The Basic Occupational Literacy Test (BOLT) was developed as an achievement test of basic skills in reading and arithmetic, for educationally disadvantaged adults. The objective was to develop a test appropriate for this population with regard to content, format, instructions, timing, norms, and difficulty level. A major issue, the use of grade equivalent norms, pinpointed the need for occupational norms instead. Experimental BOLT forms were constructed using revised directions, items, and time allowances from a preliminary tryout. Two or three alternate forms for the four test content areas, at each of four difficulty levels, were used in an item analysis study. The item analysis and selection of forms was conducted for these reasons: (1) to investigate potential bias against geographical, age, sex, or minority groups; (2) to assure comparability in the composition, reliability, and difficulty of alternate forms; and (3) to set an optimum test length. The General Educational Development ratings of occupations were used for interpreting BOLT scores. Interim occupational norms were derived from 22% of each of the reading and arithmetic samples tested for the BOLT item analyses. (CP)