The Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) is a multiple-choice test that has been used to evaluate physics instruction. However, the validity and reliability estimates have not been determined in a way a social scientist would expect. Few psychometric data were used to estimate the validity and reliability of the FMCE instrument. This study used several methods to estimate the reliability and structural validity of the FMCE instrument. Data from the first semester of a noncalculus physics course was used to calculate Cronbach alpha reliability estimates and, using factor analysis, evaluate the construct validity of the instrument. For the pilot study, the pretest was given to 38 students and the posttest to 20. Fifty-four students participated in the fall 2002 pretest. A table of specifications also was used to estimate the content validity of the FMCE. The pilot study suggested that the FMCE is a valid and reliable measure of the concepts of force and motion, and the ongoing study will provide further investigation. (Contains 4 tables and 22 references.) (Author/SLD)