The positioning of the reference electrode (RE) for testing electrode properties on solid electrolytes (SEs), in particular on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), is in dispute. We suggest here a design that yields the electrode overpotential with only a negligible ohmic contribution from the solid electrolyte bulk, is quite insensitive to small inaccuracy in the electrode positioning, and can serve as a standard configuration for electrode evaluation. The design takes advantage of modern methods for thin film pattern control on the micrometer scale.