This part of EN 196 specifies the method for the determination of the water-soluble chromium (VI) content of cement.A reference method is described consisting of two stages, an extraction procedure and an analysis of the filtered extract. Guidance on other extraction procedures, suitable for screening tests, for factory production control or other purposes, is given but in case of dispute or failure to comply with a regulatory limit only the reference method is used. The reference method has alternatives whereby the filtered extract may be subjected to an oxidation step or not. The criteria by which the appropriate procedure is selected are set down. Other instrumental procedures may be used for the analysis of the filtered extract provided they are calibrated against the analysis of the filtered extract using the reference procedure. In the case of a dispute, only the reference method is used.Annex A sets out a normative procedure to be followed in case this test method is used as the basis for evaluation of conformity of a cement with the regulatory limit in Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 .This part of EN 196 describes a method that applies to cements. It may have wider applicability but this would need to be verified by testing on a product-by-product basis. Guidance in the possible application of this European Standard to the determination of the water-soluble chromium (VI) content of cement-containing preparations is given in Annex B.Annexes C and D provide information on other test procedures based on paste extraction and thus depart from the performance of cement in its normal conditions of use. They may be carried out with or without the oxidation process. Users should be aware that results using these methods might be significantly different to those obtained by the reference method. In the case of dispute or failure to comply with the regulatory limit only the reference method is used.Annex E provides guidance on a method for determination of the excess reducing agent content of cement as used in the factory internal control system of some countries. Manufacturers using such an internal control method should ensure themselves of the relevance of results in comparison with testing by the reference method.