The article deals with the problem of bringing the system of evaluating results in professional education to conformity with the evaluation of competitive ability of specialists on the labour market. The author reveals the essence of the main category for measuring results, which is competence and shows that this complex category must be measured by means of a number of techniques. The brief algorithm for creating effective diagnostic techniques is shown: drawing the circle of professional duties – coding professional requirements in terms of competence – choosing an adequate technique. Analysis of popular methods for measuring competence is carried out (supervision, questionnaire, interview, assessment centre) advantages and drawbacks of each of them are shown. The conclusion is drawn about the necessity to adapt the existing methods of staff assessment, which are used in commercial and non-commercial organizations, to the educational process.