In the paper experiences from two interrelated projects with the purpose of developing valid tools for the assessment of communicative competence will be presented. The research has been carried out within a project commissioned by The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education with the aim of developing new admission tests for educational programmes in the care sector as a complement to the general Swedish Scholastic Assessment Test, SweSAT.Communication is considered an important aspect of professional competence and development. In most professions communicative skills are seen as a foundation of qualitative professional performance. When it comes to evaluating professional competence, communicative competence is consequently in most cultural settings treated as a key competence (Rychen & Salganic 2001).Valid assessments are needed within more formalized contexts such as vocational educational programmes, but also when the task is recognition of real competence, which may have been developed outside of formalized education (Bjørnåvold 2000). In addition communicative aspects are increasingly included in admission tests to higher educational programmes with a vocational purpose.Admission tests have in Sweden so far been paper-based in a multiple choice-format (Stage 2004). The new admission tests are computer based, which gives us the possibility to use multimedia presentations. Since the tests are distributed to a large number of test takers at the same time in specific locations, practical circumstances put some restrictions to what is possible to assess.The concept of communicative competence is derived from communication theory (Habermas 1984, 1987) in the interpretation by Fritzell (2006). Communication is here seen as open (inclusive and open-minded), free (built on argumentative rationality and discourse ethics), and critical (analytically directed). From the practical restrictions follow that it is how the test takers interpret communicative situations they are exposed to, and how they themselves communicate in written form that can be assessed.The assessment tools used correspond to the "authentic paradigm" (Cumming & Maxwell, 1999; Wolf 1995). The test takers are exposed to vignettes illustrating different forms of communication - written, verbal and non-verbal. The task is to reflect in writing on different aspects of the communication illustrated. The vignettes contain a dilemma, where different interests are put at stake. For the evaluation specific assessment criteria have been developed, based on the interpretation of communication theory as mentioned above.The tests have been administered to some 400 test takers - within or outside of formalized training - as part of an admission test. A part of the test has also been tried in three vocational programmes - the programme for Bachelor of Science in Social Work, the Police program, and the Teacher Education Programme. Students both in the beginning and in the end of the programmes have participated.The results have so far been very promising. The tests seem to result in a valid distribution of the test takers - students in the end of their educational programmes are performing better than test takers coming from upper secondary schools. The test takers evaluative responses have also been very positive. The tests are seen as valid, interesting, and challenging.Bjørnåvold, J. (2000) Making learning visible. Thessaloniki: Cedefop Fritzell, C (2006) A late-modern concept of Bildung. Vxu, IPED: Pedagogical Communication, no 2 Habermas, J (1984) The theory of communicative action, 1. Boston: Beacon Press Habermas, J (1987) The theory of communicative action, 2. Boston: Beacon Press Rychen, D.S. & Salganik, L.H. (Eds) (2001) Defining and selecting key competencies. Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers Stage, C. (2004) Entrance to higher education in Sweden. Umeå: EM No 51Wolf, A. (1995) Competence-based Assessment. Buckingham: Open University PressAssessment & Evaluation in Higher Education