During the National Childhood Encephalopathy Study, standard neurodevelopmental assessments had to be performed on a large number of children under 3 years of age scattered throughout Great Britain. Currently available tests were reviewed but were found to be impractical for this purpose. We describe a simple test procedure, based on the STYCAR sequences, suitable for use in a clinic or at home with the minimum of special equipment. Results were reliable and provided an informative record of a child's developmental progress. It may be possible to modify the scheme for general use.