Discussed are characteristics of criterion referenced reading tests for use with learning disabled (LD) children, and analyzed are the Basic Educational Skills Inventory (BESI), the Prescriptive Reading Inventory (PRI), and the Cooper-McGuire Diagnostic Work-Analysis Test (CooperMcGuire). Criterion referenced tests are defined; and problems in test development (such as determining reliability and validity and selecting among behavioral alternatives for measuring the competency) are considered. Listed are characteristics of materials needed by LD students such as presentation of the same content or process in a variety of modalities. The three instruments are analyzed item by item in terms of the content of each objective or activity, the number of items per objective or activity, the stimulus mode, the response mode, and the type of response (whether selected or constructed). It is concluded that the BESI has merit for use with LD children who do not have expressive language difficulties, that the PRI is probably not useful in designing instruction for LD children, and that the Cooper-McGuire may help LD children who can integrate input from two channels simultaneously. It is stressed that diagnostic personnel need to vary the stimulus and response modes to determine individual competency and that diagnostic instruments be developed which are domain referenced as well as criterion referenced and which reflect a task analysis approach to content with variations of stimulus and response characteristics. Appended are three task sheets and an analysis sheet for use in teacher training situations. (DB)