The International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) grew out of an International planning conference held in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A. on April 19-21, 1974. Some 35 individuals representing 18 countries met on that occasion to consider the desirability and feasibility of establishing an organisation to foster intercommunication among agencies throughout the world which are concerned with the application of assessment techniques for the improvement of educational processes and to provide a framework within which such agencies could undertake cooperative projects. It was decided that the Association, if established, would fill an important need and that an effort should be made to bring it into being