Spurred by the promise of $350 million in Race to the Top money for improved tests--as well as an opportunity to strengthen bids for part of the federal fund's larger $4 billion pot--states are scrambling to join consortia to develop common assessments. Six state consortia are now engaged in discussions about common tests, and the multiple partnerships may put to rest for now speculation that federal support inevitably will lead to a single national set of exams. Since it is not yet clear what the U.S. Department of Education expects to see from the consortia, most states have hedged their bets by signing up for more than one partnership. In fact, there are signs that several of the consortia might try to merge even before March, when the Department of Education is expected to release its application notice for the $350 million in assessment funding, which is being provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.