skills which are sufficient for good teaching. Ideally, licensing tests should be used as pass-fail tests in conjunction with other criteria such as grades, experience, interviews, observation, and recommendations. Paper and pencil tests alone do not predict job performance; the use of simulated tasks and on-the-job evaluation add to predictive validity. (GDC)