The development of the Advanced English Reading Test (AERT) for Universitystudents in the People's Republic of China was the vehicle for investigating the nature of and the relationships between Skimming, Scanning, Search reading and Careful Reading. This volume reports on the methodological procedures that led to the development of this important test and discusses the results of the empirical investigations that were carried out to establish its validity. It offers a blueprint  of reading assessment for those wishing to research in the area.