Essay tests, despite their limitations, have a number of strengths and, therefore, appropriate uses in higher education, as long as users are aware of the limitations. Essay questions (extended response and restricted response) are designed to assess student learning. There is considerable agreement in the educational measurement literature about how essay tests can be improved. Topics addressed in this paper include the nature of an essay test, strengths and limitations of essay tests, and recommendations on appropriate applications, test construction, and scoring. The most notable strength of the essay test is its ability to measure writing composition skills. Serious limitations concern the reliability of essay tests. In all, 25 recommendations are presented. (TJH)