Testing language skills is difficult, but testing writing, and the writing of students of English as a Second Language, poses two major problems. The first is making decisions about the matter of control, objectivity of the evaluation, and naturalness in the writing test. The second major problem is that, if the test is done in a way that cannot be graded objectively, it is necessary to develop a scale that makes grading as objective as possible. The ability to write involves grammatical and lexical abilities, mechanical ability, stylistic and organizational skills, and the ability to judge whether something is appropriate. Common tasks for writing tests include: (1) gap filling; (2) form completion; (3) making corrections; (4) letter writing; and (5) essay writing. Any chosen task should be evaluated for its relevance to the student's eventual use of the language. When assessing students at intermediate and advanced levels, test makers must consider the instructions, the choice of topics, the choice of tasks, and the level of difficulty and time allowed. All of these considerations must go into making a test that is appropriate for the learner, and then the test maker must attempt to ensure that marking the test, which will always be at least somewhat subjective, is as objective as possible. (SLD)