The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) encountered problems when developing a comprehensive assessment of consumer skills of 17-year-olds in 1978. When NAEP conducted a nationwide assessment of basic life skills of 17-year-olds in 1977, there was considerable interest in the consumer skills portion. Therefore, it was decided to prepare a comprehensive assessment program of skills in areas of personal finance, consumer protection, consumer behavior, economics, and energy. However, because this topic had not been part of the regular assessment schedule, funds and time were limited. A set of consumer objectives prepared by the Duval County Public School System in Jacksonville, Florida was used as a guideline in developing the assessment. Problems encountered during this stage included translation of the Florida curriculum objectives into measurement objectives, and unfamiliarity with developing paper-and-pencil instruments in areas of consumer behavior and economics. During the item reviews, questions were raised about content. Reviewers had difficulty agreeing on whether the items should merely test each student's knowledge of his own behavior, or test knowledge of group and industrial behavior. In solving the problems, efforts were made to simplify language and relate important concepts to particular consumer problems. Plans for administration of the assessment in the spring of 1978 and dissemination of results are also described. (AV) Primary type of information provided by report: Procedures (Exercise Development) (Objectives Development).