In 2008, an initial field test was conducted to determine whether the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) could be conducted using Event History Calendar (EHC) methodology (administered once per year), and still produce data of equal (or better) quality compared to the data collected using a conventional “standardized” questionnaire administered every four months, as is SIPP’s current practice. A paper-and-pencil field test was conducted in April through June in two sites – Illinois and Texas – and collected data covering the 2007 calendar year. The prototype EHC instrument contained a small subset of SIPP content, focusing on need-based government transfer programs such as Food Stamps. Interviewers completed 1,627 in-person household interviews for a unit-level response rate of approximately 91%.