This paper is a summary of the IEEE P1812, a working group devoted to developing a testing guide for permanent magnet (PM) machines. This guide is intended to cover a broad range of machines, encompassing all voltage levels, power ranges, frame sizes, and applications. This paper will serve to inform the interested entities: users, manufacturers, government and private laboratories, military, and other interested parties of the progress to date. Although the acceptance of the recommendations in this guide is voluntary from the users' perspective, the guide is expected to serve as the de facto procedure for performance testing and determination of parameters of PM machines.