This paper proposes a uniform method for constructing tests, confidence regions and point estimates which is called exact since it reduces to Fisher's so-called exact test in the case of the hypothesis of independence in a 2 × 2 contingency table. All the wellknown standard tests based on exact sampling distributions are instances of the exact test in its general form. The likelihood ratio and x2 tests as well as the maximum likelihood estimate appears as asymptotic approximations to the corresponding exact procedures.