Abstract: The paper is a report on the project which involved the process of designing and piloting a General Competence Test intended to serve as a placement test in teaching Polish intermediate foreign language learners. All the actions taken to design and pilot the test are discussed in detail. The use of Iteman 4, a program designed to do a detailed item test analysis, is described. Problems encountered by the teacher during the process of designing, piloting and preparing the final version of the test are discussed. It is hoped that this paper will elucidate the advantages of tests constructed by foreign language teachers themselves and will encourage them to produce their own tests tailored for their teaching needs.