Procedures are suggested for developing and using oral and/or practical assessment for the certification of professional competence in the health-care professions. Specific guidelines are offered for (1) deciding when to use oral or practical examinations, (2) developing sound examinations, and (3) evaluating the psychometric adequacy of developed oral and practical examinations. Evaluation criteria include appropriateness of test specifications, reliability, validity, and appropriateness of scoring procedures. Procedures are suggested for gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data relevant to each of these criteria. Responsibilities of test developers and test users are outlined with respect to each criterion. (Author)