The problem under investigation for this study was to identify a method for determining a student's potential for success in an online communication course using the Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator (READI) assessment instrument as a predictor. The READI tool focuses on six areas that students should score well on in order to be successful in the online learning environment: (1) personal attributes; (2) learning styles; (3) reading rate and recall; (4) technical competency; (5) technical knowledge; and (6) typing speed. Seven online basic communication courses at two community colleges were used in this study. A comparison of students' scores on the READI assessment with their final GPA in each course was used to determine whether the test was a good predictor of success. Additionally, the study included seven open-ended questions to examine the perceptions of both successful and unsuccessful students concerning their readiness for the course. (Contains 5 tables.)