The use of lot-amounts (less than or equal to 0.5 wt %) of unsupported, fine-particle size (< 40 nm), iron-based catalysts in direct coal liquefaction has the-potential to enhance desired reactions and minimize retrogressive reactions because df the very high surface areas and good dispersions attainable with these catalysts. The objectives of this project are to establish standard activity test procedures for these types of catalysts and to use these procedures at Sandia National Laboratories for evaluating and comparing the activities of the many catalyst formulations being developed in the Advanced Research Coal Liquefaction Program that is funded by the United States Department of Energy’s Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC). The standard testing procedure that has been developed uses a factorial experimental design with three variables (temperature, time, and catalyst loading), Blind Canyon coal, and phenanthrene as the reaction solvent. Reactions are performed in batch microautoclaves and results are reported as tetrahydrofuran conversions,:heptane conversions, amounts of hydrogen donor in the recovered reaction solvent, and product-gas yields. The strategy behind the development of this test and the results of using this test with a commercially available pyrite are presented. The results show that the experimental procedures can be implemented consistently by different operators, and that use of phenanthrene as the reaction solvent allows significant catalytic effect to be observed.