Poor motivation is commonly cited as a concern when interpreting results from low-stakes standardized tests administered to postsecondary students. This study investigates the associations between test administration procedures and students' self-reported effort and performance on the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), an open-ended test of college students' critical-thinking and writing skills. Coefficient estimates from a series of hierarchical linear models revealed that paying students to take tests and offering performance-based incentives were positively associated with effort and performance. Mandatory testing, however, was negatively associated with effort and performance. Faculty involvement in recruiting, giving extra course credit, and offering prize raffle entries were not associated with effort or performance. Effort appeared to mediate the relationship between some test administration variables (e.g., payment and mandatory testing) and performance. [Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Philadelphia, PA).]