Suggestions have been made that the Preliminary Test for the Membership of the College should be modified in the direction of a reduced theoretical and enhanced clinical content. I would applaud such a move. Behind it is the idea of testing, early in a junior's career, his or her talents for the processes central to the practice of their chosen specialty. This sort of test has for too long been lacking throughout the profession of medicine. There is no reason why psychiatry should not now, with the advantage of modern technology, set the pace by combining an element of aptitude testing in the earlist hurdle on the road to specialist status.