This guide, which is intended for adult basic education (ABE) practitioners in Victoria, Australia, details policies and procedures regarding the conduct of placement assessments of students entering or enrolled in ABE programs. The guide's aims are summarized in the introduction. Discussed in part 1 are the following topics: the content/purposes of the Certificates of General Education for Adults; the principles of competency-based assessment and its relationship to the Certificates of General Education for Adults; moderation; and considerations in creating an assessment policy for an ABE center. Part 2, which focuses on the actual placement interview, includes the following: steps in conducting placement interviews; ethical and practical guidelines; suggested questions; guidelines for selecting and producing assessment materials/tools; recommendations and forms for conducting writing, math, and oracy assessments and recording placement interview results; and sample assessment materials. Parts 3 and 4 outline procedures and policies for conducting on-course (in-course) and exit assessments, respectively. Appended are the following: Victoria's 1992 Interim Literacy Course Matrix; the Australian Second Language Proficiency Rating Scale; and a list of Victoria's regional councils of adult, community, and further education. (MN)