A paradigm shift has occurred in marketing, fueled by the growth of internet and database technologies. This paper is to identify the fundamental competencies needed by those entering the changing field of marketing, and develop a standardized examination to measure these competencies. This paper discusses the results of a comprehensive examination administered to 114 students at a large university with a direct and interactive marketing program. The data indicates that certain basic competencies can be identified and tested, including: email, ROI, retention, and CRM (Customer Relationship Management), but more advanced techniques of customer life value metric and opt-in/ opt-out strategies were found to be pivotal.