Various test methods and explosive parameters have been used as indicators of explosive performance, but, in practice, often do not give the same order of ranking when applied to detonating explosives. This paper attempts to review this area. Furthermore, ＇power＇ or, more properly, explosive performance, is one of the criteria used in a United Nations publication for judging suitability for transport and the method of packaging unstable substances, materials that for the most part are not capable of detonation. Methods for measuring the performance of explosives are examined in this paper, and a subsequent paper will address the value and meaning of power tests when applied to unstable substances.