In semiarid regions, such as the Northern Great Plains, water is usually the limiting resource in plant production, but demonstrating the link between soil quality, water infiltration, and water-holding capacity is challenging. The Soil Quality Test Kit provides for measurement of seven soil quality indicators: bulk density, infiltration rate, water-holding capacity, electrical conductivity, soil pH, soil nitrate, and soil respiration. This kit is sold commercially for approximately 500 U.S. dollars. Soil samples at surface depths (0-5, 0-10, and 0-15 cm) were collected from four studies in North and South Dakota: 1) a cropping systems study at the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory (NGPRL) near Mandan, ND; 2) a rangeland restoration study at NGPRL; 3) a combination cropping and rangeland management study near Huron, SD; and 4) a rangeland management study near Streeter, ND. All samples were air-dried, except for the NGPRL cropping systems study which had both field-moist and air-dried samples. Soil was placed in a 5 oz (148 ml) paper cup with a perforated bottom (50 holes made with an 18 gauge needle) to a height of 4 cm. This cup was inserted into the upper rim of a 3 oz (89 ml) paper cup. Ultrapure water equivalent to 2.54 cm (1 in) was added and the infiltration rate was measured. For the air-dried samples, another 2.54 cm of water was added. Water collected in the bottom cup was measured using a graduated cylinder and analyzed for anions and cations using colorimetric test strips and ion chromatography. Soil in the bottom cup was incubated in the laboratory to measure the rate at which the soil returned to an air dry state. Preliminary results show infiltration rates in the rangeland soils were faster than in the cropland soils for both the first and second 2.54 cm. In the-field moist samples from the cropland study at NGPRL, the no till treatment had an infiltration rate of 13 cm hr-1 while the minimum till treatment had a rate of 4 cm hr-1. There was no difference in the amount of water collected in the bottom paper cup among all treatments. However, laboratory incubation studies have demonstrated a difference in the time required for the soils to return to an air-dried state, and on-going trials in the field have shown a difference in the amount of water collected in paired cropland and rangeland studies with the rangeland treatments retaining more water in the soil. This method provides an inexpensive and simple procedure to demonstrate water infiltration and soil water-holding capacity in the field or classroom setting.