Problems in the testing of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) are examined, focusing on proficiency testing needs and test standardization. Particular attention is paid to listening and reading assessment. The first part of the discussion looks at specific problems with five existing proficiency tests, including such aspects as inadequacy of the test's scope, the threat to validity posed by a bilingual test format, inherent difficulty in reading characters when the test is in Chinese only, and reliability problems arising from the use of authentic materials or nonstandardized texts. The second part of the discussion offers guidelines for designing a standardized CFL test. Guidelines are that: the test should be in Chinese only so that it can be used by all learners of Chinese regardless of background or native language; it should be based on the core of the language, that shared by all Chinese speakers; its content and design should be politically neutral; and close attention must be paid to the cultural loading of test content. Specific procedures for selecting phonological content and vocabulary are outlined. It is suggested that such a test will be increasingly useful as the global economy develops. (MSE)