THE EXTENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE BOTEL READING INVENTORY, FORMS A AND B, AND SELECTED STANDARDIZED TESTS TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL READING LEVEL OF PUPILS IN GRADES 1 TO 6 WERE INVESTIGATED TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE VALIDITY OF THE TESTS. THE COOPERATIVE CHECKOUT WAS EMPLOYED AS A CRITERION. TEACHER OBSERVATION AND PUPIL ORAL READING FLUENCY WERE ALSO USED AS VALIDITY CHECKS. CORRECT GRADE PLACEMENT WAS BASED UPON EASE OF READING AT, BELOW, OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL. ALL READING TEST SCORES WERE CORRELATED WITH THE CRITERION, THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL OF THE PUPILS, AND THE BOTEL INVENTORY WAS CORRELATED WITH THE STANDARDIZED TESTS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE CONGRUENT VALIDITY OF THE INVENTORY. RESULTS INDICATED THAT, EXCEPT FOR THIRD GRADE, THE BOTEL READING INVENTORY MIGHT BE SUPERIOR TO THE STANDARDIZED SILENT READING TESTS USED IN THIS STUDY IN PLACING PUPILS AT THEIR CORRECT INSTRUCTIONAL LEVELS. IT WAS FOUND THAT WHILE THE STANDARDIZED TESTS OVERPLACED MORE PUPILS THAN DID THE BOTEL READING INVENTORY, MANY PUPILS WERE EITHER CORRECTLY PLACED OR UNDERPLACED BY THE STANDARDIZED SILENT READING TESTS RATHER THAN OVERPLACED. IT WAS NOTED THAT SOME ABLE PUPILS WERE LIMITED TO GRADE LEVEL ON BASAL READING MATERIAL OR, AT MOST, TO ONE GRADE LEVEL BEYOND GRADE PLACEMENT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEIR PERFORMANCE IN ORAL READING AND COMPREHENSION WAS ALMOST PERFECT. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE PROVIDED. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCATION CONFERENCE (BOSTON, APRIL 24-27, 1968). (MC)