One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter presents competence assessment as it is defined in practice by selection techniques currently used by employers. The chapter begins with a discussion of the major techniques used in employee selection, focusing on the competencies employers detect and their measurement properties. The second major portion focuses on the ways in which selection techniques are used as components of selection systems within a variety of organizations. Among the questions addressed here are the following: Do employers actually select on the basis of the competencies they desire in job applicants? How do selection practices vary according to the type of job and level of skill required at entry? What biases enter into selection decisions as a function of the procedures used? To what extent do employers verify the importance of certain competencies to job performance or the effectiveness of their selection procedures? The chapter concludes with a discussion of how organizational realities and other factors affect selection practices and what educators can learn from current trends in these practices. (Other sections of the report are available separately--see note. The first is an overview; the last is a synthesis of issues.) (LRA)