This publication contains important cumulative information on the development of tests to measure antibodies produced against foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) and to differentiate animals infected with foot and mouth disease (FMD) from those only given vaccines. During the past decade there has been a constant development of tests to attempt this and claims that have not always been substantiated with data. An IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) was undertaken to evaluate institutionally and then commercially derived tests to obtain validation data defining test performances from a wide geographical arena in laboratories of varying standards. The conclusions from the CRP, presented in this publication, will add value to the current debate on the usefulness of such tests.