The development of a model for criterion-referenced mastery reading comprehension tests for university courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) is designed. In the process of developing this model, two major issues were addressed: clarification of the concept of "criteria" within criterion-referenced testing and choice of the appropriate model of the reading process. Criteria were defined as achievement of specific tasks related to academic reading needs in English. The reading model chosen was based on schema theory. Using pre- and post-course data from a sample of 68 Israeli university freshmen enrolled in academic ESL reading comprehension courses, information was gathered about learners' needs, reading tasks, course content, and texts used. Six tasks were hypothesized and appraised by 27 raters as representing mastery reading comprehension. Statistical analysis of student performance on the tasks confirmed the hypothesized relationship between learner needs, reading tasks, and course content and their cumulative contribution to formulation of criteria for a test of this type. It is concluded that the objectives of a mastery reading comprehension test are: (1) recognizing a text's rhetorical mode; (2) identifying main ideas; (3) identifying supporting ideas; (4) discovering author intent; (5) understanding author conclusions; and (6) making evaluations. (MSE)