This method is for determining nickel, molybdenum, phosphorusand cobalt in fresh gamma-alumina supported catalysts; and nickel,molybdenum, phosphorus, cobalt and aluminum in fresh silica-aluminasupported catalysts of known composition by Inductively CoupledPlasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The method issuitable for determining nickel over a range of 1 to 10 mass-%,molybdenum over a range of 5 to 20 mass-%, phosphorus (as phosphateonly) over a range of 2 to 25 mass-%, cobalt over a range of 1 to 5mass-%, and aluminum over a range of 5 to 50 mass-%. Catalystscontaining alpha- or theta-alumina phases cannot be analyzed by themethod. Nickel bearing catalysts that also contain tungsten areanalyzed by UOP Method 924.