Assessment programs, which have recently been implemented in colleges around the country, have indirectly affected the quality of education in ways that are both researchable and measurable. Admissions and placement testing affect educational quality by separating high and low achievers, and making it possible for high-level texts to be used and advanced discussions to take place with high achievers. However, neither testing method ensures instructional quality in the classroom. Exit examinations, on the other hand, have a more direct impact on quality, in that they require that the curriculum be geared to provide the knowledge to be tested at the exit point and that instructors teach at the level to be tested. While exit examinations should not be used as the basis for awarding or denying degrees, they can and should be used to monitor the curriculum by sampling student achievement on exit exams and providing feedback to faculty. The effects of implementing assessment programs on educational quality can be measured in terms of institutional climate before and after their implemantation and in terms of changes in areas such as type of student attracted to the institution, and graduation and transfer rates. Because the literature suggests that the high institutional expectations result in high student performance, minumum skills testing, which represents low-level expectations, should be avoided in favor of achievement tests, representing higher expectations. (DAB)