ASSESSMENT CENTERS REFER TO PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEASURE ABILITIES DEEMED ESSENTIAL FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF DETERMINED MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS. SUCH A PROGRAM IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE EMPLOYMENT OF A VARIETY OF METHODS, WRITTEN TESTS; SIMULATION GAMES; ROLE PLAYING; PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING; AND GROUP INTERACTION, CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO REVEAL THE MANAGEMENT SKILLS NEEDED BY THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION. A DISTINCTIVE ASPECT OF THE ASSESSMENT CLINIC IS ITS USE OF A TEAM OF TRAINED OBSERVERS WHO ASSESS THE PARTICIPANTS INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN POOL THEIR APPRAISALS TO FORM A CONSENSUS EVALUATION OF EACH PARTICIPANT. THIS APPROACH OF JUDGING MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL IS BELIEVED SUPERIOR TO THE TRADITIONAL METHODS, USUALLY EMPLOYED SINGLY, OF ANALYZING PAST JOB PERFORMANCE; CONDUCTING WRITTEN TESTS; PANEL INTERVIEWS; AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING. THE ASSESSMENT CENTER BEST MEASURES THE FOLLOWING MANAGEMENT SKILLS OR TRAITS: ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, SELF-CONFIDENCE, FORCEFULNESS, SELF-CONTROL, PERSUASIVENESS, FLEXIBILITY, MENTAL ALERTNESS, ANALYTICAL ABILITY, LEADERSHIP, ENERGY LEVEL, LIKABILITY, CREATIVITY, NEED FOR SUPERIOR APPROVAL, NEED FOR PEER APPROVAL, RESISTANCE TO STRESS, DECISIONMAKING, SELF-OBJECTIVITY, PLANNING AND ORGANIZING, AWARENESS OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. THE FORMAT OF A TYPICAL ASSESSMENT CENTER PROGRAM IS PRESENTED, AND SOME EXAMPLES OF PROGRAM ASPECTS ARE DESCRIBED. PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF ASSESSMENT CENTERS ARE LISTED AS FOLLOWS: HIGH COST, PERSONS NOT SELECTED TO ATTEND FEEL REJECTED, A GREAT AMOUNT OF PERSONAL ANXIETY IS INVOLVED, PEOPLE WOULD RATHER BE JUDGED ON REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE THAN SIMULATED, AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH RESEARCH TO DETERMINE VALIDITY. RESPONSES THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO REVEAL A PERSON'S GENUINE SKILLS AND TRAITS ARE DELINEATED. NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)