FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TESTING OF MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE PRESENTED. THE CONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF MENTAL TESTING ARE TOO OFTEN DEVELOPED FOR THE INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL WAYS OF MIDDLE-CLASS CHILDREN. AS A RESULT MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE EXCLUDED FROM OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING BECAUSE OF "CULTURAL DEPRIVATION." THE GUIDE EXPLAINS HOW THIS SITUATION COULD BE REMEDIED, AND IT OFFERS SOME CRITERIA FOR INTERPRETING TEST SCORES OBTAINED FROM CHILDREN WHO DID NOT HAVE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS CHILD. ONE PRINCIPAL DIFFICULTY REGARDING STANDARDIZED TESTING IS THE RELIABILITY OF DIFFERENTIATION. A TEST PUBLISHER SHOULD DESCRIBE THE RELIABILITY SAMPLE IN TERMS OF FACTORS SUCH AS AGE, SEX, AND GRADE LEVEL COMPOSITION, ALSO, THE PUBLISHER SHOULD REPORT SUBGROUP RELIABILITIES. INSTITUTIONS THAT USE TESTS REGULARLY FOR PARTICULAR MINORITY GROUPS SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN RELIABILITY STUDIES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE TESTS ARE RELIABLE WHEN USED WITH THESE GROUPS. THE SECOND DIFFICULTY, THAT OF PREDICTIVE VALIDITY, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, ORDINARILY, AN INDIVIDUAL'S TEST SCORES DESCRIBE ONLY HIS RELATIVE STANDING WITH RESPECT TO A SPECIFIED NORM GROUP. AN EXPLANATION OF HIS STANDING SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED UTILIZING BACKGROUND FACTORS, ALSO WHEN LONG-RANGE PREDICTIONS ARE NEEDED, BACKGROUND FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. THE LAST DIFFICULTY, THE VALIDITY OF TEST INTERPRETATION, SHOULD BE APPLIED TO TESTS IN GENERAL, TEST RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED BY COMPETENTLY TRAINED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSONS. MEDICAL CASE HISTORIES SHOULD BE USED AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL TEST RECORDS. TOO OFTEN ANSWERS THAT ARE DEVIANT FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A MAJORITY CULTURE ARE TYPICAL OF A MINORITY GROUP. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN THE "JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES" VOLUME 20, NUMBER 2, APRIL 1964.